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Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) received stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné to Crest-Voland after a battle to the road with Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) as race chief Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and his general rivals saved their legs for the weekend’s showdown within the mountains.
Zimmermann was a part of a 14-rider breakaway that obtained away after a super-fast begin to the stage into the Alps. He emerged with Burgaudeau and Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers) on the Col des Aravis after which attacked solo on the ultimate Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe.
Burgaudeau went deep to catch him with 500 metres to go and even made an assault however Zimmermann had a final shot in his legs and surged clear to win. Burgaudeau was near tears after the stage however had a comfort prize: the lead within the mountains classification and the blue polka dot jersey.
Vingegaard attacked within the ultimate kilometre of the 170.2km stage to check his rivals however was saved in examine and completed safely within the GC group to maintain the chief’s yellow jersey. He has a agency grip on the yellow jersey and didn’t appear involved to have simply Tiesj Benoot working for him on the climb to the road.
“Another person began the present, Tobias Johannessen did an excellent assault and made it actually exhausting. I used to be pondering of constructing a counter-attack however ultimately, the climb was not lengthy sufficient or exhausting sufficient to make the distinction and choice,” Vingegaard defined.
“I feel my staff did tremendous nicely. They labored very well and I had teammates even till the ultimate, so I may be happy and pleased with how everybody did at present and yesterday.”
Vingegaard leads Ben O’Connor (AG2R-Citroën) by 1:10, with Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) third at 1:23 however will keep vigilant within the excessive mountains.
“I feel they’re going to be tremendous exhausting phases, they’re lengthy mountain phases, so hopefully I will really feel good,” he mentioned. “I am trying on the complete high ten, you may’t give area to anybody. You must take a look at everybody and never let any gaps go.”
Zimmermann’s victory was simply the second of his profession and his first WorldTour degree, and can certainly safe his choice for the Tour de France. He was a part of the break on stage 5 and spent 166 km on the assault, clocking a complete of 273 km out entrance in two days.
“I am unable to imagine it at this second, I simply gave my greatest and tried all the things to be pretty much as good as potential, it labored out completely,” he mentioned. “Yesterday I felt sturdy however it did not work out and at present I attempted once more and like I gave it all the things.
“I knew the parcours very well as a result of in 2018 there was a end up right here within the Tour de L’Avenir and I used to be in an analogous scenario however the favourites sprinted round me with 200 metres to go. Right now it was the opposite approach spherical, I might assault on the climb and go full gasoline and ultimately take the dash, I am fully speechless.”
Zimmerman insisted he was by no means involved about Burgaudeau catching him with 500 metres to go.
“I am an optimistic individual, I by no means worry to lose, I at all times hope to win,” the German rider mentioned. “Second place can also be a pleasant consequence so I do not worry to get second. I simply give my greatest and at present it was ok to win a stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné.”
The way it unfolded
The primary day within the excessive mountains took the Critérium du Dauphiné into the Alps. The 170.5km stage to Crest-Voland included some early hills after which climbed excessive through the Col des Aravis, after which as much as the end through the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe. It was a day for a breakaway but in addition the primary mountain stage for the general contenders to conflict horns.
Sprinter Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUIa) was confirmed as a non-starter, with teammate Rudy Porter, Donavan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic), Natnael Tesfatsion (Trek-Segafredo) and Manuele Boaro (Astana Qazaqstan) all quickly quitting the race too.
There was an intense battle to attempt to get within the break and the typical pace for the primary hour was a jaw-dropping 53 kph as assault adopted assault.
On the Côte de Clermont-en-Genevois after 43km, a gaggle of 18 riders obtained away however no sooner had been their names confirmed that the peloton reacted. The 18 had been caught with 100 km to race however one other assault of 14 riders quickly shaped, together with a few of the earlier transfer.
The 14 had been: Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën), Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers), Andrea Bagioli and Dries Devenyns (Soudal-QuickStep), Andrey Amador (EF Schooling-EasyPost), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Matteo Trentin (UAE Staff Emirates), Axel Zinglé (Cofidis), Lawson Craddock (Jayco-AlUla) Mathieu Burgaudeau, Matteo Vercher and Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) and Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic).
They opened a three-minute lead with 50km to go however the ultimate climbs had been certain to vary the race, shake out the break and reveal the GC riders’ ambitions. Staff DSM joined Jumbo-Visma in controlling the assault as Trentin took the factors on the intermediate dash in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.
The Col des Aravis is just formally 7.8km lengthy however the street begins to climb a lot sooner and shook out the break. The rouleur was the primary to fade, together with Campenaerts and Vuillermoz. At 4.5km from the summit, Zimmermann surged clear and was joined by Burgaudeau and Castroviejo because the rain got here down.
The three labored nicely collectively, eager to carry off the remainder of the break and the peloton and struggle for a stage victory. They dived down the descent to the foot of the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe and the peloton appeared to have misplaced their likelihood.
Vingegaard had simply Benoot to guard him on the ultimate climb after some work by Attila Valter, however he determined assault was the very best type of defence and examined all his rivals within the ultimate kilometre.
The 2022 Tour de France winner initially obtained away with O’Connor however the different GC contenders obtained again to him earlier than the dash to the road.
Saturday’s 147.9km stage climbs the Col de la Madeleine, the Col du Mollard after which up additional to the 2066 metre-high Col de la Croix de Fer.
Outcomes
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