Chris Froome warmed up for the Tour de France by winning the Criterium du Dauphine stage race for the third time on Sunday.
It might prove to be a good omen for Froome, because his other Dauphine wins were in 2013 and last year — the years he also won the Tour, which starts on July 2.
“It’s a massive satisfaction to win the Dauphine for the third time, it’s a very important race,” the 31-year-old Froome said. “Coming into this week, I was just happy fighting for the podium. It’s a confidence booster ahead of the Tour de France, but there’s still some work to do.”
Photo: AFP
Froome finished with a winning margin of 12 seconds over Frenchman Romain Bardet, while Tour rival Alberto Contador of Spain was fifth overall.
On a good day for British riders, Stephen Cummings won the final stage thanks to a solo breakaway.
Cummings secured his first ever stage win on the Dauphine after breaking away 60km from the end of the mountainous 151km ride to the Alpine ski resort of Superdevoluy, beating Irishman Daniel Martin and Bardet by four minutes.
Martin finished third in the standings, while former Sky teammate and key Tour support rider Richie Porte of Australia was in fourth place overall.
TOUR OF SWITZERLAND
AFP, LAUSANNE, Switzerland
World champion Peter Sagan won the second stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Sunday as Belgian Jurgen Roelandts claimed the leader’s yellow jersey.
Sagan’s victory was his 12th stage success in the race, setting a new record.
The Slovak benefited from a split in the peloton 500m from the line at the end of the 187.6km stage around Baar to win the sprint.
However, that split cost home hero Fabian Cancellara — who won Saturday’s opening prologue — the leader’s jersey as he was caught the wrong side and came home three seconds back.
Roelandts, who was second to Cancellara on Saturday, finished in Sagan’s group and took the yellow jersey by a single second.
Australian Luke Durbridge remains third overall, as he was after the prologue, at six seconds, with Sagan fourth at 10 seconds.
Argentine Maximiliano Richeze was second to Sagan on the stage with Aussie Michael Matthews third.
Reigning champion Simon Spilak of Slovenia is 55th overall at 35 seconds, but Welshman Geraint Thomas, who will assist Sky team leader Chris Froome at next month’s Tour de France, is 17th at 16 seconds.
Having already won Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Algarve this season, Thomas is expected to challenge for the overall victory, alongside American Tejay Van Garderen, currently 47th at 32 seconds.
Monday’s third stage is a 192km trek over rolling terrain from Grosswangen to Rheinfelden.
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