Solo victory for Belgium’s Tour hope but overall lead goes to Alexandre Vinokourov
Jurgen Van Den Broek (Omega Pharma-Lotto) escaped on the final climb to the finish at Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse to take a solo victory in the first stage of the Criteriium du Dauphiné. The Belgian, who is hoping that a strong performance here will augur well for bettering his fifth place in the Tour de France from last year, managed to hold off a number of counterattacks from behind him to hold off the rest of the race favourites at the finish.
Just six seconds behind Van Den Broeck was Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), with former World champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) just behind him.
“This is first win as a professional cyclist,” said the Belgian after the stage. “To get it in the mountains at the Dauphiné is meaningful for me. I haven’t trained in the mountains and I hadn’t raced for five weeks. My legs weren’t super but good enough to try my luck in the finale.
“When the rider from HTC [Kanstantsin Sivtsov – ed] attacked, I heard my directeur sportif saying: “go”, so I went. Then I played it all or nothing.”
The 144km stage, starting in the former Winter Olympic city of Albertville, would cross a number of small hills in the shadow of the Alps, before taking on the first of five summit finishes to feature in this year’s race.
Jérémy Roy (FDJ) attacked after just 8.5km, but the Frenchman was all alone and the Euskaltel-Euskadi and Saur-Sojasun teams brought the peloton back up to him just a few kilometres later. At the 22km point though, Sven Vandousselaere (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) and Vincent Jérôme (Europcar) escaped. Duque was the best placed rider, just 21 seconds behind prologue winner Lars Boom (Rabobank) but the three of them were allowed to become the break of the day and they opened up a lead of 2’35” in the next five kilometres.
After 33km, as the leading trio hit the base of the first climb of the day, the 4th category Côte de Saint-André, its advantage had gone up to 5’10” and as they crested the top after 39km it was up to 5’35”.
This was as good as it was going to get for the three fugitives though, as Rabobank decided to take control of the front of the peloton to protect Boom’s yellow jersey.
As the break crested the top of the next climb, the 3rd category Côte de Montagnole after 53.5km, its lead was down to 4’05”; it would continue to fall gradually as the race made its way around the rolling parcours of the mid part of the stage.
Duque led the trio over the top of the third climb, the 4th category Côte de la Bauche after 79km, with the peloton 3’30” behind them. The Colombian had taken maximum points over all three of the climbs so far, and so was virtually assured the polka-dot climber’s jersey at the end of the day.
Rabobank continued to lead the peloton, steadily chipping into the advantage of Vandousselaere, Duque and Jérôme so that, with 20km to go, they led by just one minute. The Dutch team began lifting the pace further, as a number of other teams began to send men forward, so that they soon had the fugitives in sight.
With 12km to go, as the peloton entered Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, the BMC Racing Team took over from Rabobank on the front. As the three riders rode through the other side they had the red and black team right on their tales; with 10.4km to go they shook hands after a long day’s cooperation and allowed the peloton to sweep by.
BMC Racing continued to lead, with Rabobank just behind them and Saxo Bank-SunGard lurking just behind them, as they approached the base of the final climb to the finish.
As soon as the climb began Kanstantsin Sivtsov (HTC-Highroad) shot from the front of the peloton; the Belarusian was followed by Van Den Broeck, and a number of other riders tried and failed to get across. The two of them rode steadily away from the rest, but Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) managed to bridge before they had got too far away.
With 5km to go the three of them still led by just a few seconds. The peloton behind them was led by RadioShack’s Ben Hermans and Team Sky, and the acceleration put a number of riders in trouble; Boom was just about managing to hold on. Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) was one of the first of the favourites to lose contact.
Sivtsov was the first of the three to tire, and was dropped by the other two; just a few hundred metres later though, with the peloton on their heels, Voeckler decided to attack and go alone.
It took Van Den Broeck a few minutes to catch up to Voeckler and, once he had, he left the Frenchman behind him with a massive acceleration. As Voeckler drifted back his Europcar teammate Christophe Kern counterattacked, followed by Chris Anker Sørensen (Saxo Bank-SunGard).
As he passed under the flamme rouge, marking the final kilometre, Van Den Broeck led Kern by several seconds, with the peloton just behind the Frenchman. Kern was soon pulled back though, as Rodriguez made a move himself from the rapidly reducing group. Boom was long gone by now, as was his Rabobank teammate Robert Gesink and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi).
Van Den Broeck fumbled with his zip to try to fasten his flapping jersey before the finish line, but was unable to do so. He crossed the line, punching the air with both fists, six seconds ahead of Rodriguez, with Evans right behind him.
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) crossed the line in fourth and, thanks to his second place in yesterday’s prologue, takes over the yellow jersey from Boom, who lost several minutes by the finish.
Result stage 1
1. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
2. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha Team @ 6s
3. Cadel Evans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
4. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana @ 7s
5. Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
6. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky
7. Thibault Pinot (Fra) FDJ @ 13s
8. Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
9. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Europcar @ 15s
10. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) RadioShack
Standings after stage 1
1. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana
2. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto @ 5s
3. Cadel Evans (Bel) BMC Racing Team @ 7s
4. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky @ 11s
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky @ 13s