Stage 1 is one of two stages that was designed for a possible mass sprint, it will be crucial for the sprinter teams not to let a breakaway take this stage, but it is not exactly flat and we will no doubt see both KoM hunters and teams without sprinters doing their best to make life as hard as possible for the sprinter teams.
Le Chambon-sur-Lignon is a small town in Haute-Loire department, located on the right bank of the Lignon du Velay river. The Town became famous for providing shelter for Jewish people during the Second World War.
Tullins is a town and commune in the Isère Department, with approx. 7.500 inhabitants.
Climbs:
Côte de Saint-Félicien (cat.4) after 49.1 km
Col de Fontayes (cat.4) after 52.9 km
Côte des Sarrets (cat.3) after 133.3 km
Côte de Roybon (cat.4) after 140.4 km
It is quite hot today with temperatures at 32°C and mostly sunny, mainly tailwind wind at 5 km/h will make the stage feel a bit shorter today, but in the final km’s of the sprint we get head/cross wind, also at some 5 km/h.
The Race
190 riders start Criterium du Dauphine in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
Vermote open the race, behind him also Yatsevich, Kulimbetov and latest Vorobev on the move.
The first attack
We get another attempt Delgerbayar, van den Berg, Roosen and Schlechter, but they were not be allowed to get away.
Then on the long downhill another two riders build a lead of about half a minute, Lecourt De Billot and David
SPAR & T-Mobile want to get riders in the morning breakaway
Schlechter does a lot to bring back the duo, but as it turns out the sprinter teams are not willing to help at least at this point, EA Vesuvio have to realize they missed the breakaway.
With 13.1 km to the KoM climb Côte de Saint-Félicien the 6 riders unite. 141 km to the finish pack at 2’46”
The Breakaway seems to be finalized
Lecourt De Billot accelerate from 1.2 km, trying to get a head-start in the KoM sprint.
David the strongest puncher in the group faster on the last 300 meters, he wins the first KoM sprint and become first provisional KoM leader. Kulimbetov 2nd and Vermote takes the last point. Pack it at 3’55”
Côte de Saint-Félicien, 1.9 km 4.5%
With less than 4 km to the next KoM climb, David keep up a high pace to shake of the rivals, but he overextended his resources and could not keep up the pressure.
Kulimbetov sitting at David’s wheel accelerated just after the 1 km sigh, and took the 2nd cat.4 in front of Vermote and Vorobev
Kulimbetov now leads the KoM with 8 points. Pack at 4’55”
Col de Fontayes 2.2 km 4.0 %
The pack keeps a limited pace over the two climbs passing the last at 5’06, but from there the pursuit start, from the KoM to the intermediate sprint we see first Helme, Kastrantas and Sergis and later also Vanendert cutting the gap down to 3’48”
Sprint: David, Vermote, Lecourt De Billot
After the intermediate sprint Helme, Kastrantas and Sergis, get additional support from Becis, it is now 6 breakaway riders versus 4 riders in the pulling the pack. Never the less the pursuit is hard and the distance vanish little by little.
The breakaway got 7.6 km to the only cat.3 climb on the route today and the pack is now at just 2’05”, a little more than 50 km to the finish line in Tullins
Evonik, Valio and Festina, working for Van Stayen, Manninen and Stauff
Kulimbetov accelerates from 1.5 km, David directly at his wheel and Vermote also in the slipstream, but the acceleration opens a gap to the next rider Lecourt De Billot
Vermote can’t match the pace of the two better punchers and with more than 1 km to the top he can’t keep up.
Kulimbetov leads with less than 1 km to Côte des Sarrets
In the meantime Yatsevich struggling with all the climbs, a terrain type not exactly suiting the Tinkoff tempo rider, is about to get reeled in by the pack.
David with a late kick overtake Kulimbetov and takes the 6 points, Kulimbetov with 4 and Vermote takes the last 2 points.
Côte des Sarrets, 1.9 km at 6.6%
Blums and Rabottini, have taken the lead in the pack, both fine climber / puncher type riders are cutting down the distance quite fast.
David attacks for the last KoM, but it is clear that neither he nor Kulimbetov have much more left in the tanks, and this time Vorobev can take the KoM without much fight.
David though strong enough to distance Kulimbetov for 2nd, and with this David secure the KoM jersey for tomorrows stage.
At this point the pack is just 1’16” behind the stage leader. 37 km left.
Côte de Roybon, 1.7 km at 5.9%
The breakaway was able to keep some distance on the rather long downhill section.
As the riders hit the flat roads to Tullins, the very fast Stoltz up the pace to 50 km/h and that was the end of today’s breakaway.
Yannick Stoltz working for team leader Van Stayen
Just to give an impression of the spearhead leading the peloton up to the mass sprint soon to come, this is how the riders was positioned. Rabottini, Blums, Becis, Kastrantas, Bongiorno, Stoltz, Kortsidakis
The pack was traveling with 49 km/h passing under the 5 km banner
3 km left
We got three teams setting up trains
. Valio - Viking Genetics leading a little: Talansky (48 km/h), Blums, Manninen. Gebremedhin sitting behind Festina – OAKA’s Maxime Daniel still in the mix although not directly connected to the train.
Festina – OAKA in-between and/or behind Valio, with a three riders train: Daniel (49 km/h), Barbier, Stauff
At the right side, also with three riders Evonik – ELKO Dzamastagic, Liepins, Van Stayen
The Evonik – ELKO rider close to Manninen is Becis
Other sprinter without trains we see well positioned at this point, in ordre of position: Van der Sande, Kalaba, Van Poppel, Pedersen, Meyer, Dakteris, Soupe, Edmondson (out of picture behind Soupe).
The Trains – 3 km left
Evonik – ELKO win the fight between the trains over the next kilometer, with a 5 km/h head/cross wind into his face Dzamastagic keeps a constant pace of 50 km/h, the other trains not able to keep up and Valio - Viking Genetics train vanish, Manninen change tactics, and later also Stauff have to realize his train is to slow.
The line is: Dzamastagic, Liepins, Van Stayen, Manninen, Van der Sande, Meyer, Stauff, Soupe
A small gap to Pedersen, Van Poppel, Kalaba
Another few meters down to Edmondson, Dakteris and also Gidich and Delgerbayar trying to help Bouhanni into a better position, before it is too late.
Evonik – ELKO in control – 2 km left
Dzamastagic swings of it is now Liepins (58 km/h) leading out Van Stayen,
1.5 km left
Liepins (64 km/h) first under the red kite, at his wheel Van Stayen (60 km/h), Manninen (60 km/h), Van der Sande (60 km/h).
Attempting to overtake Van der Sande at his left side Meyer (70 km/h) with Stauff (70 km/h) clued.
Coming fart from behind Soupe (72 km/h), Pedersen (73 km/h), Van Poppel (74 km/h), Kalaba (73 km/h) Edmondson (74 km/h) and Dakteris (73 km/h) have almost closed any caps we had before and are now all clearly back in the race, although the finish line is off course coming closer and time is not on their side.
Dzamastagic (43 km/h) last in the group clearly his workday is over he is just waiting to see if his timing was right.
Group Bouhanni out of this stage.
Liepins first under the red kite
700 meters left
Liepins (64 km/h) have opened a small gap, 3-4 meters in front of teammate Van Stayen (58 km/h).
With the hesitation from Van Stayen, Meyer (68 km/h) have passed him with half a cycle-length, at his wheel still Stauff (69 km/h)
Four riders on a line behind Van Stayen/Stauff, from left to right: Van Poppel (75 km/h), Pedersen (71 km/h), Soupe (67 km/h), Manninen (56 km/h).
Behind them in this order: Van der Sande (58 km/h), Kalaba (71 km/h), Edmondson (70 km/h) and Dakteris (74 km/h)
700 meters left – still very close
500 meters left.
This have become a true mass sprint thriller; it is so close. Stauff (67 km/h) have left Meyer wheel and have overtaken him at his left side, now with a very small margin the leading rider.
Liepins (44 km/h) close to the right side banner, seemingly done for the day, leaving it to team leader Van Stayen
More or less on a line close behind Stauff, five riders clearly still in a position to win the stage if Stauff should show any sigh of weakness.
From left to right. Van Poppel (70 km/h) Pedersen (71 km/h) Meyer well placed but is it over (52 km/h) Van Stayen (68 km/h) Soupe (68 km/h)
There is a gap down to the next group of five, but if anyone has a brilliant last 500 meters, never say never.
From left to right. Dakteris (73 km/h) Kalaba (71 km/h) Edmondson (73 km/h) Van der Sande (68 km/h) Manninen (64 km/h)
Criterium du Dauphine Libere 
