CRITERIUM DU DAUPHINE 2021 STAGE 4 RESULTS

Criterium du Dauphine 2021 - 73rd Edition - 4th stage Firminy - Roche La Moliere 16,4 km - 02/06/2021 - Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ - Astana - Premier Tech) - photo Dario Belingheri/BettiniPhoto©2021

Kazakh Alexey Lutsenko led Spaniard Ion Izagirre in an Astana 1-2 in Wednesday’s fourth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, a 10.2 mile time-trial between Firmigny and Roche-la-Moliere. Bora-Hansgrohe’s Austrian Lukas Postlberger kept hold of the race leader’s yellow jersey, but Lutsenko cut his lead to just one second.

“I rode to my maximum, even if it looks a bit surprising,” said the 28-year-old who places himself as a contender with this result.

Ineos Grenadiers’ 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas was leading halfway through the course, but slowed down in the second, more demanding half.

The Welshman eventually finished, like Postlberger, 23 seconds off Lutsenko’s winning time. Thomas’ teammate Richie Porte is now Ineos’ top ranked rider at just 15 seconds, while the 2020 Giro d’Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart is at 1:03.

Former Ineos rider and four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome had another difficult day in the saddle finishing 93rd 2:12 back. Froome is on an epic bid to regain full fitness after suffering dreadful injuries on this race in 2019, a bid which appears stuck in a low gear for now. In his prime Froome might have expected to win this kind of stage.

Thursday’s fifth stage is a 109 mile ride from Saint-Chamond to Saint-Vallier, featuring a steep climb 7 miles from the finish that will complicate affairs for the sprinters.

Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ – Astana – Premier Tech)

STAGE 4 RESULTS

1	LUTSENKO Alexey	Astana – Premier Tech	21:36
2	IZAGIRRE Ion	Astana – Premier Tech	0:08
3	ASGREEN Kasper	Deceuninck – Quick Step	0:09
4	KELDERMAN Wilco	BORA – hansgrohe	0:12
5	VAN WILDER Ilan	Team DSM	0:13
6	PORTE Richie	INEOS Grenadiers	0:15
7	VINGEGAARD Jonas	Team Jumbo-Visma	0:17
8	MCNULTY Brandon	UAE-Team Emirates	0:21
9	POSTLBERGER Lukas	BORA – hansgrohe	0:23
10	THOMAS Geraint	INEOS Grenadiers	0:23

OVERALL RESULTS

1	POSTLBERGER Lukas	BORA – hansgrohe	12:57:07
2	LUTSENKO Alexey	Astana – Premier Tech	0:01
3	ASGREEN Kasper	Deceuninck – Quick Step	0:09
4	IZAGIRRE Ion	Astana – Premier Tech	0:09
5	KELDERMAN Wilco	BORA – hansgrohe	0:13
6	VAN WILDER Ilan	Team DSM	0:14
7	PORTE Richie	INEOS Grenadiers	0:16
8	THOMAS Geraint	INEOS Grenadiers	0:24
9	KONRAD Patrick	BORA – hansgrohe	0:32
10	O’CONNOR Ben	AG2R Citroën Team	0:34

Ion Izaguirre (ESP – Astana – Premier Tech)

RBA/AFP Photos: Bettini