Canada’s David Veilleux of Europcar won the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, a 121km ride around Champery, Switzerland, on Sunday.
The 25-year-old took the leader’s jersey after coming home almost two minutes ahead of the peloton, with Belgian Gianni Meersman coming in second ahead of Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter and Australia’s Richie Porte.
Riding the prestigious Tour de France warm-up race for the first time, Veilleux said it was better than a dream to win a stage.
Photo: AFP
“For my first participation, it’s a success. I’ve won the stage and taken the [leader’s] jersey,” Veilleux said. “What’s funny is that two days ago I dreamed that I was coming to the end of a Dauphine stage in the lead, but was passed on the line. I came second. This is better than the dream.”
While Veilleux’s team is not expecting him to challenge for overall success, they are hoping to keep hold of the leader’s jersey for a few days.
“We’ll defend the jersey and we hope to keep it until Wednesday’s time trial,” Europcar sports director Andy Flickinger said.
“Now it’s a bonus for the team,” Flickinger added.
In a stage that began and ended in Switzerland, but was raced for the majority in France, Veilleux escaped just 3km in, accompanied by Thomas Damuseau, Jean-Marie Bideau and Ricardo Garcia.
At one point the front-runners had a lead of more than 10 minutes, before Veilleux left his fellow escapees behind on the Col du Corbier climb with 47km left.
World time trial champion Tony Martin of Germany launched a counterattack, but was swallowed up in the final 15km.
Veilleux proved durable on the final two climbs, holding on to the majority of his lead at that stage, 3 minutes, 20 seconds with 20km to go.
The pace was fast enough to leave Andrew Talansky of the US and Norwegian champion Thor Hushovd trailing in behind the peloton by about 8 minutes and 15 minutes respectively, but the main challengers did not buckle, as Chris Froome came in a place behind his Sky teammate Porte, with Alejandro Valverde eighth and Alberto Contador 11th.
Yesterday’s second stage saw the peloton ride over a hilly 191km route from Chatel to Oyonnax, France.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two