After a week of intense battle, less than a month from the big departure of the Tour de Francethe Dauphiné criterium concluded this Sunday on the 8th stage. And at the Mont-Cenis plateau, it is Lenny Martinez Who won! After a week of hassle, he who was aimed at the general classification and who completely exploded, the runner of the Bahrain Victorious offers the first success to the French on this edition. Behind Martinez, Jonas Vingegaard (2e, Visma | Lease a Bike) et Tadej Pogacar (3rd, UAE Team Emirates XRG) passed the line together, without having fought a great fight. Slovenian therefore wins this Dauphiné criterium ! He is accompanied on the final podium by the Danish and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). This stage also marked the end of career of Romain Bardet (Picnic Postnl), who did not play a major role, but who took advantage!
Video – Lenny Martinez, winner of this 8th stage
The summary
The stage sets off on a frantic pace, with many attacks from the first ribs. Finally, a group of twelve men manages to get out of the peloton: Enric Mas (Movistar), Ben Healy (EF Education–EasyPost), Sepp kiss (Visma | Lease a Bike), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers), Valentin Paretrere (Soudal Quick-Step), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale), Jake Stewart, Alexey Lutsenko (Israel – Premier Tech), Maxim van Gils (Red Bull -Bora – Hansgrohe), Ainsi that Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), returned after a lonely hunt.
Van der Poelon equal points with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG) For the green jersey, attacks the Beaune pass, where he crossed the top in mind, before accelerating to make the difference in the intermediate sprint. He takes up to a minute ahead of his escaped companions, but ends up getting up in the valley, aware that the final climb to the Mont-Cenis pass is too difficult to resist alone.
The beautiful coup de Martinez
In the peloton, Uno-X Mobility control to protect 5th place from Tobias Halland Johannessenthreatened by the presence of But at the front. The gap decreases, and from the first percentages of the last ascent, mas attack. Only Healy et Martinez follow, but on a well felt, the French trap But. He flies away at the top of the race. In the peloton, tension rises. Johanness Actors, causing a first selection. Remco Evenepoel, Awesome et Pogacar follow. A fall in the climb is expensive to Paul Seixas6th to the general, which leaves with a damaged bike. Further away, Paretrereincome from the breakaway, serves as a precious relay for Evenepoel.
Martinez resists brilliantly in the lead. He rocks alone at the top of the Mont-Cenis pass with 45 seconds ahead of the duo Vingegaard–Pogacarwhich collaborates effectively. The runner of Bahrain Victorious stands solo, signing a masterful victory. Awesome rule the “sprint” for 2nd place, Pogacarserene, keeps his yellow jersey without worry. No major change is to be reported in the general classification, if not Paul Seixaswhich loses two places and which passes 8th, following its fall in the last ascent.
