David Gaudu on Tuesday snatched victory ahead of Wout van Aert who took the race lead after the third stage of the Criterium du Dauphine at the ski resort of Chastreix-Sancy.
Team Groupama-FDJ rider Gaudu caught out Van Aert in a sprint finish, but the Team Jumbo-Visma rider claimed the leader’s yellow jersey after the mid-mountain stage concluded at an altitude of 1,396m.
“After all the troubles in March, it was an explosion of joy,” Gaudu said of his return from a series of health woes, including a fall, back pain and bronchitis.
Photo: AFP
Overnight race leader Alexis Vuillermoz of France was left behind with 2.5km to go after the 169km ride from Saint-Paulien.
Gaudu, 11th in the Tour de France last year, claimed his ninth victory and second of the season after a stage in the Tour of Algarve in Portugal.
The survivors of the day’s breakaway, Pierre Rolland, Jonas Gregaard and Sebastian Schonberger were joined at the foot of the final climb, a 6.2km slog with a gradient of 5.6 percent on the western slope of the Sancy.
Gaudu moved second in the overall standings, six seconds behind Van Aert.
“You have to watch the replay,” Van Aert said. “I raised the arms a bit too early and I’m actually really ashamed to lose it like that — just a big disappointment to not finish off our work today and being so close.”
“I had it in my hands,” Van Aert said. “It’s even something when you see it with someone else. You question how it’s possible — but now I understand the feeling.”
There was some consolation for Van Aert as he claimed the overall lead ahead of yesterday’s 31.9km individual time trial from Montbrison to La Batie d’Urfe.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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