This Tuesday, the first uphill finish of this Critérium du Dauphiné brought the riders towards ski resort Chastreix-Sancy at an altitude of 1400 meter. This final climb of 6.2 kilometer averaging 5.6% was climbed at a high rhythm in the peloton, which caught the breakaway at the foot.
Several riders tried to attack on the steepest parts, also Czech rider Jan Hirt, but in the end a group of 25 riders sprinted for the victory. South-African rider Louis Meintjes crossed the line in the group of the winner, one day before the individual time trial of 32 kilometer.
« I was happy that I I managed to join the breakaway in the opening stage and in this way accomplish one of the missions for the team. I enjoyed racing in front from the start of my first Dauphiné. You can feel the enthusiasm and the tension rising towards the Tour de France, both in the peloton and on the side of the roads. The level is high, but I managed to win bonus seconds along the way to try to conquer the white jersey. Unfortunately, two other competitors in the young riders classification took bonus seconds in the final sprint. » « Meanwhile, I recovered from this long breakaway and felt ready for the first uphill finish today. We managed to make sure that Louis Meintjes finished with the favorites and didn’t loose time in the general classification. This Dauphiné is an excellent opportunity for me and the other young riders in our group making their debut here to learn from our experienced teammates at the highest level. Jan Bakelants, for example, often guides me through the peloton. He won stages in both the Dauphiné and the Tour de France, so I can’t wish for a better team captain! »
