David Veilleux wins Stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné

Cap-Rouge, Que.-native David Veilleux won the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné Sunday. Veilleux took off from a break that included three other riders. He managed to stay ahead for his first WorldTour victory, which got him the leader’s jersey (yellow), the mountains classification jersey (polka dot) and the points jersey (green).

The 121-km race started and ended in Champéry, Switzerland. The day’s break included not only Veilleux, but Thomas Damuseau (Argos Shimano), Jean-Marie Bideau (Bretagne-Seche Environnement) and Ricardo Garcia (Euskaltel). At one point, they had more than nine minutes over the peloton.

Before the Col du Corbier, Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) launched from the bunch to try and catch the break. Veilleux attacked 2 km from the top of the climb. The move got him KOM points and proved to be decisive.

On the climb up the Pas de Morgins he appeared to struggle but he still kept ahead of his closest chasers, Garcia and Damuseau. The bunch worked to capture Martin, but seemed content to simply limit losses after the German time trial specialist was caught. Garcia and Damuseau, who were fighting for second and third and the white young rider’s jersey, were caught with less than 2 km to go to the finish.

Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) finished in second, 1:56 back from Veilleux. Tom Jelte Slagter (Blanco Pro Cycling) was third.

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