Home > News

Wout Van Aert loses Dauphiné Stage 3 with premature celebration, David Gaudu triumphs

Belgian consoled by yellow jersey

Wout Van Aert thought he had won his second stage of the 74th Critérium du Dauphiné on Tuesday, celebrating too early and allowing David Gaudu to pick his pocket with a bike throw. Van Aert can take solace from taking back the race lead.

Whoops.

You can watch the 74th Critérium du Dauphiné at FloBikes.

The Course

There was plenty of mild ups and downs in Tuesday’s 169-km course, with an early Cat. 3 and a Cat 4 85 km later. The key ascent was the Cat. 2 up to Chastreix-Sancy, 6.2 km of 5.6 percent. There was a steep kicker to the line.

A trio of breakaways dashed away early, and a little past the opening Cat. 3 climb, three B&B Hotels-KTM riders bridged over, making four B&B fellows in the sextet. One of those B&B chaps was KOM leader Pierre Rolland, and by the time he took the maximum points atop Côte de Besse-en-Chandesse he was left with one teammate, another fellow and a 2:20 gap. Thirty-three kilometres remained.

Local rider Romain Bardet showed up to cheer on his DSM teammates.

TotalEnergies and Jumbo-Visma finally pulled back the escapees with 4 km remaining. Ethiopian Tsgabu Grmay attacked, drawing Remi Cavagna and Jonas Vingegaard. The peloton re-formed.

The yellow jersey, Alexis Vuillermoz, fell away.

Ben O’Connor made a surge, and Primoz Roglic went along. Again, it came back together on the little downhill at the red kite. In the sprint, Gaudu had to surf his way through several riders to show up on Van Aert’s right elbow and nick the win.

Wednesday is a big, fat time trial from Montbrison to La Bâtie d’Urfé.

2022 Critérium du Dauphiné Stage 3
1) David Gaudu (France/Groupama-FDJ) 4:09:39
2) Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
3) Victor Lefay (France/Cofidis) s.t.

2022 Critérium du Dauphiné GC
1) Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma) 12:50:32
2) David Gaudu (France/Groupama-FDJ) +0:06
3) Victor Lefay (France/Cofidis) +0:12