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Sunday, June 9, 2024

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There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. - Aldous Huxley

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Les Woodland's book Paris-Roubaix: The Inside Story - All the bumps of cycling's cobbled classic is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• June 2 - 9: Critérium du Dauphiné
• June 5 - 9: ZLM Tour
• June 9 - 16: Tour de Suisse

Upcoming racing:

• June 12 - 16: Baloise Belgium Tour
• June 15 - 18: La Route d'Occitanie Cancelled because security forces busy with Olympics
• June 21 - 26: Many National Championships
• July 1 - 23: Tour de France
• July 27 - August 11: Olympic cycling

Latest completed racing:

• June 7: GP Canton Aargau
• June 2: Brussels Cycling Classic
• May 29: Circuit Franco-Belge
• May 4 - 26: Giro d'Italia
• May 23 - 26: Tour of Norway
• May 26: Rund um Köln
• May 14 - 19: 4 Days of Dunkirk
• May 18: Veenendaal - Veenendaal Classic
• May 11: Tour du Finistère
• May 5: Tro-Bro Léon
• May 4: GP du Morbihan
• May 1: Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt

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Critérium du Dauphiné stage seven reports

We posted the report from the race organizer on the results page.

Here's the report from stage winner and GC leader Primoz Roglic's Team Bora-hansgrohe:

Déjà vu at the Critérium du Dauphiné: Just like yesterday, Primož Roglič again wins today's mountain-top finish - and once again after a strong team performance. He beat Matteo Jorgenson in a sprint at the ski resort of Samoëns 1600. Roglič extended his advantage in the GC and leads by 1:02 minutes after seven stages. Aleks Vlasov is also in 4th place ahead of the final day.

Primoz Roglic & Matteo Jorgenson cross the line first. Sirotti photo

By winning the queen stage, Roglič further leads the points classification and also took the best climber's jersey. BORA – hansgrohe also sits on top of the team classification.

Primož Roglič
“Today we were not focused on winning the stage. You still have to take control from kilometre zero and all my team-mates did that. Every single one of them! All the guys did a great job. My focus was to stay safe but it wasn't easy with the conditions. However, in the end I had the legs to finish the job. Tomorrow is another super hard day.”

BORA – hansgrohe took control of the peloton with the full team and kept the gap to a large leading group constant. With 45 kilometres to go, Marc Soler began a solo ride from the front of the race. At the start of the 10-kilometre final climb, he still had a lead of more than four minutes over the chasing group containing Primož Roglič.

After Nico Denz, Marco Haller and Bob Jungels worked for more than 140 kilometres, first Matteo Sobrero and later Jai Hindley increased the pace in the first half of the climb. Five kilometres before the finish, the lead was halved and only a dozen riders remained in the group of favourites. Aleks Vlasov then upped the pace once again, caught Soler and put his stamp on the race again with 600 metres to go. Then the battle for the day's victory began. Roglič launched his sprint at the 250 metre sign and took the stage win in the yellow jersey.

Here's the report from second-place Matteo Jorgenson's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Matteo Jorgenson finished second in the queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. After a tough final climb of Samoëns 1600, the 24-year-old American eventually had to trail GC leader Primoz Roglic. Jorgensen will start Sunday's final stage as second in the overall classification and wearer of the white jersey.

Matteo Jorgenson finishes second. Sirotti photo

On the penultimate day of the French eight-day race, the peloton set off from Albertville for a short but tough 155-kilometre stage. Three first-category climbs awaited along the way, including the Col de la Ramaz. The finish line was at the top of Samoëns 1600, an hors-category ascent.

On the Col des Saisies, the first climb of the day, the breakaway was formed including Koen Bouwman. The leading group of eleven did the second climb together, but later the group split on the penultimate climb, the Col de la Ramaz. Only Marc Soler almost managed to stay ahead of the group of favourites on the final climb, but he was caught. In the group of favourites, Jorgenson again made a good impression. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader competed with five others for the stage win. In an exciting finale, the American only had to trail Roglic.

“Today everything went well for me”, Jorgenson said. "Before this final weekend, I thought these stages might be too tough. I have little experience in stages with more than four thousand altimeters. I tried to reach the foot of the final climb as economically as possible. So I was relieved there was still something in the legs in the final. It's all new to me, but I keep pushing my limits. I keep surprising myself a bit."

“I only thought about the stage win in the last kilometre”, Jorgenson continued. "Throughout the day I was only concentrating on energy saving, so I wasn't thinking about a possible stage win. In the last kilometre I realised it was still possible, but it was hard to beat Roglic on a finish like this. I got the maximum out of it today. I'm very satisfied with that."

Here's the report from fifth-place Derek Gee's Team Israel-Premier Tech:

Derek Gee proved his impressive ride in the mountains on stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné was no fluke, backing it up again today to finish in fifth place on stage 7 to move into third overall with one stage remaining.

Oier Lazkano and Derek Gee finish 4th & 5th. Sirotti photo

Gee heads into the final stage 1:13 minutes behind today’s stage winner and race leader Primoz Roglič after digging deep to stay with the small group of favorites on the summit finish, proving he has well and truly transitioned into a GC rider.

Gee had nothing but praise for his teammates at the finish line, acknowledging the valuable experience of the guys riding in support of him.

“I’m satisfied with today”, Gee smiled after the line. “It was hard. It was a really hard profile but the guys were amazing. They just looked after me all day and put me in the best position possible.

“It’s indescribable how valuable that level of experience is in the team. Even the little tips they give me, aside from what they do for me on the road, they are pretty special.”

Gee’s dominant performance at the race comes off the back of altitude camp so with plenty of climbing in his legs, he knows how to suffer. With four categorized climbs on the menu today, there was plenty of suffering on the cards.

“I felt pretty good for the first couple of kilometers [of the final climb] but then it really hit me and I was just staring at the wheel in front of me. But I was glad I could stay with the front group.”

Heading into the final stage, Gee has a 43-second advantage over Aleksandr Vlasov, who sits in fourth place, while Gee sits just 11 seconds off second place. It’s all to play for tomorrow with another four categorized climbs, including the Plateau des Glières summit finish, and one thing’s for sure, Derek Gee will give it everything he has.

And here's the report from Carlos Rodriguez's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Carlos Rodriguez moved up to fifth place overall at the Criterium du Dauphine, while Laurens De Plus maintained seventh following the queen stage.

The Grenadiers duo rode well in tough conditions, remaining as part of an elite lead group which contested the finish up at Samoens 1600.

Rodriguez crossed the line in sixth, eight seconds back on stage victor and yellow jersey holder Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe). De Plus arrived in eighth over the line, a further six seconds back.

Carlos Rodriguez before the start of stage 2. Sirroti photo

The pair enjoyed strong support over a mountainous course, not least from Josh Tarling, who produced one of the best climbing performances of his career, lasting well into the final kilometres.

With one stage to go on Sunday, Rodriguez now sits in the top five, 1:58 back on Roglic. De Plus held station in seventh, 2:17 back.

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