Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 started in southeastern France today. The eight-stage race is one of two famous prelude races to the Tour de France. Criterium du Dauphine includes route elements from this year’s Tour de France route and the start list includes general classification favorites and stage victory favorites for the Tour de France 2023.

Team Jumbo-Visma’s defending Tour de France Champion Jonas Vingegaard is participating and it will be exciting to assess his form less than a month from the Tour de France start on July 1. He is joined by favorites such as Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates), Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), and Team Movistar’s Enric Mas.

Stage 1 of Criterium du Dauphine 2023 was a 158-kilometer ride from Chambon-sur-Lac to Chambon-sur-Lac. The stage was in hilly terrain and included five Category 4 challenges. The final part of the stage was a round stretch that invited the peloton to test their form three times on the Cote du Rocher de l’Aigle (1 kilometer; 6.1 percent). 

The riders started the race under sunny skies, but it started raining with fifty kilometers left of the stage. The teams were eager to show their strength and the hostilities started early. After six kilometers of racing, a breakaway quartet featuring Dorian Godon (AG2R-Critroen), Brent van Moer (Lotto-Dstny), Donavan Grondin (Arkea-Samsic), Rune Herregodts (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty), and Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Fabio van den Bossche was established.

The breakaway hopefuls fought hard, but with fifteen kilometers left of the stage the quintet had been reduced to a duo featuring Godon and Herregodts and they had a miniscule lead of no more than fifteen seconds.

Godon was caught, but Herregodts fought on in a proud and optimistic attempt to cheat the chasing peloton. With nine kilometers left his advantage was down to nine seconds and it appeared obvious he would be caught. Yet, with no more than two kilometers left he had increased his lead to fifteen seconds and panic was on at the front of the peloton. It was their final chance to catch Herregodts.

The chasing sprinters in a reduced group caught Herregodts approximately five meters from the finish line and Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) was the first man across the line. Laporte won stage 1 of Critérium du Dauphiné 2023 ahead of Matteo Trentin (UAE Team Emirates). Herregodts managed to cross the finish line in third as a nice award for his courage in today’s stage.

Monday’s stage 2 of Criterium du Dauphine will be a 167.3-kilometer hilly ride from Brassac-les-Mines to La Chaise-Dieu. The stage features two Category 3 and two Category 4 climbs and the route suits the same rider types as today’s stage 1.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from Criterium du Dauphine 2023 and visit Wiggle to buy cycling equipment and apparel.