Critérium du Dauphiné stage 1 – Live coverage

Hello and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 1 of the Criterium du Dauphine.

We will have all the action from the opening 181km road race stage around Issoire.

The 73rd Critérium du Dauphiné kicks off today with a 181.8km stage around Issoire starting at 12:30 CET.

With less than a month until the Tour de France there's a packed startlist here in the Rhône-Alpes, with riders looking to test their legs and their rivals ahead of the Tour.  

Ineos have Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart, Nairo Quintana is here with Team Arkéa Samsic, and Jumbo-Visma have Sepp Kuss, and Steven Kruijswijk - to name just a few.

Daniel Felipe Martínez was the surprise winner of the shortened 2020 edition last August following a dramatic final two days of racing. He's over in Italy at the Giro d'Italia so won't be defending his title. Second-placed Thibaut Pinot is also absent but third-placed Guillaume Martin is coming in hot straight off a victory at the 1.1 Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes. 

For more detail on who will be contesting the win check out our pick of 8 riders to watch. 

So, back to today's stage: it's a long one, with some category 3 and 4 climbs to zap the legs but nothing too dramatic. The riders will cover 71km before entering the finishing circuit where the final climb comes 12km from the finish. It's a day suited to the puncheurs or sprinters with decent climbing legs.

Here we go!

181.8km to go

3km in and so far, so uneventful: the bunch are all together.

While we wait for the action to heat up, why not check out our race preview? 

Patrcik Gamper (Bora-Hansgrohe), Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal), Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Cyril Gautier (B&B) have a gap of 3'20" on the peloton

Mechanical for Pierre Rolland

166km to go

Bahrain Victorious are leading the bunch but the gap to the breakaway has gone out further and is now at 3'40"

The gap is inching closer to 4 minutes for the the leaders Patrick Gamper (Bora-Hansgrohe), Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal), Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Cyril Gautier (B&B) 

160km to go

After racing Volta ao Algarve earlier this month, Deceuninck - Quick Step's Fabio Jakobsen is back for his first WorldTour race since his crash nine months ago. Here's what he said before the race: 

The gap is now at 4'25" as the riders near the half-way point of the first loop.

145km to go

The gap has started to come down and is now at 4 minutes. The riders have averaged 42.7 km/h in the first hour of the race. 

138km to go

It's a balmy 21.7 °C in Issoire with winds of just 11 km/h 

The lead for Patrick Gamper (Bora-Hansgrohe), Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal), Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Cyril Gautier (B&B-KTM) has gone up and they now have a gap of 4'35'. 

124km to go

The riders are approaching the first climb of the day - the 4th category Côte de Bergonne. 

120km to go

The break are now at the top of the climb and their gap is still 4'50"

114km to go

Brent Van Moer (Lotto-Soudal) was the first rider from the breakaway over the Côte de Bergonne.

On to the first finishing circuit for the peloton. 

102.7km to go

The gap is still 5 minutes for the break.

98.5km to go

All quiet in the peloton, at least the views are 💯

Excellent lavender action 

Trek-Segafredo and Bahrain Victorious are on the front of the peloton as they approach Côte du Château de Buron.

92.7km to go

Crash in the bunch. Sebastian Schönberger (B&B Hotels p/b KTM), and Jaakko Hänninen (AG2R Citroën) are down. 

Brent van Moer (Lotto Soudal) takes two more KOM points at the top of the Côte du château de Buron

The break is now down to three riders: Gautier, Gamper, and Van Moer 

73.7km to go

The break and a trailing Garrison have just gone through the sprint point in Issoire. 

Over at the final stage of the Giro d'Italia it's looking close between Ganna and Cavagna as the latter is still out on course. You can see all the the rider's start times here. 

52km to go and the gap is coming down to the break as they climb the Côte du château de Buron again

Mads Pedersen of Trek-Segafredo is dropped 

Van Moer takes another two KOM points at the top of the climb, Gautier takes one.

It's UAE and Bahrain riding again and the gap is now 3'09

46km to go

The gap for the break is holding at around 3'10" with less than 40km to go

The break of three take the bell lap with a gap of 3'15"

37km to go

Trek-Segafredo, Bahrain Victorious, and UAE are putting their full strength behind trying to pull back the break but the gap is coming down very slowly, it's now 2'51" - is there time to bring them back?

30km to go

With 27km to go the gap is 2'30" - it's touch and go!

INEOS, Bora and Movistar have taken up the chase and the gap has come down to 2'11"

24.2km to go

INEOS are on the front and there's a renewed impetus on the chase. The gap is now less than two minutes 

22.6km to go

They're 2km from the first of the two remaining climbs and the gap is 1'52"

After a mechanical, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) has rejoined the peloton

At the foot of the climb Brent Van Moer attacks Gaultier and Gamper and gets a gap

Dylan van Baarle of INEOS is reeling the breakaway in, 1'31" is the gap 

16km to go

Attack by Sean Bennet of Qhubeka ASSOS

Brent Van Moer is still in front, he will be looking to make up for an unfortunate incident at Ronde van Limburg where he was sent in the wrong direction while off the front. 

McNulty is dropped again

Alexandre Kristoff (UAE) is dropped

13.8km to go

Gamper and Gaultier are caught 

Brent van Moer crests the final climb with a 1'02" advantage on the peloton 

11.7km to go

Felix Gall (Team DSM) is chasing Van Moer - no time gap at the moment

With 8km to go the gap to Van Moer is 48" 

Felix Gall has been caught 

6km to go

It's looking good for van Moer who has a 50" gap with 5km to go

Van Moer has this in the bag! Maybe not so much of a surprise given that the 23-year-old Belgian has time trial pedigree: he came 5th in the U23 ITT World championships in 2019

Flamme rouge for Van Moer!

Victory for van Moer

Second for Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) and third Clément Venturini (AG2R Citroën Team) 

Top 10:

1. Brent van Moer (Lotto-Soudal) 

2. Sonny Colbrelli (Team Bahrain Victorious) 

3. Clément Venturini (AG2R Citroën Team)

4. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo)

5. Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) 

6. Nils Politt (Borah Hansgrohe) 

7. Michał Kwiatkowski (Team INEOS)

8. Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck - Quick Step)

9. Alex Aranburu (Astana Premier Tech) 

10. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)

Brent van Moer:

"Last week I was really disappointed I did also a great solo but in the end I had some bad luck but today I want to show that I can finish it off and I'm really happy that I can do it in the Dauphiné in between all the big names." 

"The plan was to be in the break and hope some good names went with me and then I took all the points for the KOM jersey and then in the end I feel really good and I go alone and I'm really happy that I can finish it off." 

"It's unbelievable to take my first professional victory at such a big race." 

Provisional GC top-10:

1. Brent van Moer (Lotto-Soudal) 4:12:49

2. Sonny Colbrelli (Team Bahrain Victorious) +30"

3. Clément Venturini (AG2R Citroën Team) +32"

4. Patrick Gamper (Bora Hansgrohe) +33"

5. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) +36"

6. Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange) +36"

7. Nils Politt (Borah Hansgrohe) +36"

8. Michał Kwiatkowski (Team INEOS) +36"

9. Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck - Quick Step) +36"

10. Alex Aranburu (Astana Premier Tech) +36"

Van Moer also leads the KOM, points, and young rider classifications.