Criterium du Dauphine: Bauhaus wins stage 5

Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) produced a great sprint finish to put his bigger-name rivals in the shade in Macon on stage 5 of the Criterium du Dauphine. The 22-year-old German followed the right wheels and then hit out to win by a bike length ahead of Arnaud Demare (FDJ) and Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie). Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff were only fifth and sixth in the sprint.

Katusha once-again led the bunch through the final corners, but Kristoff was left wanting. Bauhaus didn't have any teammates remaining going into the last stretch but showed wisdom beyond his experience as he surfed the wheels of other teams to put himself into the right place at the right time. The German latched onto the lead-out of Adrien Petit, which was meant for Bryan Coquard.

From there, he got himself onto the front as the sprinters rounded the final bend and there was no looking back from there. The win continues a purple patch for the Sunweb team, who is still on a high after Tom Dumoulin won the Giro d'Italia last month. They've also got youngster Sam Oomen in the lead of the young rider's classification.

"It feels really good (to have won). I felt that may shape was quite good a few weeks ago and I'm super happy that now everything worked out and that I could take the first victory," said Bauhaus. "I saw on the second stage that my sprint was quite good and I felt from the beginning that my legs were good today. We chased with two guys and so I was confident. My legs were good enough to take the win home.

"A win for a sprinter is always good. I felt I was quite close in Arlanc the other day and so I got support from the team. For sure this is the biggest win of my career so far."

Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) finished safely in the peloton and so retained the leader's yellow jersey for another day. He will try to defend it during Friday's first mountain stage over the terrible Mont du Chat climb to La Motte-Servolex but lead time trial winner Richie Porte (BMC) by just 27 seconds.

How it happened

Stage 5 of the Criterium du Dauphine would be the last opportunity for the sprinters to take home a stage victory.

De Gendt once again began the day in the yellow jersey but his lead was much slimmer after Richie Porte took chunks out of it in the time trial the day before. The Belgian would be assured of keeping the jersey for at least another day but the Lotto-Soudal team would still need to remain vigilant. Ian Stannard (Team Sky) was the only non-starter after he pulled out due to illness.

All of the teams will have been wary at the start with the breakaway success of two days previously still fresh in their minds and the break took much longer to form. Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo) was one of those keen to make it into a move. The Dutchman was the victor on stage 3 when the break succeeded and he was closing in on the mountains classification lead because of it.

Bouwman, wearing the polka-dot jersey for classification leader De Gendt, did eventually slip up the road as he followed a move initiated by Delko Marseille Provence KTM rider Julien El Fares. Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Marco Minnaard (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) joined the party too and four riders rode off into the distance as the peloton eased.

However the sprinters and their teammates in the peloton kept the leaders at close quarters, unwilling to make the same mistake again, and the four were allowed little more than five minutes’ advantage. Bouwman mopped up the king of the mountains points on each of the cotes, unchallenged by his companions. As a result he quickly became the virtual leader on the road. He would cement his place at the top of the standings by the end of the day.

Bouwman’s endeavours were a side plate to the main action of the sprint, however, and the peloton gradually reeled in the escapees with FDJ, Katusha, Dimension Data and FDJ all sharing the work. One by one the four struggled and cracked and so were brought back into the clutches of the pack until Van Baarle was the only one remaining. The Cannondale-Drapac rider valiantly pushed on solo but his day was done with seven kilometres to go.

Katusha and FDJ guided the peloton through the final twisting kilometres but it was a man riding solo that would overcome the might of the two trains.

Bauhaus expertly moved his way through the bunch until he stationed himself on the front through the curved finish, coming off the wheels at the right moment. Once there, he was untouchable and he surged towards his first victory of the season.

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