The ITT starts in Carpentras a city if about 28,000 people, from there we are heading directly for Mont Ventoux, creating what will be a very hard individual time trial.
With two intermediate time checks the route will be split into three sectors.
1. From Carpentras to the town of Bédoin, at the foot of the mountain, this part will be just slightly uphill at an average 1’5% (16 km)
2. From Bédoin to Jas des Mélettes (ruins), after Bédoin the road gets steeper and although the section starts relative easy, we also got the hardest slopes here, up to 13%, average 6.8% (12 km)
3. The final section from Jas des Mélettes to Mont Ventoux summit, more even but with an average of 8.3% also the hardest especially coming this late. (10 km)
The finish will count as a cat. 1 climb.
Mostly sunny with 28°C, although Mont Ventoux can be terribly windy, we won’t get any of that today, winds from 3-5 km/h
The Race
As last in GC Thomas first rider in the route, he was overtaken by Darbinyan even before he reaches Bédoin, no way he can get to the top of the leaderboard.
Darbinyan setting first best time at Bédoin with 23’44, Valgren Andersen right after improving that to 23’16, Yatsevich to 22’37, will then be a while until starting as GC:176 Vassdal beat that with 22’32, a few riders later Roy Goldstein 21’54 that is a very strong time on the flat Bédoin sector, where we must expect the tempo experts to be the strongest, Roy Goldstein not a climber though interesting to see how far it will take him later.
Darbinyan also first to the time check at Jas des Mélettes, 1h12’’36, soon beaten by Valgren Andersen 1h11’12, Yatsevich 1h08’32, and Sütterlin new best at Jas des Mélettes 1h07’00, but Roy Goldstein strongest in this group of early starting tempo riders reach Jas des Mélettes with new best 1h05’17
First rider to finish at Mont Ventoux, getting his moment in the hot-seat is Yatsevich overtaking 4 riders on the route, 1h58’55
Roy Goldstein still hold the best time at Bédoin, but the times at Jas des Mélettes was improved, Gonzalez Salas 01h05’06, Howson 1h04’01. Stimulak 01h03’08
Sütterlin new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h55’18 cutting 3’37 of Yatsevich’s time.
Roy Goldstein new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h52’42, 2’36 faster than Sütterlin.
Roy Goldstein still with best time at Bédoin, but in the meantime we have got a series of new good times at Jas des Mélettes, Ghyselinck 1h02’05, Zakarin 1h01’01 and latest Turek with 1h00’21 now with the best time at Jas des Mélettes, none of these riders exactly climbers but clearly better uphill than the very early starters.
Gonzalez Salas new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h52’01, 41” faster than Goldstein.
Howson with new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h49’17, impressive 2’43 faster than Gonzalez Salas.
Then the odd result, Klemen Stimulak, a fine but not top tempo riders and not a stronger climber than Howson or Sütterlin, he set a perfect new best at Mont Ventoux 1h46’34, that is 2’43 faster than Howson, he much have the best legs imaginable
Ghyselinck new best at at Mont Ventoux 1h44’27, 2’03 faster than Stimulak
Zakarin very fast new best at Mont Ventoux 1h41’13, 3’14 faster than Ghyselinck
Turek new best at Mont Ventoux with 1h40’35, 38” faster than Zakarin
Turek crosses the finish line, in the picture also Menten, Dumoulin and Bouet
We got a new best at Jas des Mélettes, Lammertink with 59’29 first to break one hour. 51” faster than Turek
Lammertink, a great tempo rider and also relatively good climber compared to what we have seen so far, setting new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h39’14, 1’21 faster than Turek
Kalaba with new best, a sort of surprising result, far from the top tempo rider, and just a fraction better climber than what we have seen before. 1h38’41 33” faster than Lammertink.
We now get some quite bad tempo riders but slightly better climbers, they all set new best at Mont Ventoux coming in quite close to each other: Arifin 1h38’02 Rucigaj 1h38’01 Marzuki 1h37’09
We are now inside top 100 in the GC, and we will get the first rider that you may call a 3rd tier climber, Eg also a fairly good tempo rider, set new best first at Jas des Mélettes with 57’30” and at Mont Ventoux with 1h32’59 that was 4’10 faster than Marzuki
After a long time with Goldstein fastest at the Bédoin time check Paillot set new best 21’38, 15” faster than Goldstein
Also, at Jas des Mélettes several fast times, Niklas Eg have fallen to 6th behind: Heymes 53’42, Dees 54’45, Russom 54’52, Paillot 54’59, Herrada 55’04
Russom new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h31’28, 1’30 faster than Eg.
Russom in the picture also Vanendert and Kung
Heymes, a very similar rider compared to Russom having the better legs today, new best 1h29’33 almost two minutes faster, sadly the cameras were occupied elsewhere.
Powless new best at Jas des Mélettes 55’05, 36” faster than Heymes.
Very surprisingly Powless beats Heymes, Dees, Russom all on paper better riders for this profile, new best at Mont Ventoux 1h29’18, 14” faster then Heymes.
Powless new best at Mont Ventoux, the rider behind him is Lehtinen
We are inside top 50 when Roe, after 2nd at Jas des Mélettes set new best at Mont Ventoux, a well rounded 3nd tier climber with a good tempo ride, although somewhat lacking resistance. 1h29’14 just 4” faster, another testament to how strong Powless was today.
37th in GC Brenes, first 2nd tier climber on the route today but far from a tempo rider, loses 1’28 at the flat sector to Bédoin, the strong climber reduced the loss to 35” at Jas des Mélettes, and set new best at Mont Ventoux 1h28’47, 27” faster than Roe.
35th in GC Koch, 2nd at Mont Ventoux 8” behind Brenes.
36th in GC Rosskopf loses 3’25 at Mont Ventoux
Madrazo with new best at the time check in Bédoin, 21’33, 5” faster than Paillot
Henao Montoya new best at Jas des Mélettes 54’40, 24 seconds faster than Powless
Gesink with new best at the time check in Bédoin 21’21, 12” faster than Madrazo
Dekker new best at Jas des Mélettes 54’36, 4” faster than Henao Montoya
Still with Brenes in the Hot-Seat and now Dekker fastest at Jas des Mélettes, we have now got every rider from Carpentras to Bédoin, and can show the full leaderboard on the early tempo rider section:
Rosskopf loses 3’25 at Mont Ventoux, currently 13th
Affonso loses 1’17 at Mont Ventoux currently 7th.
Bibby loses 2’42 at Mont Ventoux currently 10th
Bevin loses 3’02 at Mont Ventoux currently 11th
Henao Montoya comes in with 1h26’49 at Mont Ventoux, a clear new best 1’58 faster than Brenes.
Henao Montoya about to overtake Bibby under the red kite
GC 30 Kirsch 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 59” behind Henao
GC 29 Salinas with a horrible ride today loses 6’10 to Henao, way outside top 20
GC 28 Brown loses 4’27, currently 12th
GC 27 Bongiorno loses 3’18 to Henao, currently 10th
GC 26 Dekker 3th, 1’12” behind Henao
GC 25 Vasyliv loses 3’13, currently 9th
Hirt setting new best time at Jas des Mélettes 53’28, 1’08 faster than Dekker
GC 24 Ji, 4th 1’24 behind Henao
Smith 2nd at Jas des Mélettes 36” behind Hirt
GC 23 Vervaeke 10th, 3’00 behind Henao
Talansky 2nd at Jas des Mélettes 11” behind Hirt
GC 22 Kangert just makes it inside top 20, 4’56 behind Henao
GC 21 Koshevoy loses 4’30 to Henao, currently 18th
Velits 3rd at Jas des Mélettes 13” behind Hirt
GC 20 Monsalve 4th at Mont Ventoux, 1’16 behind Henao
Madrazo setting new best at Jas des Mélettes, 1’27 faster than Hirt
GC 19 Prado losing 3’18” to Henao, currently 15th
GC 18 Aru 3rd at Mont Ventoux, 1’10 behind Henao
Herklotz 3rd at Jas des Mélettes, 1’35 behind Madrazo
GC 17 Laengen 11th at Mont Ventoux, 2’31 behind Henao
Gesink 2nd at Jas des Mélettes, 46” behind Madrazo
GC 16 Yates 3rd at Mont Ventoux, 1’03 behind Henao
GC 15 Boily, loses 2’18 to Henao, currently 10th
Morton 3rd at Jas des Mélettes, 1’16” behind Madrazo
GC 14 Berhane 14th at Mont Ventoux, 2’42 behind Henao with this result ending behind teammate David Boily in the overall result.
Sicard 2nd at Jas des Mélettes, 45” behind Madrazo
Every rider now through the first two sections from Carpentras to Jas des Mélettes.
This is the leaderboard after 28 km:
GC 13 Galta 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 45” behind Henao
GC 12 Hirt new best at Mont Ventoux, 1h25’10 that is 1’39” faster than Henao
GC 11 Smith 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 40” behind Hirt
GC 10 Talansky 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 21” behind Hirt
GC 9 Guldhammer 5th at Mont Ventoux, 1’42” behind Hirt
GC 8 Velits 3rd at Mont Ventoux, 23” behind Hirt
GC 7 Madrazo with new best at Mont Ventoux 1h22'29, 2'41 faster than Hirt
GC 6 Wellens 8th at Mont Ventoux, 4’36 behind Madrazo
GC 5 Herklotz 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 2’27 behind Madrazo
GC 4 Gesink 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 2’07 behind Madrazo
GC 3 Kudus 8th at Mont Ventoux, 3’59 behind Madrazo
GC 2 Morton 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 1’35 behind Madrazo
GC 1 Sicard 2nd at Mont Ventoux, 1’30 behind Madrazo
With this result Romain Sicard won Criterium du Dauphine in front of Lachlan Morton and Angel Madrazo. Romain Sicard also won both the points and mountain classification making it a fantastic race for him and Air France – KLM
Silvio Herklotz took the U25 and ISA - Hexacta the team classification.
Criterium du Dauphine Libere 
