Skip to main content

Critérium du Dauphiné 2014: Stage 3

Refresh

Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage three of the Criterium du Dauphine.

Bonjour and welcome to this early start for stage three. The riders have rolled out of Ambert and the first attack of the day has quickly  been allowed to get a gap.

A total of 167 riders are still in the race, with no non-starters today.

Today's stage is over a distance of 194km. It includes some early hills but has a flat final hour. It should mean the sprinters enjoy a day in the headlines if they can control the break of the day.

The trio in the breakaway are Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Cesare Bendetti (NetApp-Endura) and Natnael Berhane (Europcar). The peloton seems happy to let them go as their lead is already close to four minutes.

It is another hot day across much of southern Europe and in the Alps. The riders face temperatures of up to 35C today.

We've already seen some explosive racing at the Dauphine this year as the likes of Froome, Contador and Nibali test their form and each other before the Tour de France.

169km remaining from 194km

Natnael Berhane (Europcar) was the first to the top of the climb. He is in the break to take the climber's points and so help teammate Kevin Reza defend his lead in the climber's competition. 

Behind, Reza ensured he was fourth to the top of the climb and so picked up another seven points in the climber's competition.

149km remaining from 194km

The rider are facing a hot side/head wind as they head south. With Froome leading the race, his Team Sky teammates are leading the steady chase of the breakaway.

A descent has helped the break extend their lead to over seven minutes.

Alberto Contador was the only rider able to stay with Chris Froome when he made his fifth and decisive attack yesterday on the climb.

124km remaining from 194km

The three breakaway riders are toiling under the sun, with temperatures above 30C, and the hilly roads making it had going. The riders covered 35.7km/h in the second hour of racing. 

The riders have finally reached the top of a long gradual climb to Recharginges and are at an altitude of over 1000m. They stay high for the next 40km before the descent and rolling roads to the Col de la Mure after 150km. Following the steep descent to the Rhone valley, the flat final 40km begin. 

Today's stage is expected to be a quiet affair for Chris Froome.

The climb and rolling roads has cut the lead of the break, with FDJ.fr making sure the trio will be in reach in the finale of the stage. The gap is now down to less than three minutes.

This stage is considered one for the sprinters but every rider will have to handle the constant climbing and heat today.

The three breakaway riders are working well together but peloton is refusing to let them open a big gap. The time difference is 2:50 now.

Two FDJ.fr riders continue to set the pace at the head of the peloton, with Team Sky lined out behind them, followed by Tinkoff-Saxo, protecting Alberto Contador.

The roads are twisting up and down the hills of the Ardeche region, offering some moments of shade but rarely a section of flat road.

The racing is taking its toll, with Jérôme Cousin retiring. The French rider crashed yesterday and has been struggling.

71km remaining from 194km

68km remaining from 194km

62km remaining from 194km

Nizzolo remains seated on the ground and it looks as though his race could be over. Filippo Pozzato (Lampre-Merida) was also caught up in the crash but he is successfully chasing back on to the main peloton.

57km remaining from 194km

Giacomo Nizzolo has climbed into the Trek Factory Racing team car and abandoned the Dauphiné. His teammate Jens Voigt, meanwhile, sits in second place in the peloton behind Fédrigo.

55km remaining from 194km

Jerome Coppel (Cofidis) has also abandoned the Dauphine, apparently as a result of the earlier crash.

The three escapees are now approaching the foot of the category 2 Col de la Mûre (3.8km at 6.3%). After a short, sharp descent, it's a flat and fast run-in to the finish at Le Teil.

49km remaining from 194km

48km remaining from 194km

Thor Hushovd (BMC) and Jack Bobridge (Belkin) are among the riders at the back of the bunch on this climb, but it seems unlikely that FDJ.fr will be able to force a major selection here.

47km remaining from 194km

Berhane, Kadri and Cesare Benedetti have limited the damage on the climb and they look set to cross the summit with 1:32 of their lead still intact.

45km remaining from 194km

Richie Porte (Team sky) is on the front of the peloton as the riders begin the gradual descent to the Rhone valley.

The breakaway trio has hit the flat road but only have a 55 second lead on the peloton.

The riders did not contest the intermediate sprint, with Benedetti crossing the line first.

With Nizzolo out following the crash and Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEdge) and Thor Hushovd (BMC) behind, Demare seems the absolute favourite for the sprint finish. 

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) is sitting at the back of the peloton, enjoying the slipstream effect of the other riders. The 2012 Giro d'Italia winner confirmed to Cyclingnews at the start that he will miss this year's Tour de France and instead target the Vuelta a Espana.

28km remaining from 194km

The gap is down to 30 seconds and the cars have been pulled out from behind the break. Their time is up and the trio has eased up. 

The break had been away for a tough 170km in the hills.

20km remaining from 194km

After a slight pause, we have an attack, with seven riders trying to get away.

There are several groups up the road now, with a possible ten riders about to come together.

In the move are Lars Bak (Lotto Belisol) and Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing). They know how to make an attack work.

Due to the heat of the day, race judges have ruled that teams can take bottles from team cars until 11km to go.

15km remaining from 194km

The break has 40 seconds.

Giant-Shimano and Katusha are also chasing behind but the break looks stronger than the peloton at the moment.

There are eight riders in the break. We stand corrected. it is not Bak but Pim Ligthart  for Lotto Belisol.

10km remaining from 194km

Katusha has put four riders on the front.

Up front the eight also seem to have lost the desire and unity needed to stay away. Voigt was one of the first to miss a turn.

The break is in sight and so Edet takes a flyer to go clear alone, Favilli, is going after him.

The others have been caught.

5km remaining from 194km

It's time for the sprint trains to take over.

3km remaining from 194km

Westra is the Astana rider but he is suffering despite his time trial skills.

Lotto and OPQS are also lined up for the sprint.

There is a split in the peloton.

Last kilometre!

A tight corners shuffles the sprint lead outs.

The riders are lined out with it seems Impey leading the peloton.

Demare fails to find a way through and is beaten.

It's a close finish between Boeckmans (Lotto Belisol) and Niklas Arndt (Giant-Shimano) but Arndt gets it.

The photo finish gave the victory to the young German rider but a few inches.

Chris Froome (Team Sky) finished safely in the peloton and so retained the race lead ahead of Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).

Wednesday's stage is from Montelimar to Gap, over 167km. It includes the Col de Manse in the final loop and so should spark a thrilling finale.

We'll have a full stage report, a huge photo gallery of all the action and news and interviews from today's stage on Cyclingnews very soon.

Join us on Wednesday for full coverage of stage four.

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Latest on Cyclingnews