Road furniture and an uphill finish put the cat among the pigeons but German sprinter keeps his cool and times it perfectly
John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad) won the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné between Voiron and Lyon at the top of the short sharp Côte de la Croix-Rousse. The 22-year-old German first year pro timed his sprint to perfection, coming around local rider Samuel Dumoulin at just the right time and then powering on to win the 179km stage by several lengths. Sébastien Hinault (AG2R La Mondiale) finished third with the whole peloton strung out behind them.
“It was a good stage for me,” Degenkolb told the TV cameras after the race, we saw it before the race and thought today could be something for me.
“I am so happy,” he continued, “It’s my first World Tour win, yes, I’m happy.”
Degenkolb finished second in the under-23 World Championships last year, having been one of the biggest sprinters in the amateur peloton, before signing with HTC-Highroad.
“It is my first year as a pro rider,” he explained. “I had a super start this year not only this victory, but four before. Super season for me, super start as a pro - i am so happy”
The peloton set out from Voiron under pouring rain, and just as in stage one, Jérémy Roy (FDJ) was the first rider to show himself, attacking after just 4km. Just as in stage one though, the Frenchman was not able to get far before the peloton pulled him back.
At the 10km point though, a more decisive break occurred when Jurgen Van de Walle (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) and Brice Feillu (Leopard Trek) escaped. On the first climb of the day, the Côte de Miribel-Les Echelles after 21km, they consolidated their advantage; opening their lead to 2’55” by the top.
After 47km the trio led by 4’45”, which as all that the Astana team of race leader Alexandre Vinokourov would allow. As the weather brightened up into the second hour of racing the gap began to come down; at the top of the Côte du château de Saint-Julien after 91km it had reduced to 3’35”.
The leader’s advantage was briefly allowed to rise again, up to 4’30” at the 117km point; over the top of the Côte de Pérouges, after 134.5km, though, it had reduced significantly as Garmin-Cervélo and Cofidis came to the front on behalf of sprinters Tyler Farrar and Samuel Dumoulin (who comes from Lyon) respectively.
As the race entered the closing stages, and with the sprinters teams clearly intent on ending the breakaway as soon as possible, the conditions and roads began to play havoc with the peloton. Inside the final 25km crosswinds and street furniture began to split the peloton and, with Garmin-Cervélo and AG2R La Mondiale upping the pace further, it broke into three pieces.
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) and Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) were among those caught behind the split and so they put their men to work to close the gap. Realising who had been left behind though, Astana rejoined the pacemaking at the front.
Despite the work at the front from a number of teams though, the gap shrinking rapidly as the race headed into the final 20km.
Meanwhile, Van De Walle, Tjallingii and Feillu were still ahead but, with the pace on the front of the peloton so high, their lead was shrinking rapidly. Inside 17km to go, with the gap down to 22 seconds, Tjallingii attacked the other two and tried to go alone.
Such was the speed of the peloton that the catch was hindered by a number of motorbikes and the neutral service car which were not able to get out of the way in time. With 14km to go though, as they swept through the winding streets of Fleurieu-sur-Saone, Van de Walle and Feillu were caught; the ambitious Tjallingii was also back in the fold soon afterwards.
With 12km to go, the gap between the front peloton and the one containing Evans and Wiggins was 24 seconds but, as they flew along the flat roads beside the Rhone river, it steadily closed down and with 8.5km to go it was all together again.
With 6.5km to go Cofidis took over on the front for local boy Samuel Dumoulin, but at the 5km banner they were overtaken by Vacansoleil-DCM and Europcar. No team was willing to commit too much at this point though, with the final climb to the line approaching.
At 4km to go BMC Racing took over, but with Leopard Trek and Saxon Bank-SunGard trying to muscle them out of it; the road furniture in the centre of the road made things very difficult to control.
Inside the final 3km Rabobank took over and, with prologue winner Lars Boom on the front, they were not going to give it up easily. A sharp corner in the course saw a number of riders forced to go straight on inside the final 2km, but the Dutch team still had control with Boom stringing it out behind him.
Approaching the final kilometre though, Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) was lurking behind the Rabobank leaders. A few riders back in the field, yesterday’s stage winner and second place overall, Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) suffered a puncture; he got a new wheel quickly, but could not make it to the front again. His chance of victory was lost but he would not lose time as he was inside the final 3km.
With 1km to go the climb started and Marco Bandiera (Quick Step) was the first to attack. The Italian couldn’t get far though, with Cofidis right behind him, shepherding Dumoulin in third wheel.
As Bandiera was overtaken though, Voeckler launched his move, but again Cofidis was there and the French champion could not get clear. In the final few hundred metres Dumoulin launched his sprint but Degenkolb, having sat patiently behind all the battles between the Frenchmen, came around effortlessly and took the win by several lengths.
Vinokourov finished in 14th, in the same time as Degenkolb, and so holds onto his yellow jersey for another day. Wiggins also finished in the same time, but Evans lost six seconds, along with Van Den Broeck, who was given the same time as the mass peloton and not the winner.
"It’s been a hard day’s work today,” said Vinokourov at the finish. “The whole team was awesome; we have defended my yellow jersey well. We also used the wind to make some echelons and so make our rivals work.
“I tried to fight for victory in the final climb but I was in not in the right position to expect to win,” he added.
Vinokourov now has tomorrow’s time trial to look forward to, where he will come under pressure from Wiggins and Evans.
"It was really a perfect day [today],” he said, “especially before tomorrow’s time trial in Grenoble; we’ve already looked at the course, it is not easy.
“This will be an important test for the rest of the Dauphiné."