Ferron outwits companions for first World Tour win
June 10 th 2022 - 16:13
Valentin Ferron outwitted his breakaway companions in the Gap finale of the 196.5-km 6th stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné on Friday, surging under the red flame to clinch his first World Tour victory.
Emulating Total Energies team-mate Alexis Vuillermoz a few days earlier, the 24-year-old Frenchman won ahead of compatriot Pierre Rolland, who strengthened his KOM lead, and a third Frenchman, Warren Barguil.
It was the third French victory in this Dauphiné, two other stages having crowned Wout VanAert, who retained his yellow jersey ahead of a mountainous final weekend.
Seven in the lead
The start was given at 11:34 to 146 riders. The peloton left Rives without white jersey contender Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), who felt unwell and unfit to start. The peloton was jittery from the gun as break attempts multiplied and a group of three finally broke clear: Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) and Lukasz Owsian (Arkea Samsic). But the trio was reined in at kilometre 36. The first climb of the day, Cote de Ste Eulalie en Royans (4th cat.), was an opportunity for former race leader Alexis Vuillermoz to surge with Kevin Geniets, Mikkel Honoré and Samuele Battistella but they were quickly reeled in. As Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) called it quits, the break of the day took shape in the second climb, the 3rd category Cote des Grands-Goulets, where KOM leader Pierre Rolland led the way, followed by six other riders. The seven escapees were Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R-Citroen), Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Andrea Bagioli (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl), Victor Lafay (Cofidis), Valentin Ferron (Total Energies), Warren Barguil (Arkea Samsic) and Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels) and the pack seemed content to let them go as the gap steadily increased.
Rolland strengthens KOM lead
While the lead settled at around four minutes – reaching a maximum of 4:25 –, Pierre Rolland kept collecting points for his polka-dot jersey by finishing first in the second category climbs of the day, Col de Rousset (km 74.3) and Col de Cabre (Km 138.7). The Frenchman picked 12 points to take his overall tally to 29. In this last climb, Armirail lost ground and was dropped by his former breakaway companions. The sprint of the day went to Warren Barguil, who collected ten seconds and three points ahead of Ferron and Bouchard. Dylan Groenewegen also struggled in the final ascent of the fat but still had plenty of time to close the gap until the eponymous finish town.
Jumbo secure the jersey
Jumbo-Visma passed the baton to Trek-Segafredo to lead the bunch but no team seemed really determined to chase behind the break and the lead was still of three minutes with 30 km to go. Wout Van Aert’s team-mates looked content with maintaining a small enough gap not to lose the yellow jersey – Bagioli lying 3:02 at the start –, leaving the six escapees to battle it out for the stage laurels. The gap was down to one minute with 5 km to go, when Bouchard attacked to try to part with his companions. But the six kept working together until the red flame. It was then that Ferron, who had only won a stage in the Tour du Rwanda before this, decided to go for it. He took the five others off their guard and Rolland and Barguil were left to settle for a podium place.
Valentin Ferron : « A reward for a lot of work »
"It’s huge. It’s the result of a lot of work. Every day you hope to win but you have to enjoy a World Tour victory because there won’t be a lot in a career. It’s an achievement, a great satisfaction in a sports career. It was a great breakaway group, with strong guys in the front. I was not the fastest so when I saw that there was a lull I decide to surge and go for it and it worked. It’s great. It’s a special feeling to win here. We’ll celebrate tonight and maybe it will sink in then. This year, you can tell that the dynamics are good in the team, everybody is involved and it’s fine. A lot of riders have already won a race this season."
