If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: Jonas Vingegaard spotted aboard all-new Cerv\u00e9lo S5 at the Dauphin\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n2025-06-08T10:24:57.707Z<\/p>\n
With just over 15km remaining to the first climb of the day, the gap to the breakaway stands at 2:25.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T10:22:35.201Z<\/p>\n
Though everyone is understandably expecting the fight for the general classification to come down to the titans of the sport in Tadej Poga\u010dar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, there are plenty of other times with an interest in their performance throughout the week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some of the other candidates looking to spring a surprise include Enric Mas (Movistar), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and a second rider for Visma Lease-a-Bike, Matteo Jorgenson. In fact, the American indicated earlier in the season he may be given the opportunity to go for the GC at this race, but much will depend on how Vingegaard is progressing, particularly in view of the fact that this is his first race back since his crash at the Volta Catalunya in April.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T10:15:31.272Z<\/p>\n
The average speed after two hours of racing – 41km\/h.<\/p>\n
The gap to the lead duo has dipped below two minutes once again, and hovers around 1:50 now.<\/p>\n
110km to go <\/p>\n
2025-06-08T10:13:02.772Z<\/p>\n
![\"XDS](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/TPychc2KpvDPWCaVEPeh3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Favourite for the overall victory at this race, world champion Tadej Poga\u010dar is comfortable within the bunch (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T10:05:26.750Z<\/p>\n
The gap is once again steady at 2:55.<\/p>\n
The first climb of the day, the C\u00f4te de Sainte-Th\u00e9rence, is 2.6km in length, at an average gradient of 4.6%. It could provide a launchpad for teams looking to try and break up the bunch or drop the pure sprinters.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:58:40.577Z<\/p>\n
The gap between the breakaway and the bunch is fluctuating – having dropped once again below two minutes, it’s now gone back up to 3:10.<\/p>\n
120km to go <\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:57:18.546Z<\/p>\n
![\"Arkea](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VCekoXvEzGegkWDvQT3BSg.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The breakaway duo of Paul Ourselin (Cofidis) and Pierre Thierry (Ark\u00e9a-B&B Hotels) up the road on stage 1 (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:54:52.691Z<\/p>\n
While the stage has continued at a steady pace so far, the complexion of the race will change somewhat as the bunch turns west and begins to head back north towards the finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The seven categorised climbs of the day will draw out riders seeking points in the KOM competition, and may encourage teams without pure sprinters in their ranks to try and increase the pace in order to make the race hard for the likes of Jonathan Milan and Pascal Ackermann. The first of those climbs comes with 88km to go, in around 35km time.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:50:14.902Z<\/p>\n
The gap has pushed back out over three minutes and now stands at 3:05 between the leading duo of Ourselin and Thierry, and the pursuing bunch.<\/p>\n
130km to go <\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:39:40.936Z<\/p>\n
It should also be noted that this is the final race in the career of Romain Bardet (Team Picnic-PostNL). The beloved French rider announced last year that 2025 would be his final season, and rather unconventionally, he opted to conclude his career mid-season, on his home roads at the Dauphin\u00e9.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It will doubtless be a poignant and emotional week for Bardet and for the legion of fans both in his home nation and beyond, who have supported him on his 13 year pro career.<\/p>\n
![\"Team](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/z8pgkoJK56Mr5SHpRLbnGm.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:36:51.090Z<\/p>\n
The peloton seem to have realised that there’s still a very long way to go, and have relaxed the pace somewhat, allowing the French duo at the head of the race to extend their lead back out to almost three minutes.<\/p>\n
140km to go <\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:31:40.004Z<\/p>\n
The gap drifts back out to 2:25 as the riders tackle a short uncategorised climb on today’s slightly undulating profile.<\/p>\n
Today’s stage takes place wholly in central France, in the Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes region.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:27:55.361Z<\/p>\n
50 kilometres down, and the gap continues to come down, dipping just below two minutes.<\/p>\n
The average pace for the first hour of racing was 42km\/h.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:24:57.146Z<\/p>\n
With 144km remaining, the gap has reduced to just 2:00 – the peloton are in danger of catching the break too soon, so may look to ease back on the tempo.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:20:24.374Z<\/p>\n
Our breakaway pair are both debutants at the Dauphin\u00e9 this year. Paul Ourselin is 31 years old, and has yet to win in his pro career. He joined Cofidis at the beginning of this season, having spent his entire professional career prior to that with TotalEnergies.<\/p>\n
Pierre Thierry is 22 years old. He turned pro with Ark\u00e9a-B&B Hotels last September, after being promoted from their continental team. He too has yet to record a professional victory.<\/p>\n
\n2025-06-08T09:13:42.444Z
\n150km to go\n<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:13:21.672Z<\/p>\n
The gap holds steady at 3:00 as Matis Louvel (Israel-Premier Tech) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) lead the bunch behind.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:07:11.533Z<\/p>\n
The peloton have deemed the breakaway were a little too far out of reach for their liking, so they’ve reeled them back to 3:00.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T09:04:22.854Z<\/p>\n
In terms of the route, as always the Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 offers a variety of stages, backloaded with mountain challenges. Following today’s undulating stage, which is expected to end in a sprint, tomorrow’s hilly stage is slightly tougher, and could potentially present an opportunity for a breakaway. <\/p>\n
The same applies to stage 3, another hilly stage with a series of climbs that could separate the bunch and potentially invite early action in the general classification. Stage 4 is an individual time trial, while stage 5’s profile is one of two halves – first flat, then hilly – a reduced bunch sprint seems the most likely outcome.<\/p>\n
Stage 6 sees the race’s first summit finish into Combloux, before the Queen Stage a day later which takes in a series of classic Alpine passes – the Cols de la Madeleine and Croix de Fer, and finishing on the Valmeinier 1800.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The concluding stage finishes atop the Col du Mont-Cenis, and by then, we will have a clearer picture of what we can perhaps expect in a month’s time at Le Tour.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:58:11.554Z<\/p>\n
As for the week ahead, it’s set to offer a fascinating insight into the form of the three top favourites for this year’s Tour de France, with just four weeks to go before Le Grand D\u00e9part in Lille.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Poga\u010dar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel have all been cagey in their response to the media ahead of the race, and with Vingegaard not having raced since his crash in Catalunya in April, Poga\u010dar not racing since the conclusion of the Ardennes Classics, and Evenepoel since the Tour of Romandie it will be interesting to see how each approaches the race.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:52:07.006Z<\/p>\n
The race situation is stable currently, with Lidl-Trek in control of the pace-setting. The breakaway duo have a gap of 3:20 on the peloton.<\/p>\n
Puncture for Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n2025-06-08T08:46:33.230Z
\n170km to go\n<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:46:04.794Z<\/p>\n
Now the race situation has settled down, let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for the peloton today in terms of the course.<\/p>\n
It’s expected to be a day for the sprinters, despite a series of climbing challenges in the latter part of the day. Currently, the peloton is covering a long, relatively flat section of the course, which takes up around the first 100 kilometres on the profile.<\/p>\n
From there, the race takes in seven category 4 climbs along the way to the finish line. The first two are the longest, before enter a circuit around Montlu\u00e7on, so if some of the bunch find themselves losing touch they may have time to get back to the group ahead of the fight for the stage victory.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:38:26.621Z<\/p>\n
Our two French riders have been allowed up the road and the bunch have settled in to the race, with Lidl-Trek leading the pack on behalf of their sprinter, Jonathan Milan. They’ve been joined by Israel-Premier Tech, who have Pascal Ackermann among their number for today’s expected sprint finish in Montlu\u00e7on.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:35:10.096Z<\/p>\n
Two riders are making a move – Paul Ourselin of Cofidis and Pierre Thierry of Arkea-B&B Hotels have managed to open up a 20-second gap.<\/p>\n
Lidl-Trek are driving the chase behind.<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:24:33.325Z<\/p>\n
It’s the first time we get to see the collective winners of the past five Tours, Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard, race since last season’s French Grand Tour. It will be a duel when they get to the mountains, but it was all smiles at the start in Dom\u00e9rat.<\/p>\n
![\"DOMERAT,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/EPZYyjac2XtMDdyHuVjsnZ.png\")
<\/p>\n
(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
2025-06-08T08:23:36.007Z<\/p>\n
The Dauphin\u00e9 is always one of the most anticipated one-week stage races of the season, as one of the key form-markers for the Tour de France, but it’s even more special in 2025, with all of Tadej Poga\u010dar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) all taking the start.<\/p>\n
2025-06-05T18:44:58.785Z<\/p>\n
Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of the opening stage of this year’s Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Refresh 2025-06-08T11:37:17.730Z The next climb is underway. The C\u00f4te de Dom\u00e9rat is just under 2km in length and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-167483","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114647559494293128","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}