Another win for Wout van Aert at the Criterium du Dauphine, but bunch leaves it late as Belgian wins Stage 5

A nailbiting finale in Chaintre ended with hearts broken in the breakaway, as a marauding peloton denied them mere metres from the line. Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) won by half a wheel from Jordi Meeus (Bora Hansgrohe) and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) in third, to make it two wins and four top two finishes from five stages so far. Ten bonus seconds took the Belgian rider’s lead in the general classification to over a minute from Italian Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep AlphaVinyl).

That it would finish to form was far from a foregone conclusion.

The 162km Stage 5 parcours had brought the closest the Dauphine ever does to the possibility of pure sprint finish. Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange Jayco) was the rider most hopeful that a large group might make it to the line.

Between Groenewegen and glory was not only the teams of Van Aert and Hayter, but a highly motivated breakaway quartet. They had done well to get away at all, as several early efforts to escape were swiftly snuffed out. First there were three, Fabien Doubey (TotalEnergies), Jan Bakelants (Intermarche – Wanty – Gobert Matéeiaux) and the familiar face of Sebastian Schonberger (B&B Hotels – KTM), before Schonberger’s team-mate Pierre Rolland, in the company of Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) made another late dash to join the party.

An hour into the stage and the riders at the front had covered 46km, for a lead nudging three minutes.

Rolland took the full five points on the category 2, Cote de Dun, taking his lead in the King of the Mountains competition to ten points over Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies). With only one category four remaining, that was enough for the Frenchman, who drifted back in the direction of the peloton. The remaining four riders pressed on. BikeExchange – Jayco led the peloton.

With 50km remaining on the stage the peloton had the break at – what appeared to be – a manageable 80 seconds. The yellow jersey looked relaxed and chatty towards the back of the main group.

In the final third, the Australian team struggled to control the break, who were able to take advantage of a tailwind and increase their lead again to more than two minutes. With 20km remaining it was one and a half as four riders took equal turns and let their legs do the talking.

Groenewegen struggled in the wind as much as on the climbs – categorised and not – but was able to stay in contact until the last of them, the Cote de Vergisson. That was where Ineos Grenadiers put themselves on the front, the screws on BikeExchange Jayco and Groenewegen gave up the ghost.

The Dutch rider might have been dispensed with but the peloton could not be confident of making the catch.

Even under the flamme rouge the committed four up front were able to keep their heads and a handful of seconds advantage, while Jumbo Visma and Ineos, running out of firepower, were forced to put their GC men to work. A few looks behind from Bakelants and Thomas indicated which way he thought it would go.

Thomas started to sprint with 400m to go but he could not sustain it, and was caught less than two seconds from what would have been a famous victory.

After his error on Stage 2, this time Van Aert kept his head down, and did not lift a fist in celebration until he was well past the line.

Top Ten Overall

1. Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 17:04:31
2. Mattia Cattaneo (Quick-Step–Alpha Vinyl) +1:03s
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:06s
4. Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) +1:32s
5. Jonas Vinegaard (Jumbo Visma) +1:36s
6. Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) +1:49s
7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) +1:55s
8. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +1:58s
9. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) +2:00
10. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) +2:10