Dauphiné Stage 1: Alex Baudin Wins Big for EF Education Easypost

EF Education-EasyPost’s Alex Baudin picked up the win and first leader’s jersey with a fine solo move on stage one of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly Critérium du Dauphiné) Sunday.

“I cannot describe the feeling right now,” he said after taking yellow for the American WorldTour team. “I don’t think I realize it yet. It is just amazing to win here with my family here, one hour from home. It is just crazy.

“This morning my girlfriend put a sticker of our cat on the bike. Maybe she already knew that I was going to win!”

American rider Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Emirates-XRG) attacked the favorites group eight kilometers after Baudin made his solo move but wasn’t able to bridge.

A ten man chase group leaped clear closer to the line, with Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Léo Bisiaux and Vermaerke leading them in 32 seconds back.

GC contenders Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley (both Netcompany Ineos) were both part of the group.

The other contenders such as Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG), Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) came in 44 seconds behind Baudin.

Seixas’ American teammate Matthew Riccitello was dropped on the first climb of the race due to illness and abandoned with about 80km to go to the finish.

There were no time bonuses awarded at the finish so Baudin is 32 seconds in front of Debruyne and the rest of the chase group heading into Monday’s stage two.

“It is not going to be easy tomorrow with this super long stage, but a yellow jersey, you have to defend it. So we are going to do everything.”

‘We wanted to win time’

Stage 1 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ran from Vizille to Saint-Ismier and packed 3202 vertical meters into 146.2km.

There were five categorized climbs including the cat. 1 Côte de Rousset, which summited 21.7km from the finish line.

The road went upwards right from the start and Baudin went clear in a ten man group 124km from the line. That opening climb took a toll on several key names, with João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) all dropped but eventually making their way back on.

George Bennett (NSN Cycling Team) managed to join the break with 108km to go and they had 2:05 with 81k remaining. Riccitello abandoned the race soon after that due to illness.

The break whittled down and had 1:30 over the peloton with 50km to go. Baudin was feeling very strong and kicked clear on the category 1 climb, gapping the others with 29km to go.

Behind, Vermaerke attacked the GC group with 21km left but was stuck in no-man’s land and eventually recaptured. A chase group containing Debruyne, Bisiaux, Onley, Vauquelin, Vermaerke and others set off in pursuit with about 5km to go but it was far too late, with these riders trailing in 32 seconds behind a delighted Baudin.

“I didn’t do the sprint at 100 percent but we wanted to win time,” Vauquelin said. “We don’t have bonuses on the line so it didn’t really matter.

“We did take a little bit of time on Seixas and Del Toro. For us it was a tactical game with two riders up front. The next stages we will see what happens.”

The big Tour de France warmup race continues Monday with a very draining 234.4km race to Le Puy-en-Velay.