Critérium du Dauphiné: Bouhanni takes victory on stage 2

Nacer Bouhanni sprinted to victory on the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné in Parc des Oiseaux Villars-les-Dombes on Monday. The Cofidis rider held off a charging Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale) to take a clear win with Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) taking third.

"It’s all about my team they couldn’t have done more. I’m happy for everybody. I knew that I could trust my teammates and I just had to give it everything in the finish," Bouhanni said.

Edvald Boasson Hagen picked up the sprint after being led into the final kilometre by his MTN-Qhubeka teammates. The Norwegian had gone too early though and Bouhanni spotted a gap between Boasson Hagen and the chasing Modolo. The Frenchman made it through before the door was closed on him and immediately pulled out a gap.

Dumoulin put on a late charge down the left of the finishing straight but he was no match for Bouhanni and had to settle for second. The victory is Bouhanni’s first at the WorldTour level since moving to Cofidis at the start of this season.

Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) remains in the leader’s jersey, two seconds ahead of Modolo.

How it happened

As soon as the flag dropped the riders were faced with the second-category Col du Chat, so it was no surprise to see polka dot jersey wearer Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka) in an early break. He went clear with Arnaud Coureille (FDJ), who started the move, and Perrig Quéméneur (Europcar), and swept up maximum points over the summit.

The trio then proceeded to extend their lead over the peloton, dragging it out to over five minutes by the time they reached the second, unclassified, climb of the day.

As they started the main feature of the stage, the first-category climb of the Col de Cuvéry, they had 6:45 but that was reduced by more than a minute by the time they had crested. Teklehaimanot was once again first over and picked up a further 10 points in the mountains classficiation.

As the peloton set about reeling in the escapees there was a crash with just under 80km remaining. Laurent Pichon (FDJ), Alessandro Vanotti (Astana) and Stephen Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka) were all involved, with Pichon forced to abandon the race.

As the road continued downhill the gap fell steadily, but there was another crash in the peloton, which had Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and a few others frantically trying to get back on.

With 15km remaining the gap was down to 1:15, as Cofidis and Lampre-Merida made their presence felt at the front of the bunch, keen to avoid a repeat of yesterday’s breakaway victory.

The catch was made at 3km out and the general classification men made way for the sprinters’ teams. MTN-Qhubeka led Boasson Hagen into the final kilometre but the Norwegian jumped too soon. Bouhanni saw a gap and surged past Sacha Modolo and Boasson Hagen to win by a considerable margin.

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits4:23:46
2Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 1 - Cell 2
3Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-MeridaRow 2 - Cell 2
4Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN - QhubekaRow 3 - Cell 2
5Aleksei Tsatevich (Rus) Team KatushaRow 4 - Cell 2
6Jonas Vangenechten (Bel) IAM CyclingRow 5 - Cell 2
7Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdgeRow 6 - Cell 2
8Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 7 - Cell 2
9Yannick Martinez (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 8 - Cell 2
10Luka Mezgec (Slo) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 9 - Cell 2
11Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ.frRow 10 - Cell 2
12Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Trek Factory RacingRow 11 - Cell 2
13Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 12 - Cell 2
14Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 13 - Cell 2
15Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 14 - Cell 2
16Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 15 - Cell 2
17Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 16 - Cell 2
18Vicente Reynes (Spa) IAM CyclingRow 17 - Cell 2
19José Mendes (Por) Bora-Argon 18Row 18 - Cell 2
20Nathan Haas (Aus) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 20 - Cell 2
22Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek Factory RacingRow 21 - Cell 2
23Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 22 - Cell 2
24Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 23 - Cell 2
25Johan Van Summeren (Bel) AG2R La MondialeRow 24 - Cell 2
26Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team SkyRow 25 - Cell 2
27Ian Stannard (GBr) Team SkyRow 26 - Cell 2
28George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 27 - Cell 2
29Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 28 - Cell 2
30Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 29 - Cell 2
31Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro TeamRow 30 - Cell 2
32Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 31 - Cell 2
33Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdgeRow 32 - Cell 2
34Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 33 - Cell 2
35Tiago Machado (Por) Team KatushaRow 34 - Cell 2
36Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-MeridaRow 35 - Cell 2
37Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 36 - Cell 2
38Gorka Izagirre (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 37 - Cell 2
39Simon Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdgeRow 38 - Cell 2
40Stef Clement (Ned) IAM CyclingRow 39 - Cell 2
41Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 40 - Cell 2
42Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 41 - Cell 2
43Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 42 - Cell 2
44Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 43 - Cell 2
45Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar TeamRow 44 - Cell 2
46Bruno Pires (Por) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 45 - Cell 2
47Christopher Froome (GBr) Team SkyRow 46 - Cell 2
48Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Team KatushaRow 47 - Cell 2
49Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 48 - Cell 2
50Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 49 - Cell 2
51Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdgeRow 50 - Cell 2
52Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 51 - Cell 2
53Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 52 - Cell 2
54Kévin Reza (Fra) FDJ.frRow 53 - Cell 2
55David Tanner (Aus) IAM CyclingRow 54 - Cell 2
56Marcel Wyss (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 55 - Cell 2
57Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 56 - Cell 2
58Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 57 - Cell 2
59John Gadret (Fra) Movistar TeamRow 58 - Cell 2
60Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 59 - Cell 2
61Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 60 - Cell 2
62Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 61 - Cell 2
63Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La MondialeRow 62 - Cell 2
64Serge Pauwels (Bel) MTN - QhubekaRow 63 - Cell 2
65Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM CyclingRow 64 - Cell 2
66Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling TeamRow 65 - Cell 2
67Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto SoudalRow 66 - Cell 2
68Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 67 - Cell 2
69Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 68 - Cell 2
70Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 69 - Cell 2
71Martijn Keizer (Ned) Team LottoNL-JumboRow 70 - Cell 2
72Nelson Oliveira (Por) Lampre-MeridaRow 71 - Cell 2
73Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff-SaxoRow 72 - Cell 2
74Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Lampre-MeridaRow 73 - Cell 2
75Niki Terpstra (Ned) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 74 - Cell 2
76Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing TeamRow 75 - Cell 2
77Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Bora-Argon 18Row 76 - Cell 2
78Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing TeamRow 77 - Cell 2
79Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
80Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - QhubekaRow 79 - Cell 2
81Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka