The Belgian Wout van Aert (Jumbo) sprinted the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, Sunday in Beauchastel, and put on the leader’s yellow jersey. The Belgian champion was clearly ahead of the Briton Ethan Hayter and the young American Sean Quinn (22) after the 191.8 kilometers of this stage run entirely in Ardèche.
The massive sprint was deprived of several specialists (Groenewegen, Bauhaus, Molano) left behind on the last climb, approaching the last 30 kilometers, following the forcing of the Trek team. The breakaway of three riders (Rolland, Bouet, Huys), formed in the first hour, ended in this climb, preceding a final downhill on a road alternating between dry and wet then the last 15 kilometers on the flat.
Aged 27, van Aert won his fourth stage success in the Dauphiné. Winner of the Het Nieuwsblad and the E3 Classic in particular, the Belgian now has 34 victories to his name. On Monday, the second stage, with a more selective route, links Saint-Péray (Ardèche) to Brives-Charensac (Haute-Loire) over 169.8 kilometers.