Criterium du Dauphine 2025 Stage 1 recap - Tadej Pogacar takes win from Jonas Vingegaard, as big four deny Lidl-Trek and Jonathan Milan sprint finish

Tadej Pogacar proved the strongest out of the late escape of the elites, to take a surprise first Dauphine win on his first appearance in the race since 2020.

Inside the final kilometres, the world champion broke clear of the bunch in the company of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious).

With the line drawing near and the peloton breathing down their neck, Van der Poel was first to launch the sprint, but Pogacar emerged into the wind and surged for the line as the Dutchman ran out of gas.

It had all began as a formulaic day, with Paul Ourselin (Cofidis) and Pierre Thierry (Arkea B&B Hotels) forming the early break.

They were granted a maximum lead of four minutes over the first half of the 196km stage, which was reduced to a quarter of that by the time they started the first of three laps of the finishing circuit.

Ourselin was invested in mountain points and not much more. Once he’d collected a majority of the seven on offer, the 31 year-old pulled the pin on his effort.

Thierry continued solo, providing a carrot, and then company, but not much help, to an attacking Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious.)

Wright had legs but needed help. Although he was able to hang on until the start of the final climb, the Cote de Buffon, Lidl-Trek were determined to set up their sprinter, Jonathan Milan, for a grandstand finish.

Others had different ideas, however. Visma were looking to Matteo Jorgensen to take the win, and he attacked first, but although he didn’t have the power to get away, his team-mate, Vingegaard, did.

Pogacar had to follow the attack with 5.6km to go - as did Van der Poel. Buitrago also latched on and Evenepoel, though late to the party, was able to make it a quintet.

There was some dithering in the group, but Evenepoel was the most determined that they should get to the finish. They almost didn’t, as Ineos Grenadiers and EF Education took it up behind.

Inside the finishing straight, it was do or die. Van der Poel felt he had no choice but to go long, though only served to lead out Pogacar, who had enough of a kick of his own, and timed it right, to come through for a clear win and a first leader’s jersey.

1. Tadej Pogacar
2. Jonas Vingegaard
3. Mathieu van der Poel

As Van der Poel led it out, Evenepoel faded. Tadej Pogacar came out at exactly the right time and Vingegaard came through for second. What an opening day.

He outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel.

EF and Ineos having to ride as a few stutters in front, but Van der Poel is burying himself. The win is in sight for him.

Evenepoel so determined. This isn't going to the script, it's better.

Buitrago was reluctant to ride, but Evenepoel was keen. They're here to race. What a start!

And Pogacar has to jump on the wheel,, with Van der Poel following him. Evenepoel is late to it but he can and does come across. Buitrago makes it five but how committed are they and can Lidl-Trek bring this back?

And the World Champion is following the American. No Van der Poel I don't think, and it looks like we're going to see a bunch finish.

But only just, as Campenaerts gives it one last pull and Fred Wright is absorned. Here's the first attack, from Alex Lawrence of Ineos with Lukas Nerurkrar (EF) gaining a small gap.

The twists and turns and ups and downs of this circuit has helped the lone rider. Barely 3km until the short final climb, and they're not letting him have this lead. Even if it doesn't happen for Wright today, he's clearly got fantastic legs and it bodes very well for the Tour de France.

Single digit seconds, or wobbling around double, as Lidl-Trek are showing such control and discipline and determination. They've got five riders ahead of Jonathan Milan, with Julien Bernard putting in most of the leg work at the moment. If Wright can make it to the final climb with any gap at all, it still could happen for him, but it's looking unlikely.

A little look behind where the bunch is not quite in sight. He's going to keep going with the chance that an attack out of the peloton could end the chances of a sprint finish.

It's not that Thierry doesn't want to - he can't. The peloton have began to apply the pressure and the gap is down to 22 seconds. Lidl-Trek, EF and Soudal-Quickstep are the teams in charge on this climb, where that attack isn't going to happen. Maybe on the next one, says Brian Smith.

Before we started you'd have said it wasn't a clearcut sprint stage, but it's increasingly looking like the bunch would prefer it to go that way. The finish in Montlucon is hard but it's the parcours leading up to it that could make the difference, if it's ridden hard enough to send them out the back. Even if they do I think Jonathan Milan might be a match for it. If not him, then Mathieu van der Poel is an obvious contender, Tadej Pogacar because always, Red Bull's Maxim Van Gils and Magnus Cort of Uno-X are two others you'd think would fancy this one.

34 seconds ahead of the peloton who are largely keeping their powders dry for now. We think it'll be Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck who will start the fire, but Israel is the other team who we've seen on the front with eyes on the stage. I think Fred's best hope is an attack out of the bunch on the next climb, and he might have hoped for company when he darted out on the last one.

Someone text his mum and dad! The Herne Hill and Bahrain Victorous rider darts across what remains of the gap to Thierry as things calm down a bit behind. I'm not sure Fred will get much help at this point. Ten seconds they have.