Sunday’s stage 8 of Criterium du Dauphiné 2024 was the final stage of this year’s Dauphiné menu. Stage 8 would take the riders on a moutainous ride from Thones to Plateau des Glieres in Haute-Savoie, France. The route included one Category Three climb and no less than three Category One climbs. 

Ten riders attacked after seven kilometers of uphill riding but were caught shortly thereafter. It did not take long before additional groups of breakaway hopefuls launched their attacks.

After forty kilometers of racing a relatively stable situation had been established with eleven riders in a breakaway group up front, while the main peloton was racing 02:45 minutes behind the front men.

The eleven-man breakaway group featured Bart Lemmen (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R), Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-AG2R), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Omar Fraile (Ineos-Grenadiers), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Edoardo Sepulveda (Lotto-Dstny), Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), Lorenzo Fortunato (Astana), and yesterday’s man in the long breakaway Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), who was ranked sixth in the Best Climber Classification following his brave effort in yesterday’s stage 7.

On the twenty-kilometer flat stretch mid-stage, the advantage of the front group increased to more than three minutes. The eleven font men were cooperating well while approaching the Le Saleve climb (Category One; 12.2 km; 6.8%). The Bora-Hansgrohe team was busy controlling things at the front of the main peloton for its race leader Primoz Roglic. 

With approximately sixty kilometers remaining, the advantage of the breakaway group had been reduced to approximately 02:30 minutes. Fortunato had been dropped from the front group on the Le Saleve climb. Further back, several riders had been dropped from the main peloton, which was still spearheaded by Bora-Hansgrohe. Ineos-Grenadiers later took to the front to increase the pace and challenge the Bora-Hansgrohe dominance.

Following Le Saleve the advantage of the front group was down to approximately two minutes, while just nine men remained in the group. Fortunato had been swallowed by the chasing main peloton. A long and dangerous descent awaited the riders. Ineos-Grenadiers were chasing from behind, so the speed would have to be kept high and risks would have to be taken if the front riders wanted a chance of a spectacular stage victory in the final French prelude race to the 2024 Tour de France.

Twenty-five kilometers remained of today’s final stage eight, and this meant the front riders were now fifteen kilometers from the start of the climb to the finish line at the top of Col des Glieres (Category One; 9.3 km; 7.3%). When the front riders were just five kilometers from the final climb, their advantage was down to 47 seconds. It looked likely the winner of the stage would be found in the chasing peloton featuring the favorites.

The breakaway optimists were caught on the final climb to the finish line. Giulio Ciccone caught Martin – the final man from the breakaway – and carried on in solo fashion. Bora-Hansgrohe had moved to the front of the favorites group to keep Ciccone on a tight leash and discourage any additional attacks from riders hoping for a stage win or advancement in the General Classification. Approximately thirty riders were still in the favorites group with six kilometers remaining.

David Gaudu was dropped, while Laurens De Plus (Ineos-Grenadiers) attacked. Most riders were unable to follow the Belgian rider, who was now about to reel in Ciccone. 

Ciccone was caught 5.5 kilometers from the finish. De Plus looked very strong. He was joined by Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe), Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe), Derek Gee (Team PremierTech), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos-Grenadiers), and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious). 

Jorgenson, Rodriguez, and de Plus dropped race leader Roglic on the climb with 4.8 kilometers remaining. Wow, this was getting exciting. Roglic was 12 seconds behind at this point.

Gee and Buitrago bridged to the front trio. Gee was looking strong.

Gee, Rodriguez and Jorgenson dropped De Plus and Buitrago with 4.5 kilometers remaining. The new trio pressed on and Roglic was twenty seconds behind with 3.3 kilometers remaining. At this point Soudal-QuickStep’s Grand Tour talent Remco Evenepoel was thirty seconds behind.

Two kilometers remained and Jorgenson was doing his best to set the fastest possible pace at the front of the race to try to take the stage victory and grab the General Classification win as well.

Roglic continued to falter, and he was 42 seconds behind with just one kilometer remaining. Would the General Classification win go to Slovenia or the United States? Jorgenson was just 01:02 minutes behind Roglic before the final stage.

Ineos-Grenadiers’ Carlos Rodriguez won the stage ahead of Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike). Rodriguez secured the ten bonus seconds, while Jorgenson took six. Roglic crossed the finish line 48 seconds later – just in time to preserve his position in the General Classification. 

Primoz Roglic won Criterium du Dauphiné 2024 for Team Bora-Hansgrohe, while Matteo Jorgenson took second, just eight seconds behind the winner. Gee completed the General Classification podium for Team PremierTech.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional race coverage from the 2024 pro cycling season.

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