Dan Martin, Nicolas Roche well poised as Dauphiné test looms
Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche have their first big test of Critérium du Dauphiné tomorrow. Above, Koen Bouwman takes his first ever pro win on stage 3 today.
Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche find themselves well placed as the first big test of the Critérium du Dauphiné tomorrow.
Both Irish riders finished in the main peloton again today, just behind the three survivors of the day-long escape.
However, while the Irish riders have lost no time to the main favourites so far, the race for the yellow jersey really begins tomorrow.
It takes the form of a 23.5km TT; one that general classification hope Martin will not relish.
However, he must perform well if he is to keep intact his hopes of getting onto the final podium again this year.
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He was 3rd overall 12 months ago. Roche will be less concerned about his time tomorrow as he is in the race to support BMC Racing team mate Richie Porte.
Martin and Roche were 56th and 61st at the end of today’s 184km stage from Le Chambon-sur-Lignon to Tullins, 11 seconds behind stage winner Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo).
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QuickStep’s Martin is now 28th overall and Roche 29th, both 1:09 down on race leader and stage 1 winner Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal).
Bouwman took victory today, his first as a pro, in a three-up sprint. He got the better of Evaldas Siskevicius (Delko Marseille Provence) and Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert).
The eventual stage winner had been in the escape yesterday was wearing the climbers’ jersey today.
He is still 2nd in that classificastion behind the all-conquering de Gendt but the Belgian was wearing yellow today.
Bouwman went on the attack again today, after 2kn, in a group that included Siskevicius, Backaert.
Also present were Alexey Vermeulen (LottoNL-Jumbo), and Bryan Nauleau (Direct Energie) and Quentin Pacher (Delko Marseille Provence).
They gained a lead of almost 7 minutes, though it appeared the sprinters’ teams would easily catch them.
But the peloton allowed them linger too long out front and misjudged the last section of the race and the strength of the escape to hang on.
Stage 3: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon to Tullins (184km)
1 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 4:06:06
2 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
3 Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
4 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie
5 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
6 Quentin Pacher (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence KTM
7 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:00:11
8 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie
9 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
10 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb
11 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
12 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha-Alpecin
13 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
14 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team
15 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
56 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
61 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team same time
General Classification
1 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 12:37:04
2 Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:48
3 Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
4 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:07
5 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 0:01:09
7 Ben Swift (GBr) UAE Team Emirates
8 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team
9 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal
10 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
11 Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
12 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
13 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
14 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
15 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
28 Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors
29 Nicolas Roche (Irl) BMC Racing Team same time
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