Criterium du Dauphine: Alaphilippe wins stage 4

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Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) claimed victory on stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, the first mountain day of the 2018 race. Alaphilippe held onto a late attack from Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) on the punchy final climb of Lens-en-Vercors before jumping from third wheel to take the stage win.

Martin, who had initiated the move just outside the final kilometre, finished second with Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) finishing third and fourth respectively. Race leader Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) was dropped when Martin attacked and lost the race lead, but the jersey would stay within the team with Gianni Moscon taking up the race lead. Kwiatkowski and Thomas remain in the top three just six seconds behind the Italian.

"I'm super happy. The Dauphine is a very high-level race, and all the riders are in top shape. In a few weeks, there will be the Tour de France, so it is not easy to win," Alaphilippe said. "From today, the course is very difficult and today was the only day that I was able to go for the win. I told Bob Jungels that I wanted to do something today and I did it. My legs felt good all day, and so I went full gas in the last five kilometres.

"My last race was Liege, so I've had a long break since then. I went to altitude camp for three weeks. The feelings were a bit weird after not racing for so long, but we know why we're here, and we're extremely motivated for the Tour. I'm going to try and help Bob until Sunday, but I'm not going to give up anything myself either.

"I don't want to be pessimistic, but I don't think that the course is good for me. I'm more of a puncheur, not a climber, and the course here is very hard. The goal here was to win a stage, so I've done my job. Hopefully, Bob will do the rest."

It was an edge of the seat finale to the stage with the last member of the day's breakaway – which only made it clear after 80 kilometres of breathless racing – still off the front with a kilometre to go. Dario Cataldo (Astana) had gone solo on the Col du Mont Noir and still held a slim margin over the ever-diminishing peloton as he passes under the flamme rouge.

An attack from Martin inside the final kilometre cut down what was left of the Italian's advantage. He took with him Alaphilippe, Bardet and Thomas as the yellow jersey of Kwiatkowski fell back. Alaphilippe bided his time before launching his move with the line in sight. Once he put the hammer down, there was little doubt that he would cross the line in first place.

How it happened

The day started with four abandons, including two more from Team Sunweb, who have now lost four of their seven starters. More riders, though not from Sunweb, would climb off before the end of the day. Following two time trials and two sprint stages, the peloton turned towards the mountains for stage 4. The opening stretch of the day would be flat before the first unclassified climbs and the three ascents of the day, including the hors categorie Col du Mont Noir.

The desire to get into the break was high and a relentless pace was set as rider upon rider tried to get away before getting caught. The average speed would be a pacey 52kph in the opening hour and it would do some damage in the peloton, splitting the group into multiple factions. It was panic stations for Romain Bardet when he missed the split but a mad scramble from his team brought him back into the fold.

After more than 80 kilometres of racing, Dario Cataldo (Astana), Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe), Jens Keukeleire (Lotto Soudal) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) finally broke clear of the peloton. Odd Christian Eiking (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Arnaud Courteille (Vital Concept), Simon Clarke (EF-Drapac) and Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept) would eventually join them to make it an eight-man move.

As the race hit the Col du Mont Noir with just under 60 kilometres to go, the action picked up again. Up front, Eiking struck out from the breakaway, while AG2R La Mondiale took charge on the front of the peloton. Katusha's Ian Boswell attacked and was joined by Edward Ravisi of UAE Team Emirates. Eiking also gained some company with Cataldo bridging the gap on the steep climb while Bryan Coquard, followed by others, slipped back.

Cataldo went on to drop Eiking with 44 kilometres remaining while Boswell and Ravisi mopped up the dropped riders from the breakaway. The pair was still two minutes behind the Italian while the peloton was more than three minutes back.

Team Sky set the pace in the chase behind, as they had done for most of the day. Cataldo had started the day just 2:15 behind so was a genuine threat to the leader's jersey of Kwiatkowski. As they hit the top of the climb, Cataldo still had 2:45 on the bunch. That would be cut down briefly on the descent as Cataldo took a careful line down the twisting slope.

The rain would hit, but thankfully for all, it held off until they had completed the challenging descent. As the rain fell with just over 20 kilometres remaining, Cataldo had increased his lead to over three minutes. The rain eventually abated as Jonathan Castroviejo and Tao Geoghegan Hart churned the pace on the front of the peloton, cutting down the time gap to Cataldo bit by bit.

With 10 kilometres to go, the peloton had Cataldo at just over two minutes. Cofidis' Nicolas Edet took the moment on a short rise to attempt to bridge the gap, while AG2R La Mondiale's Oliver Naesen took to the front of the bunch. Team Sky would soon come back to the front, and as the final climb began some five kilometres later, Cataldo's lead had dropped to 1:40 while Edet's effort came to an end.

Meanwhile, the peloton was whittled down bit by bit with the steep gradient and the fast pace and Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic) was an early victim with two kilometres remaining. Cataldo had to dig deep to try and hold off the pack behind but with just over a kilometre to go it now stood at 30 seconds and the attacks began again.

Guillaume Martin launched a move from well back in the bunch, grinding his way off the front of the bunch. His move ignited a strong chase from Pierre Latour that brought him back and put the yellow jersey of Michal Kwiatkowski in trouble. With 400 metres to go, Dan Martin made his move and Cataldo's hopes for victory had a pin firmly put in them.

Kwiatkowski was unable to tag onto the attack and could only watch as Martin and his three companions go up the road. Alaphilippe would get the jump on the others to take the win with Latour leading the second group over the line while Kwiatkowski gave away 17 seconds and his race lead.

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