Daniel Martinez (Education First), a young Colombian of 24, won the 72nd edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of the French Thibaut Pinot and Guillaume Martin, Sunday in Megève. The fifth and final stage went to the American Sepp Kuss, of the private Jumbo team on the last day of his leader, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who did not take the start following his crash on Saturday while 'he was at the top of the table. Martinez, fifth in the standings at the start, turned the situation around in a breathless stage. In the final standings, he edged Pinot by 29 seconds and Martin by 41 seconds.
Thibaut Pinot, at the top of the standings after the abandonment of Roglic, was unable to follow his direct rivals in the Domancy coast, before the last 20 kilometers. He appeared to be passed before he recovered and started a chase on the climb to the finish line.
In the last stage, which included eight climbs, the French Julian Alaphilippe and the Russian Pavel Sivakov led the way for a long time. They were joined in the Domancy coast by several counter-attackers (Pogacar, Lopez, Martinez then Kuss). Kuss, one of Roglic's lieutenants in the mountains, took the blow to 9 kilometers from the finish to win with 27 seconds ahead of Martinez, second on the stage.
Martinez, third Colombian to win in the Dauphiné
The Colombian, who took over from the Danish Jakob Fuglsang, absent this year, is the third rider from his country to win the Dauphiné. Twenty-nine years after legend Lucho Herrera's second success. Double time trial champion of Colombia, Martinez also excels in the mountains. Last year he notably won the Paris-Nice stage judged at the Col du Turini and last February a stage of the Tour of Colombia ahead of his compatriots Sergio Higuita and Egan Bernal.
General classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné:
1. Daniel Martinez (COL / EF1) 21 h 44:58.
2. Thibaut Pinot (FRA / FDJ) at 29.
3. Guillaume Martin (FRA / COF) 41.
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO / UAE) 56.
5. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL / AST) 1:38.
6. Romain Bardet (FRA / ALM) 1:43.
7. Tom Dumoulin (NED / JUM) 2:07.
8. Lennard Kämna (GER / BOR) 2:14.
9. Warren Barguil (FRA / ARK) 2:49.
10. Sepp Kuss (USA / JUM) 2:55.
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