The favorites have left the peloton baffled
Pogacar Triumphs in Dauphiné, Outsprints Vingegaard and Van der Poel in Finale
The big names haven't given the competition a breather. In a stage filled with seven fourth-category ascents, Vingegaard tried to turn the first day of the Criterium du Dauphiné on its head. The climb of Buffon, with six kilometers left, sparked the conflict with Axel Lawrence (INEOS)'s attack, but it was the turn of the heavyweights and his attempt failed.
6 mins## Vingegaard, the game-changer
Jorgenson set the pace, Vingegaard attacked and Pogacar, Van der Poel, Evenpoel, and Buitrago followed suit. With five kilometers remaining, they engaged in a war with the peloton that more resembled a chase than a battle among the big winners, but they understood each other and kept the peloton in check. With just one kilometer to go and the sprinters approaching, Van der Poel, the fastest cyclist in the group, gave it his all to secure the small group of five cyclists' survival.
They managed to do so, but his effort was more of a launchpad for Pogacar and Vingegaard, whose rivalry this summer has already started. The Slovenian beat the Danish from Visma, leaving Tadej Pogacar as the leader with Vingegaard 4 seconds behind him and Van der Poel 6 seconds behind.
Ouselin, Thierry, and Wright's struggle
Despite the seven fourth-category climbs, only two Frenchmen tried to challenge the peloton. Thierry and Ouselin formed the day's breakaway, one with little story as they only managed to gain three minutes over the peloton. However, Thierry's fight for the mountain jersey the next day added some excitement. With the peloton always a minute behind, the Frenchman kept adding points.
Ouselin, aware of the minimal difference with the group, let go 55 kilometers from the finish, leaving his compatriot alone. However, when the gap with the group reached 20 seconds, Fred Wright (Bahrain) jumped in one of the climbs. The Briton began strongly and maintained the difference with the peloton steadily. Thierry, after summiting the last climb first, thought his day was over, hoping for more mountain points in the coming days.
Wright, who had some gas left, pushed his chances until the big favorites joined the fight for the stage. On the climb of Buffon, he ended his solo run to make way for the 'four tenors' and Buitrago. With this victory, Pogacar wins with the rainbow jersey despite wearing the leader's jersey tomorrow.
Enrichment Summary:
Stage 6 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné featured multiple fourth-category climbs, making it a decisive stage for the General Classification (GC). The current leaders in the GC after Stage 3 are Romeo Abad and Mathieu van der Poel. However, this may not reflect the GC after Stage 6.
Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Mathieu van der Poel are the key riders to watch in this race. Pogačar won Stage 1, while Vingegaard finished closely behind him. Van der Poel is contending for the green jersey.
During Stage 6, Thierry and Ouselin formed the day's breakaway, while Fred Wright briefly joined the fight for the stage victory.
The average performance of the big names in sports has been relentless, as shown by Vingegaard's attack in the Criterium du Dauphiné, followed by Pogacar, Van der Poel, Evenpoel, and Buitrago. In a stage reminiscent of a sports competition, the struggle among these sports titans kept the peloton at bay.
Furthermore, the sports world now witnesses an intense rivalry between Pogacar and Vingegaard, as their performances during this stage indicate a promising race ahead in the sports domain.
