Today, my teammates worked hard to keep me close to Roglič, setting me up for a good position in the final moments, and I took advantage to win the race.
At around 23:00 Beijing Time on June 3, 2024, the second stage (Cannes – La Loge) of the 2024 Tour de Dauphiné came to a close. After Amiel’s breakaway of 141 kilometers was caught by the peloton just 200 meters from the finish, a mountain sprint showdown ensued. Kort (Uno-X Team), racing through thick fog, claimed the stage victory and the yellow jersey. Let’s review the action.
The race route. The 142-kilometer course started in Cannes and headed southeast, featuring four climbs and one sprint point. With foggy conditions across much of France recently and a final 30 kilometers of gentle uphill sections, the organizers predicted that the stage winner would likely take the overall lead.
Amidst the cheers of the spectators in Cannes, the race began. Following the ceremonial start, five riders attempted to break away: Amiel (AG2R Team), Bar (Ag2r Team), Welsey (Lotto Team), Muriase (Team Q36.5), and Konza (Team Uno-X). Teams in the peloton, focusing on the final 30 kilometers of climbing, allowed the breakaway to go, with the gap quickly expanding beyond five minutes.
▲Breakaway riders
In the breakaway group, Bar, who finished second in the mountain classification in Stage 1, sought to reclaim the top spot, attacking early in the two climbs and successfully crossing first, taking the virtual lead in the mountain classification. Eastman, wearing the mountain jersey, struggled on the more challenging terrain compared to Stage 1 and could only barely stay with the main group. He was the first to drop back in the final 30 kilometers of climbing.
▲Main group
As the peloton entered the final 30 kilometers of climbing, many weaker climbers fell behind, including Pedersen’s group, initially trailing by about 20 seconds. The main group gradually narrowed the gap to the breakaway to 90 seconds, closing in visibly.
As the riders approached the mountains, the fog grew thicker, and some early breakaway riders began to falter. Amiel broke away from the others with 11 kilometers to go, pursued by Roglič and the main group, which was being paced at 35 km/h by domestiques. Pedersen’s group, initially 20 seconds behind, tried to cling to the main group to protect the yellow jersey.
Pedersen, however, underestimated the ferocity of the main group. After climbing at 38 km/h for about four kilometers, his energy reserves gave out, and he crossed the line 90 seconds behind the main group.
Back with Amiel, he entered the fog-shrouded roads of La Loge’s final two kilometers. Despite his efforts to maintain a high cadence and hold onto his lead, Kort, with the main group charging at 40 km/h, overtook him in the final 200 meters of the slight uphill finish. After the race, the team coach expressed satisfaction with Amiel’s performance and encouraged him to continue pushing himself in future stages.
In the final sprint, Kort, with an advantage of 90 seconds over Pedersen, claimed the stage victory and took over the yellow jersey. With 25 points for winning the stage and adding to his 6-point sprint total from Stage 1, Kort surpassed Pedersen to also take the green jersey for the sprint classification.
In the post-race interview, Kort said, “I hadn’t won yet this year, but today my teammates were fantastic, keeping me close to Roglič, giving me a good position to win at the end.”
After the race, Kort claimed both the yellow and green jerseys, Bar took the polka dot jersey, and Jørgensen the white jersey. The third stage (Surdolles – Sestriere) will take place on June 4. Stay tuned.