{"id":198726,"date":"2025-06-09T08:50:43","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=198726"},"modified":"2025-06-09T08:50:43","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:50:43","slug":"back-in-the-game-cyclings-superstars-return-with-a-statement-at-the-dauphine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/06\/09\/back-in-the-game-cyclings-superstars-return-with-a-statement-at-the-dauphine\/","title":{"rendered":"Back in the Game: Cycling\u2019s Superstars Return with a Statement at the Dauphin\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"

The organizers of this year\u2019s Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 couldn\u2019t have wished for a more superstar-studded line-up \u2014 or a more symbolic beginning. Stage 1 wasn\u2019t just about a dramatic finish. It marked the high-profile return of cycling\u2019s biggest names from injury and disruption, and their early clash hinted at what\u2019s to come just weeks ahead of the Tour de France.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With world champion Tadej Poga\u010dar (UAE Team Emirates\u2013XRG), two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma\u2013Lease a Bike), Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and the multi-talented Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) all on the start list, expectations were high. But few would have predicted that the ‘Big Four’ would face off this early \u2014 let alone on a stage suited to the sprinters.<\/p>\n

The finale was kicked off, unexpectedly, by Vingegaard, not typically known for his explosive attacks on flatter finishes. With 5.3 km left on the lumpy 195.8 km course from Dom\u00e9rat to Montlu\u00e7on, the Dane launched off the front. He was quickly followed by the other three superstars, with Evenepoel bridging last. The move turned a sprinter-friendly stage into a late-race showdown between four GC-calibre riders, all with something to prove.<\/p>\n

Romain Bardet (Picnic\u2013PostNL), riding his final pro race, briefly joined the front group alongside Vingegaard\u2019s teammate Matteo Jorgenson and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain\u2013Victorious), but it was the \u2018Big Four\u2019 who ultimately commanded the spotlight. Even with the peloton chasing hard \u2014 the gap never more than 10 seconds \u2014 it became a test of legs, nerves, and recovery.<\/p>\n

Van der Poel made the first move with 250 meters to go, but it was Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard who swept past, with the Slovenian taking the stage and the yellow jersey. But beyond the result, the deeper story was about the form each rider showed \u2014 and what that might mean for July.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t expect it at all,\u201d Poga\u010dar said post-stage. \u201cWe were just thinking about going quickly to the bus at the end of the day and taking a shower. But finally I’m here with the victory and the yellow jersey. I can go home happy [now] from this Dauphin\u00e9. But it’s true that the most important things are still to come, with the time trial and the mountain stages.\u201d<\/p>\n

He and Vingegaard shared a laugh at the finish \u2014 two riders returning from spring setbacks, clearly pleased to be back in race shape. \u201cI had a good day, to be honest,\u201d Vingegaard said. \u201cI guess it was the first time I finished second in a bunch sprint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van der Poel was more subdued, still adjusting to his recent broken wrist sustained at the Nov\u00e9 M\u011bsto mountain bike World Cup. “I just didn’t have the legs anymore. Like I said before the race, I could not train in the last weeks,” he admitted. “I really felt I was on the limit over the top of the climb, and I hoped my legs would recover a bit for the final sprint, but that was not the case. But to be honest, I’m quite happy with the performance today.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, all four riders are navigating comebacks of some sort. Van der Poel is regaining form after his crash, Vingegaard is building back from his injury at Paris\u2013Nice, and Evenepoel is also fresh off a recovery period. And yet here they were \u2014 animating the finale, testing each other early, and reminding everyone what\u2019s on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Evenepoel reflected on the unpredictability of the moment: \u201cThat\u2019s where modern cycling [is going] to \u2014 you never know what to expect in a race like this. It was pretty special and pretty nice to be up there. Positive signs.\u201d He faded in the sprint but pointed to positioning and wind as factors. \u201cOn paper, Mathieu would have won this sprint easily, but he launched from far away. [The confrontation] was good for racing, but I have a bit of feeling for the sprinters.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the Tour, van der Poel will likely target stage wins and ride support for Jasper Philipsen. The other three have more ambitious GC goals. Based on Stage 1\u2019s effort and intent, the Dauphin\u00e9 is already shaping into more than just a warm-up \u2014 it\u2019s a battlefield in its own right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The organizers of this year\u2019s Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 couldn\u2019t have wished for a more superstar-studded line-up \u2014 or a more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":198727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[329],"tags":[8558,438,5436,5450,2933,3544],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-198726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-road-cycling","tag-2025-criterium-du-dauphine","tag-criterium-du-dauphine","tag-jasper-philipsen","tag-jonas-vingegaard","tag-mathieu-van-der-poel","tag-remco-evenepoel","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nCycling\u2019s Superstars Return with a Statement at the Dauphin\u00e9<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The organizers of this year\u2019s Crit\u00e9rium du Dauphin\u00e9 couldn\u2019t have wished for a more superstar-studded line-up \u2014 or a more symbolic beginning. 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