Criterium du Dauphine: Van Aert wins stage 5 in Voiron

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Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) claimed his second win in as many days on the Critérium du Dauphiné when he emerged victorious from a chaotic bunch sprint in Voiron on stage 5. 

Already a surprise winner of the time trial in Roanne on Wednesday, the Belgian produced another remarkable display to hold off Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) to take the honours.

Despite the game efforts of early escapees Alessandro De Marchi (CCC Team), Yoann Bagot (Vital Concept) and Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis), the stage was always likely to finish in a bunch sprint, though the finale that ensued was rather more confused than anyone might have anticipated.

When De Marchi, the last survivor from the break, was caught with a shade over a kilometre to go, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) and Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-QuickStep) accelerated viciously from the peloton. The high speeds on the long false flat that led towards the finish had already whittled down the bunch and this offensive from Boasson Hagen and Gilbert complicated the task of the sprinters’ teams still further.

Bora-Hansgrohe worked diligently through the day on behalf of Bennett and they were again to the fore in the final kilometre in the pursuit of Gilbert and Boasson Hagen, but their efforts meant that lead-out man Shane Archbold was pressed into action sooner than planned.

Archbold helped to bring back the late attackers but it was still a touch too early for Bennett to launch his sprint. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) looked to take advantage of the momentary hesitation that ensured by accelerating from distance, and Van Aert moved smoothly with him before coming past the Frenchman and opening a winning gap.

Bennett kicked violently in the final 100 metres to finish second but he couldn’t get on terms with the remarkable Van Aert, who surged to the line and claimed victory by an emphatic margin, buttressing his lead in the points competition in the process.

“Things are going pretty well this week. I wanted to do the sprint to get some points for the green jersey and it turns out I was the fastest,” Van Aert said afterwards.

“It was quite a tricky final with a lot of corners, so we knew it was important to be in the front early. My teammates really helped to bring me to the front. Then in the last one kilometre the whole bunch was in one long line. I was sitting on the wheel of Alaphilippe. He launched the sprint after the last corner, and I was able to pass him. It was a good sprint for me.”

Van Aert, a three-time cyclo-cross world champion, is in first season at WorldTour level and has followed a relatively light racing programme as he continues to combine his road and off-road duties. After a Spring Classics campaign made up of eight one-day races, the Critérium du Dauphiné is Van Aert’s first stage race of the season.

His form after a recent altitude camp, however, had already convinced Jumbo-Visma to select him for next month’s Tour de France and Van Aert has now clocked up the first two WorldTour wins of his career. Still only 24 years of age and seemingly capable of competing on all terrains, it remains to be seen what kind of races Van Aert will prioritise as his road career develops.

“It’s a luxury problem to have now. I did a good TT and a good sprint, I’m enjoying my time here,” Van Aert said.

“This weekend we’ll have a lot of mountains to climb with Steven Kruijswijk. He’ll get the support now, so my work is not finished.”

Yates retains yellow

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