As it happened - Critérium du Dauphiné stage 3: Christophe Laporte wins again

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 3 of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné

The neutralised start to stage 3 is due to take place at 12 noon, and then racing proper gets underway at 1210 after 6.5 kilometres.

On paper, today's 194.1 kilometre stage looks set to be a battle between the sprint teams and the breakaways, with the overall classification riders keeping their powder dry for the first crunch moment of the race on Wednesday, a 31.3 kilometre individual time trial. But that's very much on paper.  

A quick reminder of how things stand on GC courtesy of our colleagues at FirstCycling.com

Results

And here's a link to our report on stage 2, culminating in a fine win for Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep). Could this be the start of a comeback trail for the former World Champion?
Critérium du Dauphiné: Julian Alaphilippe sprints to victory on stage 2

The peloton is now in the neutralised section and heading towards the start of stage 3. The weather, by the way, is good.

The current standings of the different classifications:

- Overall classification: Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)

- Mountains classification: Donavan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic)

- Points classification: Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma)

- Best Young Rider: Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert)

- Teams classification: UAE Team Emirates

And here's a race organisation Tweet of the countdown to the start today...

And we're off. Stage 3 of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné is underway.

Apart from Alaphilippe's fine stage win, on Monday the big news out of the Critérium du Dauphiné was the first hour crash and injuries for multiple riders, including Jumbo-Visma's Steven Kruijswijk facturing his collarbone and pelvis,and DSM's Romain Combaud, who broke his shoulderblade and collarbone. More on that here:

Steven Kruijswijk fractures collarbone and pelvis in Critérium du Dauphiné crash

190 kilometres to go

Two riders are immediately on the attack and gaining time fast in the first five kilometres: Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) and Lorenzo Milesi (DSM).

No reports of any non-starters this morning, so there are still 141 riders remaining in the race.

The gap is rising fast for the two breakaways of the day, Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) and Lorenzo Milesi (DSM). After 10 kilometres of racing, their margin is over 2 minutes and rising.

Neither rider constitutes any kind of overall threat, which probably helps explain why the peloton is so happy to see them go: Milesi is at 11:49 of race leader Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), while Burgadeau is at 12:32.

Here's what's on the day's menu in terms of classified climbs and sprints:

Km 40.9: Climb: Côte de Bellevue la Montagne (Cat.2 -  4.9km at 5.8%)

Km 139:  Intermediate sprint: Sainte Foy-Saint Sulpice

Km 175.6: Climb: Côte (Cat.4 -7.5km at 3%) 

Reports that Milesi, one of the two early breakaways, has sat up. Burgadeau forges on solo, with an advantage of 4:30. Jayco-AIUIa, presumably with their eye on a bunch sprint for Dylan Groenewegen, head the peloton.

And here's a shot of race leader Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) at today's start. He won the opening stage, took fourth yesterday and is currently heading the points ranking as well.

Here's a photo of today's early break, prior to Milesi (now confirmed) sitting up

It's a pleasant 23 degrees Celsius, and sunny, with a very gentle 7kmh tailwind, though that'll become a crosswind when the stage soon swings northwards, running for most of the day in that direction through the hills to the west of the River Loire. Nice day for a bike race.

170 kilometres to go

Burgadeau's advantage has now stretched to 1:15 on his former breakaway companion Milesi, while the bunch is at 5:40.

It's a hilly day in anybody's book, with just over 2,000 metres of vertical climbing, but most of that comes in the first 100 kilometres. The cat. 2 Côte de Bellevue la Montagne is now less than 10 kilometres away and the break and bunch will start climbing soon. It is the toughest classified ascent the Dauphiné peloton will face in all three of these opening stages,

Burgadeau is now at the foot of the first of two categorized climbs of the day, the Côte de Bellevue la Montagne (Cat.2 -  4.9km at 5.8%).

A shot of the part of the peloton early on stage 3

And here's a shot of Spanish National Champion Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), the bandages on his arms visible from his crash on stage 2 - the same one that saw Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma)  become one of three riders to abandon the race.

Milesi is caught on the Côte de Bellevue la Montagne. Bora-Hansgrohe and Jayco-AIUIa lead the chase of the one breakaway left out there, Burgaudeau.

As the race closes in on the summit of the climb, a group of eight counter-attackers sets off in pursuit of Burgaudeau.

At 194.5 kilometres stage 3 is the longest of the 2023 Criterium du Dauphiné, incidentally. The shortest will be stage 7 on Saturday, the 147 kilometres between the Porte-de-Savoie and Col de la Croix de Fer.

Burgaudeau reaches the top of the Côte de Bellevue-la-Montagne and claims the maximum number of points for the mountains ranking. Behind him, the group of counter-attackers has swelled from eight to around 14.

Such a big move is arguably too dangerous for the peloton, and it picks up its pace, reeling in the chasers. Part of the fall-out of that battle behind him, though, is that Burgaudeau's advantage has been slashed from six minutes to four.

146 kilometres to go

Another consequence of that breakaway is the bunch has split in two. 4:15 the gap between Burgaudeau and the first part of the peloton.

The bunch regroups.

Some more insight into Alaphilippe and why Monday's win was such a big deal for him: 

'I've not felt this good in a long time' - Julian Alaphilippe overcomes doubts as Tour de France nears

The peloton has upped its pace considerably behind lone attacker Burgaudeau and the gap has shrunk to 3:20 and dropping.

Burgaudeau during today's break, with a curious backdrop. Golden opportunity for lots of puns about him carving out a lead, his advantage being chopped back, his gap being logged at three minutes...

130 kilometres to go

Three minutes for Burgaudeau now. 

Burgaudeau has only one win in his palmares to date, but it was also from a breakaway, back in stage 6 of 2022 Paris-Nice when he fended off the peloton by the skin of his teeth to take the win. Can he do it again today?

In other breakaway specialist news, tireless Giro d'Italia escape artist Derek Gee has signed with Israel-Premier Tech until 2028.  All the news on that is here:

Giro d'Italia revelation Derek Gee extends Israel-Premier Tech contract to 2028

The man at the head of the race

And a shot of the pursuing peloton

118 kilometres to go

Burgaudeau's gap is crumbling. He's now only 1:45 ahead of the peloton.

120 kilometres to go

Game over. Burgaudeau is caught by the bunch.

110 kilometres to go

As the race wends its way through the town of Saint-Bonnet-le-Chateau, the peloton is still together, ten kilometres and counting after lone breakaway of the day Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) was caught.

Reports of a demonstration now taking place with around 108 kilometres to go on stage 3. As a result, race organisers and commissaires agree that the peloton will be redirected down a different, alternative route for a short distance.

The race has been neutralised as a result.

No indication yet on where the race will restart. Watch this space.

Latest reports suggest the peloton hasn't actually been redirected down a different route, but racing has stopped for now.

Official Dauphine website says race vehicles were the first ones to be stopped by the protestors and the peloton is now riding slowly together towards where the demonstration is taking place with around 100 kilometres to go, in or near the town of Saint-Jean-Soleymieux.

The riders have now ridden through the protest using one lane of the road, the Dauphine's website says, with demonstrators applauding as the peloton heads on past.

95 kilometres to go

Racing has resumed

As the bunch was together at the time when the race reached the demonstration, no need for breakaways to regain their initial advantage before the stage re-started.

First images of the stage 3 protest now coming through. Here's one of what looks like the lead race vehicle with the riders behind next to the demonstration, shortly before the riders headed past. 

And here's a shot of the peloton heading past the protest in single file shortly before racing resumed again at about 95 kilometres to go.

80 kilometres to go

The peloton remains together. Bora-Hansgrohe lead the line, with Jayco-AIUIa also supporting.

Still to come en route to the finish:

Km 139:  Intermediate sprint: Sainte Foy-Saint Sulpice

Km 175.6: Climb: Côte (Cat.4 -7.5km at 3%)

Km 194.5: Finish: Le Coteau

Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUIa) slots back into the peloton. He'll be one of the sprinters looking for what is essentially the one opportunity of the race. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe), Ethan Vernon (Soudal-QuickStep) and Milan Menten (Lotto-Dstny) are four of the key names.

Of them, Bennett is the only one to have taken a stage win previously in the Dauphiné, way back in 2019 ahead of Wout van Aert and Davide Ballerini.

This Tweet from the race organisation sums things up pretty neatly right now.

Another shot of the protest as the riders file past 

Jayco-AIUIa's Tsgabu Grmay is now putting in the hard yards on the front of the bunch for Dylan Groenewegen. The Dutch sprinter's best result in a Dauphine stage was eighth in his sole participation last year, but he'll be looking to put the record straight today.

Five kilometres to go to the one intermediate sprint of the stage, at Sainte Foy-Saint Sulpice. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) currently leads the points ranking, 11 points ahead of Lotto-Dstny's Maxim van Gils and 18 up on stage 2 winner Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep).

3, 2 and 1 seconds on offer at this intermediate sprint, so it's an opportunity for Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) tied on time overall with Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) to challenge for the lead. 

There's a palpable rise in tension in the peloton as the sprint approaches, a Soudal-QuickStep line on one side of the road, Lotto-Dstny in the middle.

Soudal-Quick Step begin their lead out with Alaphilippe on Florian Sénechal's wheel.

But Laporte darts past Alaphilippe's right and powers for the line, with Alaphilippe trailing in his wake and slightly at a distance.

Laporte gets it comfortably, ahead of Alaphilippe and Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates). Laporte's lead is safe for now at least.

Alaphilippe congratulates Laporte afterwards on beating him in the sprint and then the two Frenchman and Trentin ease back and are reabsorbed by the peloton. Laporte has not just slightly strengthened his lead overall, of course, but he's also reinforced his advantage at the head of the points competition.

50 kilometres to go

Into the last 50 kilometres and as the peloton wends its way through a series of sun-dappled villages west of the Loire, still no sign of anybody trying to challenge the sprinters teams.

Crash in the rear of the peloton.

Around a dozen riders down and 20 blocked behind on a straight, broad road, although the peloton was not going flat out at the time.

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) went down but was lucky enough to fall on the grass verge and seems uninjured. Rein Taaramae (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty),  Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers), Gregor Muhlberger (Movistar), Tsgabu Grmay (Jayco-AIUIa) amongst the fallers.

Andrey Zeits (Astana Qazaqstan), caught up in the crash, is reported to have abandoned.

Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), caught up in the crash, restarts.

The bunch waits for the riders who were caught up in the crash, two dozen or so, to catch up. 

A race organisation Tweet showing the crash

Not clear how the crash, which took place around 47 kilometres from the finish, happened on a straight road with good visibility, but it seems like it was a touch of wheels.

Alaphilippe is back in the peloton, also Jorgenson.

40 kilometres to go

Peloton still taking it gently as riders rejoin from the crash

Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates), one of the last riders to rejoin the peloton after the crash, latches back onto the bunch. The pace is slowly rising again as the stage, already delayed by that demonstration with 100 kilometres to go, gingerly returns towards something approaching race mode.

Alaphilippe, who seems to have a mechanical issue with his bike, drops back to the team car.

Front wheel change for Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep). The peloton's still taking it very steadily, so he won't have a problem getting back on.

30 kilometres to go

Alaphilippe back in the peloton, which is still taking it very steadily. The race is roughly five kilometres away from the foot of the second and last classified climb of the day, the Côte de Pinay (Cat.4 -7.5km at 3%).

The peloton crossed the River Loire, and heads towards the foot of the final climb of the day, out of the river valley.

The peloton are spread across the road despite their brisk pace, and Ineos Grenadiers, led by Jonathan Castroviejo, form one string on the left-hand side, with Jumbo-Visma matching them on the opposite side.

The gradient is varying between three and five percent on a broad, wellsurfaced climb and it certainly isn't challenging any of the sprinters yet.

Riders caught up in a sudden narrowing of the road on a bridge, and a few riders go down or briefly halt. Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-QuickStep) is caught up and is one of the worst delayed but after a brief exchange with the team car, he continues.

Vansevenant is able to regain contact as the peloton wends its way up the climb with no sign of major (or minor) action at all.

(L-R): Ineos-EF-Lotto-Cofidis-UAE-Jumbo-Bora: no change in the positions of the lines of riders across the front of the bunch as they head towards the top of the climb.

The peloton crossing the River Loire late on stage 3

Still virtually no action as the peloton crosses the summit of the fourth cat. Côte de Pinay. It looked like it was Dylan van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) who was first across the top.

And suddenly the race has burst back into life on the descent.

15 kilometres to go

After a completely soporific ascent of  the Côte de Pinay Ineos Grenadiers and EF Education First are powering hard down the left-hand side of this descent on one side of a bunch moving at speed and massed across the road.

After that final climb, Donovan Grondin (Arkea-Samsic) has, incidentally, retained his overall command of the mountains classification.

Multiple mini-trains from different teams mass at the front of the bunch on a fast, broad, thankfully well-surfaced (so far) descent.

9 kilometres to go

Chances of a bunch sprint rising rapidly as the peloton tackles a big roundabout and back onto another broad road.

Race leader Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) is well-positioned close to the front, rubbing shoulders very gently with another rider as the Frenchman insists on keeping his spot.

Alaphilippe has some kind of mechanical or puncture and is getting a bike change. Not the ideal time on a day when he's already had a crash.

Alaphilippe at around 20 seconds down on the bunch, weaving his way through the team cars. 

Four kilometres to go

Lotto-Dstny, UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain Victorious all have lines at the front of the bunch but no team clearly in control.

Alaphilippe has made it back on.

A big surge from Ineos on the left and from Jumbo-Visma on the right in response, all but matching the British team.

Inside the three-kilometres-to-go now, so the GC riders can breathe a little easier. A Jayco-AIUIa rider comes to the fore.

Still no clear control from any team, with Durbridge trying to keep things under control.

Crash at the back of the bunch. Most of the pack seem to have got through ok.

Soudal QuickStep lead under the kilometre to go banner.

Crash involving a Jayco-AIUIa rider with 600 metres to go.

Bennett is on the front and looking to go for it.

Bennett comes up on the right, but race leader Christophe Laporte blasts past in the middle to claim his second win in three days.

Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) wins stage 3 of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Second was Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUIa) was third. 

Groenewegen crossed his line waving an arm in protest after Bennett moved across the centre to the right, arguably blocking him, in the finale.  

A post-race recation from Christophe Laporte, stage winner and race leader at the Criterium du Dauphiné for a third straight day:

“I thought I was fast and could do the sprint but not so fast I would be able to beat the sprinters,” 

“But things played out like that, Groenewegen was blocked on the right and I was on another rider’s wheel and could get through on his left. So I’m very happy:”

"We didn't really have a sprint train, it was more to protect Jonas [Vingegaard] and I could profit from that. We stayed ahead as much as we could for Jonas right up to the last few kilometres and even though I was blocked in at 500 metres to go, I was able to move ahead at the right moment.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to keep the jersey tomorrow in the time trial, I love time trials and I can do TTs up to 15 or 20 kilometres ok, but longer than that is usually too hard for me. But I’ll try.”

Here's a first image of Christophe Laporte en route to taking France's third win in the Dauphiné in as many days.

And here, courtesy of FirstCycling,  is a full breakdown of the top 10, subject to  the commissaires' final decisions on what was a very messy bunch sprint, of stage 3.

Here's another photo of Laporte, back on the winner's podium to claim the leader's jersey for the GC rankings. He'd already been up there as stage winner and he'll be back up there as well to receive the points jersey.

Our full report on stage 3, complete with results, a photo gallery is here. There will be more news and analysis from us through the evening, too.

Critérium du Dauphiné: Laporte denies Sam Bennett to win stage 3

Here's the overall rankings. A tough day for Julian Alaphilippe with multiple punctures, crashes, and bike changes, but he remains in second place overall.

Stage 4 of the 2023 Criterium du Dauphiné is an individual 31.1 kilometre time trial from Cours to Belmont-de-la-Loire, and it’s a crunch test you can split into four sections. It starts off straightaway with a short, not too hard, 2.2 kilometre ascent, then there’s a long gentle drop, next a 10 kilometre chunk of rolling terrain, and finally it climbs very slowly but steadily for 12 kilometres to the finish. Calculating your effort on such a mixture of gradients will not be simple, and whoever comes out on top of the results sheet at the end of the day will likely be the first clear GC contender.

No changes at all in the secondary classifications, by the way, after stage 3: Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty remains in charge of the BYR rankings, Laporte rules the roost, unsurprisingly, in the points, Donavan Grondin (Arkea-Samsic) is atop of the mountains rankings and UAE Team Emirates are in control of the teams classification.

Despite all the crashes and mayhem in the last hour, only one DNF on the stage, Andrey Zeits (Astana Qazaqstan), caught up in the big crash with around 40 kilometres to go.

And some late breaking news: to judge from the official results on the race website, it looks as if both Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUIa) have been relegated from their second and third sports, presumably for irregular manoeuvres in the final sprint. Right now, Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates) and Milan Menten (Lotto-Dstny) over in the runner's up spots.
Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) in any case, remains the winner of the stage, needless to say, the overall leader.

Bennett, who moved his line to the right in the finale, and Groenewegen now appear in 33rd and 34th place on the stage.

No change to the overall standings, but the new stage top 10 (courtesy of FirstCycling) now looks like this:

Cyclingnews will be bringing you a report on the relegations shortly. and check back through the evening for further updates, analysis and news.

That's all for now from the live coverage of today's stage of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné, but we'll be back again on Wednesday with full live coverage of the stage 4 time trial.