From Underdog to Top Dog: Pogačar Outshines Elite Cyclists in Criterium du Dauphine
Race champion Pogacar outperforms the prestigious cycling squad at the Tour de France
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The cycling titans are readying themselves for the Tour de France. At the Criterium du Dauphine, the first of the heavyweights' battles takes place. From the get-go, longstanding adversaries Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard set the stage.
Slovenian cycling phenom Tadej Pogačar, fresh off his Tour de France triumph, flexed his muscles in the opening salvo of the Criterium du Dauphine. In a thrilling display, he edged out Danish rival Jonas Vingegaard by a hair's breadth over 195 hilly kilometers from Domérat to Montlucon. In a race of speedsters' showdowns, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel finished third.
Pogačar humbly commented before the post-race ceremony, "I wasn't expecting that. I thought I'd be in the shower by now." He continued, "The Dauphine is already a success for me. My form is obviously on point, but the real test is still to come in the mountains." Owing to bonus seconds, the leader of the UAE Emirates-XRG team stole the show at the Tour de France warm-up (commencing July 5) with a four-second lead over Vingegaard.
World champion Pogačar, who'd demonstrated his remarkable form in the Spring Classics, easily thwarted an attack by two-time Tour champion Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) just a few kilometers from the finish line. In the final meters, van der Poel launched his sprint too early, allowing Pogačar and even Vingegaard to surpass him. "Tadej was simply faster. Congratulations to him. This might be the first time I've finished second in a mass sprint. I'm still very pleased," said Vingegaard.
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The initial portion of the race saw Pierre Thierry (Arkea-B&B Hotels) grab the reigns. The Frenchman attempted several escapes, first with Paul Ourselin (Cofidis), then with Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious). Ultimately, all these efforts proved futile. Five kilometers before the end, Vingegaard powered ahead, forming a compact, elite leading group that included Remco Evenepoel.
At the Dauphine, which concludes on June 15 with the ascent to the Col du Mont-Cenis, the stars test their mettle before the impending Tour de France. In southeastern France, there are eight stages, with 204.6 hilly kilometers from Prémilhat to Issoire scheduled for Monday.
- Tadej Pogačar
- Cycling
- Jonas Vingegaard
- Enrichment Data: ### Historical Context and Achievements
- Critérium du Dauphiné 2023: There is no mention in the search results regarding Tadej Pogačar winning the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné. Instead, they highlight his impressive showing in the 2025 season, where he emerged victorious in several Spring Classics events, including the third Liège-Bastogne-Liège title and capturing the Tour of Flanders for a second time [1][2].
## Current Status and Tour de France Prospects - 2025 Season: Pogačar is currently riding high, having garnered numerous accolades throughout the 2025 season, demonstrating his exceptional form. He began the Critérium du Dauphiné on a strong note, clinching a stage and maintaining the yellow jersey [1][2]. - Tour de France Prospects: As the defending champion and the reigning World Champion, Pogačar is a strong contender for the 2025 Tour de France. People expect a fierce competition from riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, making the race quite intriguing [1][3].
I'm not going to be able to compete against Tadej Pogačar in cycling again, especially in high-profile events such as the Tour de France. Despite participating in the Criterium du Dauphine, Jonas Vingegaard acknowledge that Pogačar is faster and likely to secure another victory.
