Jonas Vingegaard wins Drôme Classic

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Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) held off the chasers and charged up the final climb to take victory in the Drome Classic. 

The 25-year-old Danish rider was part of a move that went clear with 38 kilometres remaining before breaking clear with Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates). 

On the penultimate climb Julian Alaphilippe (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl Team) attacked on the steepest 16 per cent gradient with Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën Team) able to follow. 

The trio were chasing the leaders into the finish at Étoile-sur-Rhône but on the finishing climb but Vingegaard narrowly held off finishing three seconds ahead of a quick finishing Martin in second and Cosnefroy third. 

Ayuso, aged 19, cracked on the final climb but finished fourth ahead of Alaphilippe who also faltered on the final hill. 

The win was Vingegaard’s sixth of his career and first of the season. 

How it unfolded

As in the previous day’s one-day race, the Ardèche Classic, all eyes were again on world road champion Julian Alaphilippe (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl Team) and former three-time Vuelta a España winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma). 

However, the previous day saw both the favourites cancel each other out allowing Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) to take a solo victory. 

McNulty also started the Drone Classic as the field largely mirrored that of the previous day. 

A field of 142 riders faced 191 kilometres through the villages of the Drome region in the south-east of France including 16 categorised climbs before an uphill finish in Étoile-sur-Rhône. 

Short but steep climbs characterised the course with the longest three climbs being around four kilometres in length and over 2,300 metres were climbed over the course. 

The early breakaway consisted of Asbjørn Hellemose (Trek-Segafredo), Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), Johan Means (Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB), Mathias Bregnhøj (Riwal Cycling Team), Thomas Denis (Go Sport - Roubaix Lille Métropole) and Axel Mariault (Team U Nantes Atlantique). 

The breakaway’s gap peaked at around the five-minute mark but with UAE Team Emirates, Alpecin-Fenix, Lotto Soudal and Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux sharing the tempo setting their advantage slowly decreased to 2-10 with 90 kilometres remaining. 

On the approach to the steep and narrow Mur d'Allex the peloton was at full speed reducing the breakaway’s gap to less than a minute despite having 65 kilometres remaining and Means was the next riders dropped from the front group. 

Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) attacked on the climb and caught Means before jumping across to the leaders who had a gap of 37 seconds on the bunch. 

The bunch caught the breakaway, including Latour, on the Col de la Grande Limite lower slopes with 40 kilometres remaining. 

On the 3.9-kilometre climb Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) attacked taking with him a group of four riders including Mauri Vansevenant (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl Team), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) and Victor Lafay (Cofidis). 

Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) was part of a chasing quartet which bridged across to the leaders along with Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) and Sylvain Moniquet (Lotto Soudal). 

AG2R Citroën Team had missed the breakaway move and were forced to chase the 58-second advantage the leaders had with 30 kilometres remaining. 

On the following Côte des Roberts the strength of 19-year-old Ayuso pulled him clear of the leading group with Vingegaard covering the move. 

Hitting the Côte de Grâne with 20 kilometres remaining the leading duo had a gap of 17 seconds on the chasers and 54 seconds over the peloton driven by QuickStep-AlphaVinyl Team. 

Alaphilippe took the front of the peloton on the technical descent forcing a split in the bunch with 18 kilometres remaining and two classified climbs. 

However, the world champion found unwilling participants in the small split and the reduced bunch pulled Alaphilippe and the remains of the breakaway back leaving just two leaders. 

The penultimate climb was the narrow and steep Mur d'Allex and Alaphilippe attacked on the steepest 16 per cent gradient with Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën Team) able to follow. 

Over the final classified climb with 10 kilometres remaining the leading dup had a gap of 21 seconds over the Alaphilippe group while a reduced peloton was at 37 seconds. 

On the flat road into the finishing climb the leaders were holding on with Alaphilippe, Martin and Cosnefroy sitting just 14 seconds behind with four kilometres to go. 

That gap held approaching the final kilometre as Vingegaard pushed the pace into the final one-kilometre climb in Étoile-sur-Rhône. 

Cosnefroy and Martin charged after the leading pair on the finish climb but Alaphilippe could not respond. 

At the front Vingegaard made his move with 300 metres to go and despite Martin and Cosnefroy closing he held on for victory. 

Martin took second and Cosnefroy third both passing Ayuso in the final stages who finished fourth.