Wout Poels conquers Queen Stage in Criterium du Dauphine, Fuglsang claims Yellow Jersey
Jun 15 2019 11:22 pm CET
Photo of Wout Poels (c)Team Ineos
Team Ineos' Wout Poels has taken the win in the Queen Stage of the Criterium du Dauphine. The rider crossed the finish line ahead of Jakob Fuglsang, who took the lead of the overall classification.
The seventh stage of the French race was 133.5-kilometres long over a route that included three climbs of the first category and a finish on an hors-category ascent. The escape of the day was formed in the first kilometres and included names like Julian Alaphilippe, Gianni Moscon, Alexey Lutsenko, Magnus Cort, Rob Power, Michael Woods and Joey Rosskopf.
The breakaway created a gap of more than two minutes with the pack and the difficulty of the climbs made it slimmer. With 25 kilometres to go, Woods and Lutsenko attacked and were later joined by a small group lead by Moscon, while behind in the peloton, Movistar worked hard to make the conditions favourable for Nairo Quintana.
With around 10 kilometres to go, only Lutsenko, Jesper Hansen and Woods remained in front while in the pack Quintana attacked and took Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Ineos) with him but this adventure was over a few kilometres later when the duo got reeled back in by the Yellow Jersey group.
Just kilometres later, the favourites group also caught the remaining escapees and at around two kilometres to go, Astana's Jakob Fuglsang launched an attack and moments later he was joined by Bora-hansgrohe's Emmanuel Buchmann. Close to the last kilometre, Ineos' Wout Poels attacked from the reduced group and soon caught the front duo.
The Dutchman attacked in the last metres and took the victory of the stage, while Fuglsang crossed the finish line in the second position and Buchmann in the third. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) completed the top five of the day and arrived to the finish line 10 seconds behind Poels.
The wearer of the Yellow Jersey Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) crossed the finish line ten seconds behind the winner and lost the lead to Fuglsang but remains in the second overall position at eight seconds from the Dane. Tejay Van Garderen maintains his third position in the General Classification while Buchmann and Poels are now in the fourth and fifth places.
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