Ganna wins Critérium du Dauphiné stage 4 time trial

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Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) lived up to expectations to win the 31.9km flat time trial stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné but Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) was only 2.3 seconds slower and extended his overall race lead by taking a chunk of time on all his overall rivals.

Ganna, the world time trial champion, blasted over the zig-zag shaped course between Montbrison and La Bâtie d'Urfé on the country lanes of central France to the west of Lyon at close to 54km/h.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) started last in the leader's jersey and started fast, even catching his four-minute man Victor Lafay (Cofidis) and nearly passing his two-minute man David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) to take some kind of revenge for the defeat in the stage 3 sprint.

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Van Aert was timed as ten seconds faster than Ganna after 11.6km but faded somewhat and was ten seconds slower with 10.9km to go. He bounced back to finish with a time of 35:34, so only 2.3 seconds slower.

Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) was third fastest. The British time trial champion set a time of 35:49, 17 seconds slower than Ganna. Italy's Matteo Cattaneo (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) was fourth at 39 seconds.

The best-placed 26 riders started the time trial divided by just 23 seconds in the general classification. The final high mountain stages will perhaps decide the winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné but the time trial shook out the classification and showed who are still real overall contenders.

Van Aert now leads Cattaneo by 53 seconds, with his teammate and fellow team leader Primož Roglič third at 56 seconds. Jonas Vingegaard completed Jumbo-Visma's strength in depth in fourth place at 1:26.

“It was a long day in the hot seat but in the end it’s important not to stand up from this seat. Wout arrived really close but I was lucky that I won,” Ganna said.

“When I saw it was raining this morning, I didn;t think it was a super day but then we were lucky with the sun and ther course was dry for everyone. That meant it was the same conditions for everyone. That’s important to compare us.”

Van Aert searched out Ganna to congratulate him, just as he did after being defeated at the 2021 world championships.

“It's a time trial and it's always honest,” Van Aert said. “Only two seconds, it's not a lot but still it's a difference. I got beat by the world champion. I like to win but I have to accept it and I'm happy with my performance.”

Ganna was equally as sporting.

“Every time it’s close (between us),” Ganna said. “He’s super strong and we saw that yesterday, he was really close to the finish line to win. He’s a super athlete and you can only say ‘chapeau’ to him.”

Ganna’s win makes him a natural favourite for the opening Tour de France time trial in Copenhagen but he pointed out that he has to first secure a place in the eight-rider Ineos Grenadiers line-up.

“Copenhagen is close but we've got time. We will wait and see if I’m in Copenhagen or not,” he said.

How it unfolded

Ganna was a very early starter after easing up during Tuesday’s hilly stage but was always going to be the rider to beat and the best candidate for a long spell on the hot seat.

The Italian looked relaxed on the start ramp but powered a new white time trial bike on the zig-zag course at close to 54km/h. He was 39 seconds faster than Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange-Jayco) at the intermediate time point after 21km and went on to beat the Australian by 53 seconds.

Hayter started later than his teammate but gave his all. He was 30 seconds slower than Ganna at the 21km time check but rode a strong negative split strategy, somehow pulling 13 second back in the final 10km.

As well as the battle for stage victory, the overall contenders were racing to gain precious seconds or limit their losses to their rivals.

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) was one of the first of the GC contenders to start and the Dane impressed as usual in time trials, setting 36:44. That was 1:11 slower than Ganna but lifted him 22 places to fourth overall.

Tao Geogheghan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) also impressed, setting a time of 37:03 to finish ninth and so rose to seventh overall, 1:45 down on van Aert but much close to Roglič, Vingegaard and so in the mix for the final podium places.

Juan Ayuso was tenth and climbed to eighth overall, at 1:48, becoming UAE Team Emirates leader after Brandon McNulty bike issues. The American was perhaps a threat to Ganna for the stage victory and a real overall contender but his race fell apart after just four kilometres. He appeared to drop his chain and was forced to stop, banging his bars in frustration.

A team mechanic tried to resolve the problem rather than give McNulty another bike but that cost him almost a minute. He bravely tried to fight back but finished 2:21 down on Ganna and so slipped to 20th at 2:35.

Damian Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) impressed for a pure climber, beating Geoghegan Hart by six seconds and climbing to sixth overall at 1:39. The USA’s Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) lost the young rider’s white jersey to Hayter but rode well. He is 1:50 down on Van Aert and ninth overall. Australia’s Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) is still in the top ten at 2:00.

Roglič impressed as always despite perhaps not being at his very best. He avoided any risks and gradually lost time, losing 42 seconds to Ganna and 40 to teammate Van Aert. With Van Aert now 56 seconds ahead of him and Vingegaard only 30 seconds behind him, it will be fascinating to see how Jumbo-Visma play out their team tactics in the high mountains.

Stage 3 winner Gaudu was the biggest loser and biggest GC slider of the day. The French climber held off Van Aert at the line but that was of little consolation. He slipped from second overall to 12th and is now 2:03 down on Van Aert and more than a minute down on Roglič.

Thursday’s stage is another hilly affair, over 162.3km between Thizy-les-Bourgs and Chaintré as the race finally heads towards the Alps.

Saturday’s see the riders race to Gap, with the short but intense mountain stage from Saint-Chaffrey to Vaujany climbing the mighty Col du Galibier and Col du la Croix de fer, while Sunday’s final stage goes over the Col de la Colombière and finishes atop the Plateau de Solaison, with an 11.4km climb to the finish.