Boasson Hagen wins opening stage of the Criterium du Dauphine

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Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) took victory on the opening stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, beating Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in a reduced bunch sprint.

Thanks to the bonus seconds he earned for his win, Boasson Hagen now leads the overall classification by four seconds over Gilbert.

"I'm really happy I could manage to take this victory, I was really suffering on these last few climbs. I managed to make it to the sprint and I had a good sprint. I got the victory and I'm happy. It's a long time since I had a victory," said Boasson Hagen. "I hope there is more to come, but it's good for me and it's good for Dimension Data to get this win."

Boasson Hagen didn't have any team around to help him in the final kilometres of the hilly stage, but he was able to rely on plenty of other teams being interested in catching the remnants of the day's breakaway that remained out front until the final kilometre. Both Mitchelton-Scott and Deceuninck-QuickStep kept the pace high, dragging back the leaders with just a few hundred metres to the line.

Deceuninck-QuickStep's Julian Alaphilippe led what remained of the pack, which had broken up over the final climb of the day, around the last few corners, hoping to build on their success at the Hammer Series and deliver Gilbert to the win. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) and Van Aert fought it out to get onto Gilbert's wheel while Boasson Hagen had to come from a long way back with 300 metres remaining.

Boasson Hagen used the wheel of fellow Classics rider Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) to move up the bunch as the German decided to chance his hand in a long sprint, going around the outside on the final bend. As the bunch rounded the final corner, Alaphilippe pulled off to let Gilbert take his chance at the line.

Unleashed, Gilbert did to Politt what he did in the Roubaix velodrome just two months ago. But he was no match for Boasson Hagen, who had navigated his way around the back of Gilbert to take the sprinting line up the centre of the road and easily overhaul the Belgian for a clear victory. Van Aert held on admirably to take third, while Politt faded to fourth.

How it happened

Summer might be on its way, but it didn't look like it with cloudy skies, cool temperatures and rain threatening to fall as the riders lined up in Aurillac on Sunday morning. There would be no easy start for the peloton with the opening 142-kilometre stage providing five classified climbs, including one category 1 and two category 2.

With mountains points on offer and a chance that the breakaway might be able to stick it, there was plenty of competition to make it into the break. After 10 kilometres and a lot of attacking, a six-man move went clear of the peloton. The breakaway consisted of: Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale), Magnus Cort (Astana), Niklas Eg (Trek-Segafredo), Fabien Doubey (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), Casper Pedersen (Team Sunweb), Julien Vermote (Dimension Data).

After 20 kilometres of racing, the gap had grown to almost three minutes, but that was soon cut down with Bora-Hansgrohe managing the pace in the bunch behind. The German team was hoping to set up their sprinter Sam Bennett, but it would be a difficult day out for the fast men.

The early story thread of the day was Casper Pedersen taking the points at the top of all the climbs, doing more than enough to secure himself the polka-dot jersey for day two. Though the gap would go back up to 3:15 with 90 kilometres to go, it would spend most of the day between the two and three-minute mark. Bora-Hansgrohe were ever present at the head of the peloton with the occasional help from a select few teams.

There was little real movement until the riders entered the finishing circuit and began climbing the Cote de Roquenatou for the first time. Vermote was the first of the breakaway riders to relent his place in the front group, dropping back to the peloton – and subsequently off the back of the peloton – with just over 40 kilometres remaining.

With the peloton ramping up the pace behind, the breakaway could not worry too much about losing a rider and had to forge on. They were not going to give up without a fight and they were flat out as they tried to hold off the baying pack. The speed would have casualties up front and behind, as riders continued to get dropped.

By the time the leaders hit the final climb it was just four riders left out front and they had just 20 seconds to play with. In the kilometres leading into the climb, Deceuninck-QuickStep had posted Tim Declercq to the front and Zdenek Stybar then moved to the fore as they took on the ascent. The Czech rider's surge of pace blew the peloton apart, shattering the hopes of most of the sprinters that remained. Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Ineos) then slowed the pace, but it was too late for many.

Meanwhile, Bjorg Lambrecht took advantage of the lull and jumped clear, before joining the remaining two leaders, Cort and Naesen, with just over a kilometre to the top of the final climb. At times it looked like the catch might be imminent, but the trio were able to hold their slim advantage over the top and down the descent, extending it closer to 40 seconds at times. Gregor Muhlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) tried to bridge the gap, but he could not make it across.

It wasn't going to be an easy catch for the peloton either as several teams, namely Mitchelton-Scott, really put the hammer down and strung the peloton out. At times it looked like the breakaway might just be able to hold the pack off, but in the end, it wasn't to be as they eventually got reeled in with 600 metres to go.

Deceuninck-QuickStep wasted no time in working to line up the sprint for Gilbert, but Boasson Hagen held his nerve to out-kick him and take the victory.

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