As it happened: Mass crash involving Evenepoel sees Dauphiné stage 5 neutralised with no winner

Good morning and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 5 of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.

It's an early start at the Dauphiné for stage 5 with riders currently completing sign-ons and the team presentation in Amplepuis. Départ fictif sheduled in around 10 mins.

If you missed any of the action from the stage 4 time trial yesterday, make sure to catch up with our race report:

Critérium du Dauphiné: Remco Evenepoel sends message with solid win in stage 4 time trial and takes GC lead

Here's a look at the day's profile, with a constantly undulating parcours offering the break an opportunity to get away. If the peloton arrives at the line together, expect sprinters Sam Bennett and Mads Pedersen to battle out the win as they did on stage 1. But can Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Lidl-Trek control for the entire day?

Today's route will be heading south east from Amplepuis to the finish in Saint-Priest which is on the outskirts of Lyon.

The new race leader is Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) after his stunningly powerful time trial yesterday. He leads the race from Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) +33 and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1:04.

Key points on stage 5

134.4km to go - Intermediate Sprint: Saint-Colombe-sur-Gand
117.3km to go - Cat.4 climb: Côte de Croix de Signy (1.6km at 4.6%)
90.8km to go - Cat.2 climb: Côte de Duerne (5km at 6.9%)
55.5km to go - Cat.3 climb: Côte de Givors (3.8km at 4.6%)
23km to go - Cat.4 climb: Côte de Bel-Air (1.8km at 5.1%)
Finish - Saint-Priest

C'est parti! Riders are gone from the unofficial start in Amplepuis with racing proper set to get underway in under 10 minutes.

Here's one of the favourites for the day - Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) - speaking to media at the start. He'll be eyeing his first WorldTour win since August 2022 back at the Vuelta a España.

167KM TO GO

Official start given and stage 5 of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné is underway. There should be a big fight for the breakaway with a real shot at victory.

Current King of the Mountains Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) is the first to attack on stage 5 in search of more points. He's been closely followed by Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Ådne Holter (Uno-X Mobility) is the only other rider trying to bridge across for the moment.

Here's Le Berre chatting to Evenepoel at the start, clad in the blue and white polka-dot jersey. 

160KM TO GO

The trio in front have been allowed to get away in the first 7km of racing and they now have a 1:10 advantage. 

Here's the moment Le Berre and Bayer got a gap on the peloton, with Holter jumping away on his own further behind. They still sit 1:10 in front of the peloton.

Le Berre, Bayer and Holter now have a 2:00 advantage with 155km to go.

Response from the peloton has seen the trio's advantage reduced back to 1:35. The route will be dragging uphill for the next 20 or so kilometres with the intermediate sprint and first climb of the day incoming.

150KM TO GO

The increase in gradient has actually seen the gap go back out to Le Berre, Holter and Bayer. Advantage to the break is at the highest it has been now - 2:30.

The breakaway of the day on stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The trio's lead has really ballooned out now to past the 4-minute mark. 

140KM TO GO

Status quo both in the peloton and the breakaway for the moment. Under 5km to go until they reach the intermediate sprint in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Gand.

Here's what Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) had to say before the stage to CyclingProNet:

"It will be a sprint yes," said the Dane Bluntly. "It's my last chance of winning a stage here so we have to make sure it is going to be a sprint and we have other teams who are interested in doing the same.

"They are always a bit hectic and chaotic to do, these sprints, so it's hard to say exactly how to do it but it's just important not to do it too early." 

After hearing Pedersen's words, it is no surprise that Lidl-Trek, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Soudal Quick-Step are the teams towards the front of the peloton. There's no urgency as of yet with lots of kilometres remaining in the day but they will be the teams in charge of controlling today. 

Bayer led the break through the intermediate sprint in Saint-Colombe-sur-Gand, with Holter in second and Le Berre in third.

130KM TO GO

Single file view of the peloton behind.

Average speed for the first hour racing in France: 37.9 kph.

The next few kilometres will be downhill before the break hits the first climb of the day - Côte de Croix de Signy (1.6 km at 4.6%).

All smiles for race leader Remco Evenepoel with his Soudal Quick-Step teammates during his first day in the yellow jersey. 

120KM TO GO

Le Berre, Bayer and Holter have hit the foot of the climb with a 2:50 advantage still in tact over the peloton.

It's still AG2R and Trek leading on the front for the ambitions of Bennett and Pedersen respectively. 

Le Berre takes the KOM point over the top of the Côte de Croix de Signy. He has extended his lead in the classification but only by one point. 

Stable gap still for Le Berre, Bayer and Holter at 3:20. Still no urgency from Trek or AG2R.

The next 15km of racing will be downhill before the riders hit the foot of the hardest climb of the day - the Cat.2 Côte de Duerne (5 km at 6.9%).

110KM TO GO

Here's Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) back in the white jersey after his great time trial on stage 4. Read what he had to say after the stage below:

Stunning Critérium du Dauphiné time trial moves Matteo Jorgenson up to third on GC

It has started raining in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region after the sunny start to stage 5. 

100KM TO GO

67km of racing done on stage 5 and with all the action still to come.

The break have just passed through Saint-Fory-l'Argentière, which marks the foot of the climb - Côte de Duerne (5 km at 6.9%).

In other news, one of the riders on duty to help Primož Roglič at the Dauphiné and at the Tour - Aleksandr Vlasov - has signed a new contract extension with Bora:

Aleksandr Vlasov signs contract extension with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

A reminder of the three men in the break:
- Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) - KOM leader
- Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Ådne Holter (Uno-X Moblity)
The peloton is back at a 4:00 deficit with 92km to go.

90KM TO GO

The break have crested the top of the Côte du Duerne with their 4-minute advantage intact.

Confirmation that Le Berre did win the KOM sprint on the last climb and extended his lead in that classification. He took five points with Bayer in second and Holter in third over the crest. 

Remco Evenepoel and most of the peloton are taking a moment to put on a gilet with a long descent incoming down towards the foot of the Côte de Givors. It's around a 23km section all downhill before the climbing starts again.

Average speed throughout the first two hours: 38.6 kph.

Gap from the leading trio to the peloton: 3:25.

80KM TO GO

Gap has come down under the 3-minute mark with Lidl-Trek and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale still doing all the work on the front of the peloton. 

Crash for Ådne Holter in the breakaway. He's also had to re-string his chain after going down on what looks like a damp corner. The Norwegian was eventually forced to take a bike change.

Replay shows that it was a slipper left-hand corner that caused Holter to slide out. Le Berre took evasion action after unclipping his left foot, but the peloton will certainly be worried about that spot on the course. 

It has actually stopped raining but the roads on this long descent are clearly still wet. Hopefully, the peloton plays it safe on the way down. 

70KM TO GO

Holter is still off the back of his two fellow escapees after hitting the deck. It looks as though his day in front is over. 

So easy is the pace in the peloton that Nicolas Prodhomme accidentally got off the front and was able to take on some nutrition. The gap is only at 2:45 but the peloton will be holding out until later in the day to make the catch. 

It will just be a day of staying safe for the likes of second-place overall Primož Roglič. The fight for the GC will reignite during the brutally tough final three stages starting tomorrow.

Le Berre and Bayer have waited up for Holter, knowing that they are likely to be caught so three will be better than two. Gap is at 2:37 but the Norwegian is bleeding from his elbow and looked to be descending gingerly after he crashed. 

60KM TO GO

The trio in front are closing in on the penultimate climb of the day - Côte de Givors (3.8 km at 4.6%). Gap down to 2:02.

Break goes over the crest of the Côte de Givors and Le Berre mops up the maximum KOM points again. It is only two points gained but he has extended his lead nicely throughout stage 5. 

50KM TO GO

Despite cresting the penultimate climb, the race is still heading uphill for the next few kilometres. They will then hit a descent with 37km to go, with just the final climb incoming. 

Gap to Le Berre, Bayer and Holter has dropped to 1:24.

Holter is being dropped on the descent as he heads down gingerly. His confidence is clearly shot after crashing earlier on a corner. Either that or he is feeling the pain of hitting the deck.

40KM TO GO

Lidl-Trek and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale's work on the front has brought the gap down to 1:04. Sprint is looking very likely now.

Holter is having a disaster with his spare bike. He's not descending well after crashing, he's been checking the tyre pressure by bouncing up and down, and now he looks to have lost his head unit going over a bump in the road. 

Le Berre has had to unclip so he can keep balance around another slippery corner. He's kept it upright but has fell off the back of Bayer's wheel. Again, these damp roads wil be nerve-inducing for the peloton once they get here. 

Crash in the peloton

Big crash behind in the peloton. Three riders down from Astana, including Schelling and Tejada, with Muhlberger and Pedrero down for Movistar. The riders weren't even banked over too much but the wheels just went from under them. 

The nervy moments behind has pulled the gap back out to 1:44 with AG2R and Trek agreeing to calm it down in the bunch. 

The peloton has just crossed over the Rhône river as they head north towards the outskirts of Lyon. 

Bayer sat up for Le Berre after he was struggling in the wet downhill roads. Their advantage has been restored to 1:53.

A view of the crash at the back of the peloton:

30KM TO GO

Holter is back in leaving just two men out in front. With the Uno-X man back in from the break, stage 2 winner Magnus Cort will likely be the option in the bunch sprint. 

Neilson Powless is making his way back into the group after being involved in that crash earlier. He looks uninjured thankfully. Here's a look at his teammate and compatriot Sean Quinn in the US national champ's Stars and Stripes jersey for EF.

The urgency is more evident now from Trek and AG2R with 28km remaining. The GC teams are also showing themselves towards the front as they try to look after their leaders. 

Le Berre and Bayer have just 1:09 of advantage with just 2km until the foot of the final climb of the day - Côte de Bel-Air (1.8km at 5.1%).

25KM TO GO

Awful lot of road furniture and bottle-necking in this section as the rain falls again. 

Le Berre and Bayer are on the climb now. The latter will be looking for the solitary point available at the crest to complete a maximum day of KOM gains in the break. 

The two men in front have just 43 seconds advantage with a descent down and flat run to the line to come. No chance of them making it now.

Le Berre takes the point over the Côte de Bel-Air with no challenge from Bayer. Successful day from the Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider and he'll be back in the blue polka-dot jersey tomorrow. 

Milan Menten (Lotto Dstny) has abandoned the race - that's one more of the sprint field gone.

Massive crash

Absolutely massive crash in the peloton both at the front and back. There's around 20-30 maybe even more riders down. 

The race has been neutralised with that many riders down. 

Jorgenson, Kuss and a few others managed to escape it unscathed but the large majority of the peloton went down. 

Roglič and Evenepoel both went down and the yellow jersey is holding his right shoulder. Horrible scenes at the Dauphiné.

Oliver Naesen (AG2R) is also down and not in a good way with blood coming from his knees. Ayuso has been helped gingerly to his feet. Evenepoel still holding his right shoulder but he is up and about on his feet. 

Replays of the incident are showing that it was simply a case of one rider losing traction and then no one else being able to slow themselves down with any touch of the breaks causing riders to instantly slide out. Vast majority of the peloton down, cut, bruised and looking worse for wear. 

Dylan van Baarle is yet to get to his feet while most of his Visma teammates did managed to escape unscathed. Those who escaped the incident have stopped up the road with racing neutralised still. 

Here's Bayer stopped after the Neutralisation. Romain Combaud (DSM) has just spoke to one of the French TV camera bikes and said that he doesn't think there will be any more racing after speaking to senior figures in the peloton and sprinters. 

Nils Politt shakes his hand, expressing just how heavy that crash was. He's clearly taken a big hit with his kit ripped up and ginger pace en route back to the bunch. 

Thankfully, Remco Evenepoel has remounted his bike and is making his way back to the rest of the riders. Absolute chaos at the Dauphiné. 

There are multiple ambulances at the side of the road with so many injuries to attend to. Van Baarle unfortunately has his right arm in a sling with teammate Kruijswijk also still at the site of the initial incident. 

Here is Evenepoel back up and thankfully, no longer holding his right shoulder as he had been in the initial moments after the incidents. 

Thierry Gouvenou - Dauphiné director is on site now with a decision to be made on whether the race continues. 

Visma-Lease a Bike look despondent at their team car as their run of poor luck continues. Van Baarle and Kruijswijk were meant to be on their Tour de France team but this will be plunged into doubt just 23 days until the Grand Depart. 

Stage fully neutralised

The feeling is currently that there won't be any more racing today and that the remainder of stage 5 will be fully neutralised.

As I typed, the decision was taken that there would be no more competition on stage 5 with all the ambulances in the race being used to transport injured riders. 

There will be no winner and the times of stage 5 will not be taken. 

Still chaos and confusion with the riders not yet setting off for the finish. That will happen momentarily.

The peloton has now set off with 20km left to ride until they arrive at the finish. Will be all about safety and getting home to start assessing the damage and treating their injuries ahead of the three remaining stages.

Here's the quote from the voice of ASO race radio Seb Piquet, confirming the race neutralisation:

"Notice to all the teams, based on what happened a few moments ago, the major crash, in accordance with the jury of commissaires of the UCI it's been decided that due to the fact there are no ambulances can take care of the security of the riders because they are all busy going to different hospitals, the race will be neutralised," he said. 

"The race will be neutralised and the peloton will ride all the way to the finish line under the escort of the Garde Republicaine. The times will not be taken into account, there will not be a winner for today's stage."

Nearly everyone in the peloton looks to have sustained some damage from that incident in some way shape or form. Cuts to knees, elbows and hips all throughout the bunch. Lots of road rash, bandages and you can be certain there will be some awful nights sleep tonight. 

After getting back up very slowly. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) still looks to be ins serious pain as he grimices off the back of the neutralised peloton. He has cuts to his left him and left knee. Look out for updates from his team to see if he continues into the mountain stages. 

Here's Roglič making his way back in after staying at the site of the crash for quite some time after the incident. Good to see he didn't sustain any injuries too bad after only making his return to racing at the Dauphiné after crashing out of Itzulia Basque Country in April alongside Evenepoel. 

10km left for the remaining field to get around until a hideously chaotic day is finished. Reminder than no times will be taken and there will be no winner of stage 5. 

Despite the stage neutralisation and no win being awarded on the day, the points accrued by Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) will be counted after he toiled away in the breakaway. He'll be back in the blue and white polka-dot jersey tomorrow. 

Medical updates are incoming from teams and this will continue throughout the evening. So far those who had to abandon due to the crash are:

- Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Laurens Huys (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
- Axel Mariault (Cofidis)

For the rest of the peloton, there are significant amounts of injuries throughout, so expect more DNFs after the finish and more DNSs tomorrow morning before the trio of summit finishes closes out the 2024 Dauphiné.

Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) was very visible and vocal throughout the neutralisation, voicing his opinion as one of the peloton's elder statesmen. He was mediating with the commissaires before the decision was taken and has been up alongside the lead car for much of the last half an hour. 

Inside the final 2km of the neutralised stage now. There will reportedly still be a podium ceremony as arranged for the finish location of Saint-Priest and Bayer and Le Berre have jointly been awarded the combativity prize.

Stage 5 complete

The neutralised roll to the line is finished and what was a calm turned hellish fifth stage of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné is over. Hopefully, we won't lose too many riders to injuries after the carnage caused by the massive crash. 

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) has been brought behind the podium as has Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) as two of the classification leaders. They currently sit one and two on GC after the neutralised stage and will battle things out for the overall win during the final weekend. 

Here's what race leader Remco Evenepoel had to say after the crash:

"Overall it's okay - I crashed on the right side. I crashed on my head as well so the helmet saved me today. There are guys in a worse situation than I am now so I hope and I wish everybody a recovery," Evenepoel said.

"I fell on my shoulder again and I think it's bleeding so we have to see what that will say. We'll have to see tonight but in the end, everything felt quite alright.

"No idea [what happened], everybody was fighting for position for the descent like always. It was the last tricky part of the course so it was going well for us all day in the front. And then some guys started to slide just in front of me. 

"I was really close to making it but then there was a bike that came under mine and I just went over the head as it hit my back wheel. A bit unlucky."

And some more reaction from Britain's Fred Wright at the finish:

"It was like a straight road but obviously a touch in the brakes and bikes underneath people in the front. And then when that happens in front of you, there's not really much you can do and I was just in the midst of it," Wright told reporters at the line.

"A memory that I don't think I'm going to forget for a long time. I was just sliding downhill for what felt like a long time. I was just sliding on my back, it was quite something, a good 300 metres, didn't know where my back was, just hoping to stop at some point.

"Pretty scary stuff and I think a lot of guys came down so I hope everyone's alright. I think it was the right decision with the amount of people that went down to just call it.

"A good 75% of people went down, I think 60-70kph," was how Wright saw the speed, also admitting that he, and the rest of the peloton, probably had tyre pressure not quite set up for wet roads which didn't help.

And here's how Roglic saw the incident after also hitting the deck in the crash:

"The only thing is, I crashed on my shoulder, that is not the best, that I had surgery on a couple of years ago. We really need to check it and be sure what state it is in," he told reporters on CyclingProNet.

"For me, definitely a lot better than some of the guys because I still rode over the finish but it was just shit that these things are happening.

"I cannot say nothing [if I can continue]. Go to the doctors, do a check and then we see what to do next.

"The first guys went off and I couldn't really do much or we didn't have a lot of choice, we were just everyone down."

Here's more reaction from Remco who characterises today perfectly as "another dark day for cycling".

“My right side is pretty damaged but no fractures, otherwise I would not have been here anymore. What happened, I think guys in fifth, sixth position started to touch the wheel and just slid away and after that it was like bowling," Evenepoel said.

“I was really close to saving it but from the left side there was a bike that came under my back wheel and as I was braking I just went like a frontflip and landed on my head and shoulder. A pretty big bang but nothing too special from my side.

“That’s the positive thing about my crash that I don’t have to leave the race but actually I had quite a big touch on my knee. I think another bike just went straight into my knee and I thought it was worse than it is actually now.

“It was a bad situation for the whole bunch so just all my best wishes and speedy recovery for the guys who had to stop or are on their way to the hospital. It’s again quite a dark day for cycling, unfortunately.

“Could this have been avoided? I don’t know, probably not, maybe yes. It’s a race situation.”

Still a smile from Roglič on the podium which is good to see. If he is to start tomorrow, it will be with a 33-second deficit on leader Evenepoel heading into the brutally tough sixth stage which finishes atop the hors categorie Le Collet d'Allevard climb.

Abandons are starting to come out from the Dauphiné - Reiner Kepplinger is one forced out of the race due to concussion protocol.

Here's how Visma-Lease a Bike DS Grischa Niermann reacted to the abandon of Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle, as the Dutch team's bad luck continued in 2024:

"There had already been some crashes, so it was clear that the roads were quite slippery. The road where the big crash happened did not form any danger, but it was very slippery," he said in a release from the team. 

"Half the peloton hit the ground, including Dylan and Steven. They were both heavily battered, which is another big upset for the team. In hospital, their damage will be measured.

“We still have five riders in the race. Matteo Jorgenson, who is third in the general classification, can start the tough final weekend in a great position. We will definitely keep going for it. It's again a bitter pill to swallow, but we have to show resilience."

Here's a look back at the peloton crossing the line neutralised on stage 5. Racing will resume tomorrow with a tough mountain stage but for now, there's still lots of injury news to come out in the wash from a dark day at the Dauphiné.

Make sure to read about all the rider reactions coming out after the stage, starting with the top two on GC:

'It could have been worse' - Déjà vu for Evenepoel and Roglič in mass crash at Critérium du Dauphiné

The profile for tomorrow's tough 171.4km stage, starting in Hauterives and finishing up the HC Le Collet d'Allevard climb (11.2km at 8.1%). This is the first true mountaintop test at this year's race and should see the GC heavily reshuffled. With lots of tired and hurting bodies after the big crash today, will Roglič and Evenepoel maintain their top spots? And who will come out on top between the two?

Positive initial assessment for Roglič and Bora-hansgrohe. They will likely go again at the Dauphiné with the Slovenian as focus for the stage win.

More rider and race organisation reactions here:

'Another dark day for cycling' - Critérium du Dauphiné peloton rues latest mass crash

Here's a spectator video towards the front of the crash, which wasn't caught on the broadcast. Terrifying speeds to be hitting the deck on sliding at.

That wraps things up for our live coverage on what was a calm turned chaotic day at the Critérium du Dauphiné. Watch out for more updates coming out from the race and make sure to check back tomorrow for live coverage of stage 6!