Briton Stewart wins Dauphine stage five as Evenepoel crashes

2 weeks ago

Britain's Jake Stewart won his first World Tour title pinch triumph connected shape 5 of nan Criterium du Dauphine aft a bunch sprint.

Israel-Premier Tech's Stewart hit shape basking favourite Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek by launching his effort early and getting a jump connected nan Italian.

Milan's immense powerfulness was not capable to claw backmost Stewart, whose timing was cleanable for what was a tailwind thrust to nan decorativeness statement successful Macon aft a 183km stage.

Overall title leader Remco Evenepoel of Belgium collapsed successful nan peloton pinch 500m to go, ripping nan worldly connected nan correct enarthrosis of his leader's yellowish jersey, but he appeared uninjured and was capable to continue. He later said location were "no awesome injuries, conscionable mini scratches".

Evenepoel, of Soudal-Quick Step, remains successful nan wide lead because of a caller 5km norm introduced this play which awards each riders pinch nan aforesaid clip if location is simply a clang wrong nan allocated distance.

There is besides a longstanding 3km norm which is applied, usually for nan flattest sprint stages.

"That feels good," said Stewart. "It's specified a shame Pascal [Ackermann, his team-mate] collapsed [earlier successful nan shape and abandoned] and they handed complete to me.

"The squad and nan boys backed maine and I'm truthful happy I could decorativeness it disconnected for them."

When asked astir his caller prototype motorcycle which has caused liking successful nan paddock for its aerodynamic beforehand fork design, Stewart replied: "I'm not allowed to opportunity excessively overmuch astir that."

Stewart is expected to return portion successful adjacent month's Tour de France.

The Dauphine, which takes spot crossed nan region of nan aforesaid sanction successful south-east France, is nan accepted warm-up for nan Tour.

Only 4 times successful nan past 10 editions has nan wide victor gone connected to beryllium victorious successful nan Tour.

The eight-day shape title now moves into nan precocious mountains successful nan French Alps, pinch Friday's 126.7km title to Combloux.

Saturday's shape is apt to characteristic nan astir explosive action, pinch 3 hugely steep hors class climbs successful nan French Alps to Valmeinier.

Stage 5 results

1. Jake Stewart (GB/Israel-Premier Tech) 4hrs 3mins 46secs

2. Axel Laurance (Fra/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time

3. Soren Warenskjold (Nor/Uno-X Mobility)

4. Laurence Pithie (NZ/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)

5. Jonathan Milan (Ita/Lidl-Trek)

6. Paul Penhoet (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)

7. Emilien Jeanniere (Fra/TotalEnergies)

8. Fred Wright (GB/Bahrain-Victorious)

9. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned/Alpecin-Deceuninck)

10. Bastien Tronchon (Fra/Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)

General classification aft shape five