Tadej Pogacar edged a gripping opening stage of the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine on Sunday after an elite clique produced a surprise finale that delivered the first yellow jersey to the Slovenian.
Billed as a potential mass sprint, cycling fans were instead treated to a late breakaway as Jonas Vingegaard attacked late, with Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel following and double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel chasing them down.
Race designers had placed four small hills in the closing kilometres of the stage and the idea produced a thrilling four way race for the line.
Pogacar came across the line ahead of Vingegaard after keeping his powder dry until Van der Poel attacked early and both men overtook him.
Evenepoel was fourth with all of them clocking 4hr 40min 02sec over the hilly 196km run from Domerat and Montlucon.
👑 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 💪#Dauphiné pic.twitter.com/nngda0dHrk
— Critérium du Dauphiné (@dauphine) June 8, 2025
Pogacar said he hadn't expected to win but had tracked the moves of others before coming up with an impromptu plan.
"I switched my focus around 2k to go to prepare for sprint. And it worked," said the 26-year-old three-time Tour de France winner.
"I knew that van der Poel was the fastest, obviously, in this group. But after a finish like this, you cannot count all of the rest out," he said.
🗣️ "L'ambition n'est pas forcément de le garder demain, mais de l'avoir dimanche prochain.
— Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) June 8, 2025
J'ai rarement la chance de pouvoir gagner dans de telles conditions, donc cette victoire est spéciale." - 💛 🇸🇮 @TamauPogi
🇬🇧 L'interview du #MaillotJauneLCL du #Dauphiné⤵️ pic.twitter.com/89ZWDQBc7k
Pogacar took the overall lead thanks to 10 bonus seconds, with Vingegaard only taking six.
It is already looking like a fascinating battle is warming up betwen these two riders have have won the last five Tours de France between them.
Vingegaard said he was disappointed to be four seconds adrift of his perennial rival but was looking on the bright side.
"It's the first time I finished second in a bunch sprint," said the slender climb specialist. "So I'm happy. And Tadej was just faster than I was. So congrats to him."
⚔️ The big fight between GC contenders has already begun! The favourites came out swinging and offered us a wild finale! 😍
— Critérium du Dauphiné (@dauphine) June 8, 2025
🎥 Highlights from Stage 1 of the #Dauphiné pic.twitter.com/TOp3N5G9ra
With four hilly stages, a time trial and three final days in the Alps, the Dauphine will provide a glimpse of what to expect when the 21-day Tour de France begins on 5 July
The short, tough route has attracted an A-list roster of 154 riders from 22 teams.
Monday's second stage takes in six more big hills over 204.6km from Premilhat to Issoire.