On paper, Stage 1 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné was never meant to shake up the general classification. The 195.8 km run from Domérat to Montluçon featured some late undulations, but nothing severe enough to suggest it would become a battleground for the Tour de France’s big three. Yet in the final 7 km, Jonas Vingegaard turned an expected bunch sprint into something entirely different, and, in doing so, made the biggest statement of the day.
Yes, bigger than another Tadej Pogačar yellow jersey. The Slovenian took the win and the leader’s jersey, but the tone was set by Vingegaard. On the final categorized climb, the Côte de Buffon (just 600 meters long but averaging nearly 9%) it was the Visma-Lease a Bike leader who made the decisive move. The result was a reshuffling of the narrative: instead of a stage for the fastmen, the finale became a drag race among the sport’s top GC riders, with Mathieu van der Poel and Santiago Buitrago clinging on.
Uncharacteristic, but calculated
What made Vingegaard’s move so striking was not just the route context but the timing. He attacked after several efforts had already softened the bunch, including teammate Matteo Jorgenson’s dig and Van der Poel’s chase. Most would have expected Visma to ride defensively on day one, using the opportunity to test legs quietly, as Vingegaard made his racing return from a crash and head injury all the way back at Paris-Nice. Instead, Vingegaard took the initiative on terrain that has never been his stronghold. It wasn’t just aggressive, it was confident, even audacious.
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