Abu Dhabi: UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar claimed his first Crit©rium du Dauphin© title on Sunday with a strong third-place finish on the eighth and final stage. The world champion held off a challenge from Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) on the final climb, crossing the line just behind stage winner Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious).
According to Emirates News Agency, Pogacar's victory capped a dominant week for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who secured three stage wins and their 45th overall victory of the season, boosting confidence ahead of the Tour de France. Pogacar also became the first reigning world champion to win the Dauphin© since Bernard Hinault in 1981.
The final stage saw little change in the general classification, with Pogacar and Vingegaard confirming their dominance while others battled for podium places. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) fought for third overall, while Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) launched the first major attack on the day's final ascent.
UAE's Tim Wellens helped lift the pace in support of Pogacar, as Martinez emerged from the breakaway to drop Enric Mas and secure the stage win on the Col du Mont-Cenis. Behind, Vingegaard attacked with 6.6km remaining, but Pogacar stayed with him, the two trading turns to build their lead over the chasers.
At the finish, Vingegaard edged ahead for second place on the stage, with Pogacar content to secure the overall win. Pogacar expressed satisfaction, stating, 'After the 2020 Dauphin©, I remember how hard that week was. To come back with this form just before the Tour de France feels really good. It's a big boost for the team's morale and motivation. Now, some rest first, then we'll focus a bit on the time trial, but we won't rush anything in our Tour preparation.' He added, 'The weekend was even tougher than it looked on paper, so I knew it was going to be hard to come back after the time trial, but I'm very happy I managed to do it.'
