Tadej Pogacar took the overall leader’s yellow jersey at the Criterium du Dauphine with a dominant victory on stage six.
The reigning Tour de France and road world champion put in a trademark powerful surge up the climbs in the French Alps to win the stage by one minute one second from his nearest rival in the race, and the sport overall, in Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike.
Slovenian Pogacar, of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, now leads the general classification by 43 seconds from Vingegaard.
Pogacar, 26, launched one of his famous attacks – in which he seems to effortlessly power away from rivals while still seated – with seven kilometres remaining of a 126.7km stage to Combloux which contained several climbs of varying inclines.
“We went full gas on the first category climb – the team was super strong, all incredible today,” Pogacar told TNT Sports.
He explained there was an added reason for wanting to finish quickly – and it involved his fiancee Urska Zigart, who is racing in Switzerland.
“It was a hot day and hard day and I wanted to hurry to see the finish of Urska on the Tour de Suisse,” said Pogacar. “I was just in time, so all good.
“It was a good feeling when I attacked with all-out effort. I knew I had to pace myself after the attack, but the feeling was there, and the legs were turning. But we need to hold our horses for the Tour.”
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel – considered by many as the world’s third best rider – lost the yellow jersey after failing to keep pace with Pogacar and Vingegaard, eventually shipping one minute 50 seconds to Pogacar on the day and now sitting fourth in the GC, one minute 22 seconds down.
The Dauphine, which takes place across the region of the same name in south-east France, is the traditional warm-up for the Tour de France.
Only four times in the past 10 editions has the overall winner gone on to be victorious in the Tour.
Saturday’s stage could feature even more explosive action, with three hugely steep hors category climbs in the French Alps to Valmeinier.
