Richie Porte earns Critérium du Dauphiné title

Richie Porte earned the 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné title on Sunday, giving Ineos Grenadiers three straight WorldTour stage race victories. If you’re a rider out of contract at the end of the season, you couldn’t make a case for yourself better than Mark Padun (Ukraine/Bahrain-Victorious), who won his second consecutive mountain stage and claimed the mountains classification.

Riding to a new success!

What a race Mark Padun ?#RideAsOne #Dauphiné

? @bettiniphoto pic.twitter.com/kNgYlaMR3r

— Team Bahrain Victorious (@BHRVictorious) June 6, 2021

The Course

The conclusion of the 73rd Critérium du Dauphiné contained a lot of climbing. Six climbs, the first a Cat. 4 and the last an HC-rated, awaited the riders over 147 km. The final climb was the Col du Joux Plane, an 11.7 km, 8.5 percent affair. After a descent, there was a 2.4 km, 4.6 percent rise to the line in Les Gets.

What a stage to draw the curtain over the #Dauphine!
Just 147 kilometers, but six classified climbs, including the Colombière (11.7km, 5.8%) and the Joux Plane (11.6km, 8.5%)! pic.twitter.com/NBlrKHW7jJ

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) June 6, 2021

An enormous breakaway went clear after the opening Cat. 4 ascent. Patrick Konrad (Austria/Bora-Hansgrohe) was the most dangerous rider. Padun, Saturday’s winner, started to roll up mountains points as the breakaway went over the Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine, Col des Aravis, Col de la Colombière. Padun edged closer to Lawson Craddock’s KOM lead.

Padun attacked at the Joux Plane. Ineos drove the remnants of the peloton before Movistar took over.

? 20 km

??‍♂️ ??Mark Padun est toujours seul en tête !

??‍♂️ ??Mark Padun is still alone in the lead! #Dauphiné pic.twitter.com/kQauHu9jlD

— Critérium du Dauphiné (@dauphine) June 6, 2021

There were very few riders in the yellow and blue jersey group and only a handful of riders–including Konrad–between it and Padun.

Angel Lopez attacked with 2 km to climb but couldn’t stay away for long. Padun’s teammate Jack Haig was the next to try. Just over three minutes ahead Padun crested the Joux Plane and won the mountains classification.

Geraint Thomas crashed on the descent and Porte was isolated. Padun took a 2:00 gap into the final 5 km.

Jon Izagirre attacked from the yellow jersey group and Porte had to close it. Thomas made it back to help Porte. The race seemed over. Ben O’Connor managed to thrust away but he was a full minute behind on GC. Nobody else bothered.

2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 8
1) Mark Padun (Ukraine/Bahrain-Victorious) 4:06:09
2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Jumbo-Victorious) +1:36
3) Patrick Konrad (Austria/Bora-Hansgrohe) s.t.

2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Final GC
1) Richie Porte (Australia/Ineos Grenadiers) 29:37:05
2) Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakhstan/Astana-Premier Tech) +0:17
3) Geraint Thomas (Great Britain/Ineos Grenadiers)