Pogacar wins opening stage of Criterium du Dauphine

Tadej Pogacar won a sprint for nan statement against his main rivals arsenic he claimed nan first shape of nan Criterium du Dauphine.

The Slovenian vanished nan hilly 196km tally from Domerat to Montlucon successful 4 hours 40 minutes and 2 seconds.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar, who won past year's Tour de France, accelerated past Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel pinch only 25 metres to spell connected nan measurement to victory.

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike was second, pinch Van der Poel successful 3rd place, Belgium's Remco Evenepoel successful 4th and Great Britain's Jake Stewart successful fifth.

"I switched my attraction astir 2k to spell to hole for sprint and it worked," said Pogacar.

"I knew that Van der Poel was nan fastest, obviously, successful this group. But aft a decorativeness for illustration this, you cannot count each of nan remainder out."

Pogacar earned 10 prize 2nd for his win, while Vingegaard received six seconds and Van der Poel four.

The Criterium du Dauphine will beryllium contested complete 8 stages, which see a clip trial, arsenic nan riders hole for nan commencement of nan Tour de France connected 5 July.

Stage 2 connected Monday will beryllium a 204.6km tally from Premilhat to Issoire.

1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4hrs 40mins 12secs

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) aforesaid time

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

4. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick-Step)

5. Jake Stewart (GB/Israel-Premier Tech)

6. Hugo Page (Fra/Intermarche - Wanty)

7. Bastien Tronchon (Fra/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)

8. Clement Venturini (Fra/Arkea-B&B Hotels)

9. Benjamin Thomas (Fra/Cofidis)

10. Paul Penhoet (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)