Evenepoel seizes the reins
June 5 th 2024 - 17:20
World champion Remco Evenepoel seized the Criterium du Dauphiné’s reins thanks to another impressive time trial display on the 34.4-km course between St Germain-Maval and Neulise on Wednesday. Despite nursing a shoulder injury, The Belgian perfectly timed his effort to beat European champion and early started Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers), who stayed in the hot seat for two hours before conceding defeat for 17 seconds. Olympic champion Primoz Roglic (Bora Hansgrohe) was third, 39 seconds adrift. The Soudal-Quick Step leader now leads the GC standings with a 33-seconds lead over Roglic while American Matteo Jorgenson is third, 1:04 behind.
Tarling in the hot seat
Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was the first rider in action, but all eyes were on the man starting three minutes behind him, European champion Joshua Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers). The Briton set the bar really high, quickly overtaking the three riders who started ahead of him to set fastest marks of 10:44 and 30:03 after 10 km and 25 km before crossing the line in 42:06, at an average speed of 49.03 kph. The real race against the clock started then for Tarling – waiting for nearly two and a half hours for the rest of the peloton to complete the course.
Evenepoel too strong
His time did not look in jeopardy – Matteo Sobrero (Bora-Hansgrohe) was the first one to finish within two minutes of the Briton – until Remco Evenepoel, the man who had beaten him into third place at the last world championships, started and clocked a slightly fastest time at the 10-km mark (two seconds faster). While nursing a shoulder injury, the Belgian looked in good shape in his favourite event, and was only a second adrift after 24.9 km. He finished faster than everyone, to cross the line 17 seconds faster than the European champion, at an average speed of 49.4 kph.
Roglic limits the damage
Primoz Roglic had a more cautious start but finished well and the 2022 Dauphiné winner limited the damage to finish on the day’s podium and stay in contention ahead of a gruelling last weekend with three high-mountain finishes. The hierarchy and the current form also plead for Paris-Nice winner Jorgenson, who managed a promising 4th place, 1:07 slower than the Belgian, to settle into third place overall and assert himself as the Visma-Lease a bike leader for now. Stage 4 winner Derek Gee, the Canadian time trial champion for the last two years, was an excellent 6th on the line, 1:24 adrift, and is now just outside the GC podium, seven seconds behind Jorgenson. The day was a slight disappointment for Spaniards Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates) and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) now 1:27 and 1:41 adrift in the general classification. By contrast Spanish champion Oier Lazkano was an unexpected 5th on the day and lies in the same place overall, 1:21 adrift. Thursday’s 167-km from Amplepuis to St Priest will be the last chance for the sprinters to have their say.
