As it happened: Critérium du Dauphiné stage 2 ends in bunch sprint and new race leader

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 2 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné

Here's a reminder of the top 10 on GC after Sunday's spectacular opening stage, won by Tadej Pogačar (you may have heard of him) after a series of fiery late skirmishes between some of the biggest names on the 2025 Critérium startlist...

Riders are currently gathering at the start for a hefty 204.6 kilometre stage, complete with six classified climbs. There's also a ten kilometre neutralised section, which they'll begin at 12 noon before racing proper gets underway at 1220 on the outskirts of Prémilhat.

If you missed out on the racing on Sunday, here's the CN report on how the GC favourites stole a march on the sprinters:

Critérium du Dauphiné: Tadej Pogačar wins stage 1 as Jonas Vingegaard rips up the script

Riders are now on the neutralised section of the stage. Racing starts in just under 20 minutes.

Interesting piece of historical data on the Critérium du Dauphiné official website: Pogačar is the first reigning Road World Champion to win a mass start stage of the Dauphiné since Bernard Hinault back in 1981. Hinault won no less than four stages that year, and the overall, a total which might be beyond even Pogačar's capabilities. Then again...

And here's a shot of the man himself in yellow on the startline this morning.

Here's a map of today's course. Basically a long grind south over the foothills of the Massif Central, with a 46 kilometre finishing loop, tackled once. The riders will go through the finish at 42.9 kilometres to go.

And Stage 2 of Critérium du Dauphiné from Prémilhat to Issoire (204.6km) is underway.

Weather is a warm 22.1ºC by the way,  it's dry and there's a slight crosswind. 

What's on the stage 2 menu?

Km 33.4: Climb: Cat.4 Côte de la Font Nanaud (3.5km at 4.6%)

Km 50.5: Climb: Cat.4 Côte de Saint-Priest-des-Champs (1.3km at 5%)

Km 61.5: Climb: Cat.3 Côte des Rivauds (3.5km at 4.8%)

Km 71.8: Climb: Cat.3 Côte de Saint Jacques Ambur (3.1km at 5.1%)

Km 102: Sprint: Olby

Km 147.1: Climb: Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron (3.3km at 6.9%)

Km 186.7: Climb: Cat.4: Côte de Nonette (1.8km at 5.7%)

Km 204.6: Finish: Issoire

First attack of the day by Paul Ourselin (Cofidis). The Frenchman was already in a break for 140 kilometres on stage 1, getting the lead in the mountains classification for his pains, and looks to be keen to scoop up some more points today.

196 kilometres to go

Following multiple counter-attacks, Ourselin tries a second solo move, and rapidly picks up over a minute's lead on the bunch.

Ourselin's gap is up to nearly two minutes and rising. Unless somebody reacts soon and tries to bridge across, it's going to be a long ol' lonely day out there for the Cofidis racer.

And Ourselin's advantage is now up to over three minutes and still rising. Bets on how high it can get before the bunch reacts, anyone?

Ourselin's advantage rises to over four minutes...

UAE Team Emirates-XRG, riding for race leader Pogačar, begin tapping out a controlling pace on Ourselin as his advantage caps six minutes.

A first shot of stage 2's lone breakaway, now 6:30 ahead:

Ourselin conquers the first climb of the day, the Cat.4 Côte de la Font Nanaud (3.5km at 4.6%) and boosts his overall lead in the mountains ranking a little. Meanwhile Lidl-Trek are shutting down any counter-moves behind to try and bridge across to the lone leader.

168 kilometres to go

For now, the gap between break and bunch is holding steady at 6:15

The Critérium du Dauphiné peloton seen from the inside of a tractor, somewhere in south-eastern France. Time for a flurry of of clichés about breakaway Ourselin making hay while the sun shines, ploughing a lone furrow ahead of the peloton, reaping the benefits of his attack to the full...

Talking of which, Ourselin has reached the summit of another Cat 4 climb, Côte de Saint-Priest-des-Champs (1.3km at 5%), and brings his KoM total up to six. The bunch at 5:20.

As he moves towards the foot of the third of the six categorized climbs of the day, the Cat.3 Côte des Rivauds (3.5km at 4.8%), Ourselin's advantage has dropped to just over four minutes.

Ourselin grabs top points at the summit of the Côte des Rivauds. Three climbs done today, three to go.

Still to come on the stage 2 menu…

Km 71.8: Climb: Cat.3 Côte de Saint Jacques Ambur (3.1km at 5.1%)

Km 102: Sprint: Olby

Km 147.1: Climb: Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron (3.3km at 6.9%)

Km 186.7: Climb: Cat.4: Côte de Nonette (1.8km at 5.7%)

Km 204.6: Finish: Issoire

The peloton has completed over 1,200 metres of vertical climbing today, by the way, but there are still a further 2,000 or so to come. If this remains a transition stage given its position in the race, then it's still a lot closer to the frontier with a GC day than a lot of the sprinters' teams might like.  

134 kilometres to go

4:35 the gap

Another two points for Ourselin at the top of Cat.3 Côte de Saint Jacques Ambur (3.1km at 5.1%). His gap on the peloton is back on the rise again, too, to 4:20.

10 kilometres to go to the one sprint of the day, at Olby.

Race leader Tadej Pogačar flanked by Marc Soler (L) and Tim Wellens (R), during the stage

Ourselin claims top points at the sprint in Olby, which, coincidentally, also marks the halfway point for the stage.

Interest in who snatches bonus seconds at the sprint in the peloton -  currently around four minutes back on Ourselin - will be high, given the GC positions are still very close.

100 kilometres to go

After the sprint the peloton's pace is picking up notably. Ourselin's advantage is currently plummeting and  below the two minute mark. Chances he will now make it to the biggest climb of the day, the Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron at km 147 to get yet more points for his mountains lead, are evaporating fast in the early summer heat.

After a long, grinding unclassified ascent to just over 800 metres above sealevel, we've reached the high point of the day's stage at around 93 kilometres to go. There's now about 40 kilometres of mostly downhill to the foot of the biggest climb of the day, the Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron.

The sprinters' teams clearly mean business: Ourselin's advantage has now dropped to under a minute for the first time since he broke away early on the stage and there's still roughly two hours racing to go. 

Sprint results

Results of the sprint at Olby are through, and despite there being three, two and one seconds on offer, it doesn't look like the GC riders disputed it.
1. Paul Ourselin (Cofidis)
2. Hugot Page (Intermarché-Wanty)
3. Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlAla) 

92 kilometres to go and three counter-attackers have joined Ourselin: Romain Combaud (Picnic-PostNL), Victor Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla).

Gap as stands is at 35 seconds

Bahrain Victorious, Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck are leading the chase, but the sprinters will have to get over a Cat.2 climb (and a Cat.4) if they want any chance of victory.

For now at least, the counter-attackers are making a real difference to Ourselin's chances of staying away (as well as their own, of course) and the break has picked up a gap of a minute. 

The peloton and break are on a couple of kilometres of draggy uphill before the long descent to the foot of the Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron continues.

Of the four, Juul-Jensen is by far the most successful, as the only rider with WorldTour wins in his palmares already. The veteran Dane was successful in a week-long stage race break before too, back in the Tour de Suisse in 2018.

2018 Tour de Suisse: Juul-Jensen wins stage 4

If you're interested here's our report about it

Meantime, a photo of the break

The gap for the four ahead is up to 1:21

64 kilometres to go

The gap is inching up and over the 90 second mark, but Alpecin-Deceuninck and Israel-Premier Tech are ensuring it doesn't go much higher.

While one breakaway with the GC favourites succeeded yesterday (just) to fend off the sprinters, another move by former British National Champion Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) didn't prove so successful. But as Wright told Cyclingnews, it was worth having a go.

'If you don't try, you never know' - Fred Wright shows positive signs despite foiled attack at Critérium du Dauphiné

Sprinting opportunities in the Dauphiné are traditionally few and far between and today is the first (and arguably least probable) of three opportunities for the fastmen. The others are Tuesday's stage 3 from Brioude to Charantonnay and stage 5  from Saint-Priest to Mâcon.

The four breakaways are now on the lower slopes of the Cat.2 Côte de Chateau de Buron (3.3km at 6.9%) and Juul-Jensen is pressing on. For now, only Guernalec can follow him.

Behind, Visma-Lease a Bike move to the front of the pack. 48 seconds the gap.

Guernalec is a neo-pro and already with one win to his name to date, a stage of the Region Pays de la Loire earlier this season, and he's putting in a strong performance again today.

Guernalec is dropping Juul-Jensen as the top of the climb approaches.

Guernalec leads over the top ahead of Juul-Jensen, while behind there were no real fireworks in the peloton on the climb. 

Juul-Jensen rejoins Guernalec at the front of the stage, but Combaud and earlier attacker Ourselin have been swept up by the peloton.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) is dropped at the back of the bunch on a small section of false flat following the Cat.2 climb and with a bunch sprint increasingly likely, teammates like Edward Theuns are dropping back to help him. 

Visma-Lease a Bike still leading on the fast, sweeping descent that follows the Cat.2 climb and false flat that followed, touching speeds of over 70kmh.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on Planet Cycling...

Timo Kielich wins eventful Antwerp Port Epic after aggressive late breakaway

Behind the peloton an unofficial team time trial has materialised, with Lidl-Trek sending back four riders to help MIlan up to the peloton. 

50 kilometres to go

Just 20 seconds between Juul-Jensen and Guernalec and the chasing peloton

Alpecin-Deceunink are setting a furious pace on the fast, not overly technical downhill to give Milan and Lidl-Trek as hard a job as possible getting back on.

Meanwhile in a quieter moment earlier in the  race...

45 kilometres to go

Break over. Milan and his Lidl-Trek contingent also rejoin the back of the bunch.

The stage has now entered the local circuit for one single loop and will shortly head through the finish for the first time. The next time, it will be for the win.

The bell rings out as the peloton head through the finish. 42.8 kilometres to go.

For the first time since the first hour or so, a delegation of UAE riders make their presence known close to the front. 

On paper, the biggest obstacle for a bunch sprint today is the Cat.4: Côte de Nonette (1.8km at 5.7%) at km 186. After that, it's 18 kilometres to the finish.

Still no attempts at late breakaways as the peloton move at a steady pace along broad, open high-ways.

Pogačar is currently safely placed on the front left-hand part of the peloton in the midst of a small thicket of UAE riders.

The course is quite exposed as the race moves across a broad plain at the foot of the Massif Central, but there's virtually no wind, so echelons not on the cards today.

30 kilometres to go

Peloton still together. 

Riders spread right across the width of a course, a double-lane A road, with no team in clear control, but the pace is still nearly 50kmh as the bunch crowns a long drag.

Victor Campenaerts, clearly in rising form as he heads towards a likely Tour de France debut with Visma-Lease a Bike, is one of the powerhouses on the front.

25 kilometres to go and the peloton is back on the country roads, thankfully well-surfaced. The pace remains very high.

Five kilometres to the last of six classified climbs of the day, the Cat.4: Côte de Nonette (1.8km at 5.7%)

The early breakaway of the stage, Paul Ourselin (Cofidis) is right at the back now. Barring disaster he'll be back on the podium with a boosted mountains classification lead.

As the climb approaches, UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike begin to engage in a battle for the lead in the bunch, and as a result, the entire pack is getting increasingly strung-out.

The bunch racing at speed in the final hour

Onto the climb and Visma and UAE still tussling at the front

Pogačar is in second position on the left-hand side of the road, Vingegaard in second position on the right.

Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL) attacks with 800 metres to go to the top.

No reaction from the peloton, as Movistar, Visma and UAE grind out a steady but not overly fast pace behind.

At the top of the Côte de Nonette, Bardet has a scant 11 seconds. This is his last ever pro race, of course, and he's racing on home, so he's doing his best to go out on a high.

Bardet heads out of the village which hosted the Cat.4 climb summit and is powering down a long, steady descent. Tomorrow (stage 3), the race will start in his home town of Brioude, but he's looking to start the party early.

Bardet knows the technical routes like the back of his hand, given he's born locally, and is making the most of every corner. 12 seconds the gap.

14 kilometres to go

Lidl-Trek are moving their way to the front of the peloton, to chase for the main favourite of the day, Jonathan Milan. 15 seconds the gap.

The gap is oscillating between 15 and 20 seconds, sparking memories of how Bardet won the opening stage of the Tour de France last year in the teeth of the peloton. But there's still a good way to go yet.

Barring one small unclassified climb, it's flat or nearly flat all the way to the finish, making it hard for Bardet to stay away. 

11 kilometres to go

Eight seconds the gap. Not quite all over bar the shouting, but almost.

As the race moves back to smoother, broader roads, Bardet is caught, with just under 10 km to go.

Back to Plan A. Visma and UAE battling for supremacy at the front of the pack.

Vingegaard and Pogačar remaining resolutely close to the front, with Wellens guiding the UAE mini-train and Valter doing the same for Visma.

Six kilometres to go

One small drag of barely a kilometre is the last section of uphill on a day with over 3,000 metres of climbing.

Alpecin-Deceuninck are piling on the pressure on the slight rise but no sign of Lidl-Trek.

Four kilometres to go

Acceleration by Tim Wellens over the top of the climb and onto a fast descent, Pogačar still snugly in third place in the pack.

A fast descent and the bunch is still strung out. Speeds of 85kmh.

Into the last three kilometres and Pogačar is still in third place.

Finally Lidl-Trek moving up on the right.

Through a big roundabout, 2km to go, and Narvaez still leads the string.

Lidl-Trek are jockeying for position just behind the UAE line.

Lidl are taking over, with four riders into the final kilometre

A counter-line is forming on the far side with Decathlon AG2R on the left. But Lidl respond well.

Lidl lead into the big left hand bend before the finish.

Milan is second in line 

Milan takes the win, despite Van der Poel coming up hard on the left.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) wins stage 2 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné

Despite Van der Poel's late reaction, that was never in any doubt for Milan, who maintained a steady line and pace up the right hand-side of the road to finish a bike length clear of his closest pursuers.

Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) switched from breakaways on stage 1 to sprints on stage 2 and just edged out Van der Poel for second with a very late burst, whilst Stian Fredheim (Uno-X Mobility) claimed fourth. Milan, though, was in a league of his own.

Here's a first shot of the winner

Milan has also moved into the overall lead,  tied on time with Pogačar. 

That's the second third place in a row for Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), which means he's now the new points leader ahead of Pogačar.

This is Milan's sixth win of the season, and Lidl-Trek's 23rd, and it sets him up nicely for the Tour de France, where he'll be leading the Lidl-Trek squad in the sprints, whilst their Giro d'Italia sprint star Mads Pedersen sits it out and waits for the Vuelta a España.

Some words from the winner and new race leader, dropped on a late Cat.2 climb but able to get back into the action just when it mattered on a day with more than 3,000 metres of climbing: "That was really tough, our goal was to keep building up the condition and get some nice results. Yesterday (Sunday) I was really suffering a lot,  it was my first race after a long time and today I also suffered a lot."
"I was really on the limit, but my teammates brought me back, they guided me to the last metres and a massive thanks to them. This victory means a lot to us."
"We knew we had to get into the last corner in the front and from then on it was just perfect. It was a perfect leadout."

And here's a breakdown of the top ten for the stage, courtesy of FirstCycling

And here's the new GC with Milan in the top spot overall

And here's Milan in the yellow as new race leader. He's also captured the green jersey as new head of the points competition and the white of Best Young Rider.

Cyclingnews' full report, analysis and results of today's racing

Critérium du Dauphiné: Jonathan Milan takes decisive stage 2 sprint win

And what about Tuesday?

Stage 3 of the Criterium du Dauphiné from Brioude to Charantonnay is the longest of the entire 2025 race, weighing in at 207.2 kilometres and with over 3,000 metres of vertical climbing. Most of that comes in the first half of the stage though, with the toughest ascent of the day the Cat.2 Côte de la Barbate (Km.18)  making it likely battle between a strong early breakaway and the bunch sprinters could unfold.

That just about wraps it up for the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 2. We'll be back tomorrow with more coverage of stage 3.