Wout van Aert is a sprinter as well
June 13 th 2019 - 16:47
Twenty four hours after creating a big surprise in the individual time trial, former cyclo-cross champion Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) outsprinted hot favourite Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) in a bunch gallop in Voiron where Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) rounded out the podium. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) retained the overall lead before the last three stages in the mountains.
Bagot, De Marchi and Rossetto on the early move
141 riders took the start of stage 5 at Boën-sur-Lignon. Jacques Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data) was a non-starter due to sickness overnight. Yoann Bagot (Vital Concept-B&B Hôtels) was first on the attack right after flag off. He was rejoined two kilometres further by Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis) and at km 8 by Alessandro De Marchi (CCC). It didn’t take any longer for Bora-Hansgrohe to seize the reins of the peloton as the deficit was 3’ at km 10 of racing. The Mitchelton-Scott team of race leader Adam Yates was prompt to take over and get South African champion Daryl Impey to set the pace of the peloton. The maximum time gap of 3’25’’ was recorded at the foot of the côte de St-Symphorien-sur-Coise, at the top of which (km 48) De Marchi scored one KOM point after Rossetto had passed first atop the côte de St-Galmier (km 28).
Rémi Cavagna is the new breakaway killer
De Marchi also passed first at côte de Givors (km 87) but it was Bagot’s turn at côte de Vienne (km 111.5). After dropping to two minutes, the time difference went above three minutes again with 80km to go. Rémi Cavagna was designated by Deceuninck-Quick Step to set the pace of the peloton. He rode too fast with 60km to go, so he was called back to avoid an early regrouping before he resumed his work. With 25km to go, the time difference was down to 55’’.
Van Aert surprises again
It was all together again 1.2km before the finishing line in Voiron. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) and Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step) tried to anticipate the bunch gallop in the curvy finale but they were pulled back and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) launched from far out a powerful sprint. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) couldn’t pass the Belgian who is the first rider to win two stages of the Dauphiné in a row since Chris Froome took the last two in 2015. But it’s surely something exceptional to add a bunch sprint victory to a time trial best time!