A day after the thrilling opening stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, the peloton once again faced a hilly route. On the rolling roads, Paul Ourselin was the only rider to manage to set up a breakaway. After a lengthy solo effort, the Frenchman was briefly joined by three others, but by then the peloton had already significantly closed the gap. The breakaway riders were caught well before the finish line.  

On the Côte de Nonette, the final climb of the day, home rider Romain Bardet attempted a solo move as well. However, the Frenchman’s brave effort ultimately proved unsuccessful. Teams with sprint ambitions had their sights set firmly on a bunch sprint. Team Visma | Lease a Bike rode an alert stage. Team leader Vingegaard, enjoying a rare day in the green jersey, was guided safely through the chaotic finale. In the sprint, Milan proved the fastest and takes over as the new general classification leader.  

Sports director Grischa Niermann: “The stage unfolded as we had anticipated. Teams like Lidl-Trek had clearly targeted the stage win today with their sprinter. Congratulations to them. Our riders made a good impression once again. During the more hectic moments, they were always well positioned. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week.”