Criterium du Dauphine 2019: Stage 4

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January 1 - June 16, Roanne, France, Road - WorldTour

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Stage 4 time trial start times

After the sprinters took centre stage on Tuesday, the focus shifts decisively to the GC battle on stage 4 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, a 26.1km time trial around Roanne. Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida) wears the yellow jersey into today's test but a number of dangermen are within 24 seconds of his lead. 

The top of the overall standings is as follows after stage 3:

Jaco Venter (Dimension Data) was the first rider down the start ramp today at 13.15 local time. Some 16 riders have begun their efforts so far but we're still waiting for the first riders to finish.

The start order for today's time trial is available here. The early starters set out at one-minute intervals, while there will be two minutes between each of the final 20 starters. Their start times are as follows:

Today's time trial is a race of two, slightly uneven halves. The first portion of the route climbs steadily towards the time check at Saint-André-d’Apchon after 11.5km before it drops gradually towards the finish back in Roanne.

Chris Froome (Ineos) has crashed during his reconnaissance of today's time trial and has abandoned the Dauphine. The news has just been announced by Ineos via its Twitter feed: "Team INEOS can confirm that Chris Froome crashed during a recon of stage four of the Criterium du Dauphine today. He is currently on his way to a local hospital and won’t start today’s fourth stage. We will provide a further update in due course."

Froome was reportedly riding the course with Wout Poels when he crashed towards the end of his recon. Cyclingnews understands that Froome sustained a leg injury in the crash, but as yet there has been no confirmation of the nature of the injury from his Ineos team.

You can read more on this breaking story here. We will provide further updates as and when we have them. For now, it is unclear if Froome's injury will compromise his participation in the Tour de France, where he was slated to lead Ineos alongside 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. 

Meanwhile, some of the early starters have completed their time trials. The provisional standings are as follows:

A new quickest time at the finish from James Whelan (EF Education). The Australian's time of 36:27 is 4 seconds faster than that of his teammate Julius van den Berg.

Alex Dowsett (Katusha-Alpecin), however, has gone through the 11.5km mark some 25 seconds quicker than anyone else. 

Martijn Tusveld (Sunweb) bumps Whelan off the hot seat as he comes home in 36:13. Out on the course, meanwhile, Hugo Houle (Astana) has beaten Dowsett's time at the 11.5km mark by 3 seconds.

A new quickest time of 35:16 from Alex Dowsett. Shortly afterwards, his teammate Mads Schmidt Wurtz comes home with the second best time to date of 35:58. The top of the leaderboard is as follows after 33 finishers:

Houle wasn't able to maintain his pace over the second half of the course and the Canadian comes in with the second best time to date, 29 seconds down on Dowsett.

Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep) is the first man under 20 minutes at the 11.5km mark. The Frenchman goes through the time check in 19:54, some 46 seconds quicker than Dowsett at that point.

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) is scorching through the first part of the course. The Frenchman hits the 11.5km mark in 19:36, some 18 seconds quicker than his teammate Cavagna and 1:04 up on Dowsett.

Cavagna has finished with the quickest time thus far. His 34:48 is 28 seconds up on Dowsett's mark.

Whatever the result here, of course, the news of the day is elsewhere. Chris Froome has abandoned the Dauphine after crashing during his recon of today's time trial. The Briton has been taken to hospital in Roanne and his Ineos team are expected to address the media soon regarding the severity of his injury and its implications for his participation in the Tour de France.

Chris Froome has sustained a broken femur in his crash and will miss the Tour de France. We will have more on this story as further details emerge. 

 

Meanwhile, Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) has taken over from Cavagna in the hotseat with a new best time of 34:37.

After 71 finishers, the top of the leaderboard is as follows:

Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) has set a new quickest time at the 11.5km mark, just fractions of a second ahead of Alaphilippe.

A very low-key showing from Michal Kwiatkowski. The Pole comes home in 38:39, some 4:02 down on Alaphilippe.

We're into the final 19 starters of the day, as Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) rolls down the ramp. The final starters - minus Chris Froome - are as follows:

Tom Dumoulin is into the final kilometre and desperately trying to finish inside Alaphilippe's time. It could be very close indeed.

Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) sets a new fastest time, 11 seconds quicker than Alaphilippe. The Dutchman is at the Dauphine after being forced out of the Giro d'Italia by his crash in Frascati on stage 4. For the time being, he is on course to claim his first victory since the final time trial of last year's Tour de France.

Gianni Moscon (Ineos) crosses the line in 35:52, good enough for 14th place thus far. Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo), meanwhile, has rolled down the start ramp to begin his effort.

4th best time for Damien Howson, 39 seconds down on Dumoulin and just ahead of Joey Rosskopf (CCC), who put in a very solid display on this course.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is off to a remarkable start in this time trial. The Belgian hits the 11.5km point with the quickest time so far, 18 seconds up on Dumoulin.

Confirmation from Team Ineos that Chris Froome will not ride the Tour de France after fracturing his femur in a crash during his recon this morning. "He’s not going to ride the Tour, I think that’s pretty clear," said manager Dave Brailsford. Read the full story here.

Warren Barguil (Arkea-Samsic) has delivered a rather subdued time trial display. He comes in more than 3 minutes down on his former teammate Dumoulin.

A strong start from Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma). Second best time at the 11.5km point for him, 8 seconds down on his teammate Van Aert and 10 ahead of Dumoulin.

A strong showing from Alberto Bettiol (EF Education First), who clocks the 4th best time at the finish thus far, 35 seconds down on Dumoulin.

9th best time for Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) at the 11.5km point, 42 seconds down on Van Aert.

Solid showing from Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin), who reaches the finish with the third best time thus far, 18 seconds down on Dumoulin.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) rolls down the start ramp to tumultuous applause. The Frenchman looked exceptionally strong on Monday's stage and will hope to limit his losses to the best time triallists here.

It's been a struggle so far for Romain Bardet, who hits the intermediate check with the 20th best time, some 1:02 down on Van Aert.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) has just crossed the finish line with a new best time, some 47 seconds quicker than Dumoulin. 33:38 is the new time to beat.

It's been a decent start, meanwhile, from Tejay van Garderen, who has the third best time at the top of the climb, 11 seconds down on Van Aert. Emanuel Buchmann hit the same point 12 seconds behind, while Richie Porte was 14 seconds down on Van Aert after 11.5km.

Yellow jersey Dylan Teuns (Bahrain-Merida) has rolled down the ramp, the final rider to start today.

Steven Kruijswijk reaches the finish with the third best time so far, 48 seconds down on his teammate Van Aert.

Back at the 11.5km mark, Adam Yates has stopped the clock just 8 seconds slower than Van Aert, for the third best time at that point.

Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) reaches the finish of the time trial 1:37 down on Van Aert, good enough for 10th best time thus far.

Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) won't be best pleased with his showing this afternoon. He crosses the finish line 1:18 down on Van Aert, the 7th best time thus far.

It's been a struggle for Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), who reaches the finish line with the 18th best time so far, 1:52 down on Van Aert.

Tejay van Garderen (EF Education First) crosses the finish line with the second best time to this point, 30 seconds down on Van Aert and ahead of Dumoulin.

Thibaut Pinot reaches the 11.5km mark with the 9th best time, 35 seconds down on Van Aert.

Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) comes home with the fifth best time so far, 51 seconds down on Van Aert.

Nairo Quintana reaches the crest of the climb to Saint-Andre-d'Apchon with the 15th best time at that point, some 45 seconds down on Van Aert.

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) reaches the same point with a rather better time. The Dane is 7th quickest after 11.5km, 18 seconds down on Van Aert. 

Into the final kilometre for Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott). The Briton began this test very strongly but he looks to be conceding ground to Van Aert in the latter part of the course.

Adam Yates stops the clock in 34:35, good enough for provisional 6th place, 56 seconds down on Van Aert.

With eight riders still to finish, the top 10 is as follows:

Teuns hits the 11.5km mark some 41 seconds down on Van Aert. As things stand, Adam Yates looks in line to move into the yellow jersey just ahead of Jakob Fuglsang, but there could be twists to come yet. Fuglsang still has a little over 5km still to go in his time trial.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) crosses the finish line 1:20 down on Van Aert. good enough for the 11th best time thus far.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) comes home 1:35 down on Van Aert, the 15th best time so far. 

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) stops the finish clock 1:07 down on Van Aert, which is good enough for provisional 9th place on the stage. It won't be enough to take the yellow jersey, however. It looks as though Adam Yates will be the new overall leader at day's end.

Adam Yates was 4 seconds down on Fuglsang before the stage but was 11 seconds quicker than the Dane over the 26.1km course. Only two riders are left to finish, Guillaume Martin and Dylan Teuns.

Teuns almost catches Martin in the finishing straight. The Belgian crosses the finish line in 14th place, 1:23 down on Van Aert. That means he will lose the yellow jersey - and only just - to Adam Yates.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) wins stage 4 of the Criterium du Dauphine, while Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) moves into the overall lead.

 

Result:

General classification:

Wout van Aert speaks: "For sure, it’s a big one. It's a first WorldTour race win. I can't believe it. We worked on my TT skills the past few weeks, but I didn't know it was possible to win on this level so I'm super happy... This morning we did the recon. It is a beautiful TT course - a lot of straight roads, a difficult climb in the middle, and then it was just full gas coming back to the finish which was mainly downhill. Obviously, it was a good course for me. It's always suffering in a TT and today it was worth it."

Adam Yates on moving into yellow: "We knew today was going to be a hard day. I knew for sure I was going to lose some time, but it was a pretty good course for me. The long straights aren't my favorite but I just put my head down and got to the climb as quickly as possible. Once I got over the top, it was just suffering all the way to the line. A good time and a good day for me. We have one sprint stage tomorrow, so hopefully the sprint teams will help us control, and then it's straight to the mountains. It's going to be tricky. For sure in the mountain stages it will be hard to control. But we're in the jersey now and hopefully we can hold it all the way to the end."

The big news of the day is that Chris Froome will miss the Tour de France after he fractured his femur when he crashed during his recon of today's time trial.

General classification:

Thanks for following our live coverage on Cyclingnews this afternoon. A full report, results and pictures are available here. We'll be back with more from stage 5 of Criterium du Dauphine tomorrow. 

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