Sprint day at the Dauphine, and my my it’s a murky world amongst the fast-finishers and their lead out trains.. Head-butts, nerves of steel, and burst of gut wrenching speed to finish it off. Best news of the day? The return to racing of Orica-GreenEdge’s Mitch Docker after his horrific crash at Paris-Roubaix: out in the break and looking tache-tastic.
Stage One, Cluses to Saint-Vulbas, 186km
Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) boxed clever in the final metres with a late surge off Sam Bennett‘s (Bora-Argon) wheel to claim the win. Jens Debuscheere (Lotto-Soudal) placed second with Bennett holding on for third. Seems we can’t write about a Bouhanni victory without some controversy. This time the sprint trains of Cofidis and Katusha were embroiled in head-butting and other strong arm tactics on the run to the line. Fighting for position is a part of sprinting, but this was too much. Alberto Contadaor (Tinkoff) still in the leader’s jersey.
Highlights…
Couldn’t put it better ourselves….
Embed from Getty Images
Links: Official site for the Criterium du Dauphine , Twitter
Featured Image: Bouhanni at the line – © ASO/A.Broadway