Time-trial specialist Remco Evenepoel laid down a marker in the fourth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Wednesday, winning the 17.4km race against the clock in style to move top of the overall classification. The 25-year-old Belgian tasted Olympic gold in the discipline last year and is also the double time-trial world champion. He showed his pedigree by blowing away a field containing Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.
Evenpoel raced home 21 seconds ahead of Dane Vingegaard, with Matteo Jorgenson a further 17 seconds back in third. Pogacar just missed the podium at 49 seconds behind Evenepoel, with Florian Lipowitz fifth and Mathieu van der Poel sixth.
“I’m surprised with the gaps,” Evenepoel said. “It’s quite big on a short TT so I’m very happy to have put over a second per kilometre on everybody and even two seconds per kilometre on some. I’m feeling good and it’s always nice to bring home a World Tour victory.”
Evenepoel now slips on the leader’s yellow jersey for the 77th edition of the Dauphiné, which will be decided in the last three stages in the Alps from Friday. His win was the 1,000th victory for his Soudal Quick-Step team, created in 2003 by Patrick Lefevere under the name Quick Step-Davitamon. “I’m very happy with this victory,” Evenepoel said. “It’s a special day, I’m very proud to have done it.”
Of the three frontrunners for the overall win, Pogacar finds himself the least well placed. Although the overall classification is far from set, the Slovenian is in eighth place, 38 seconds behind Evenepoel, while Vingegaard is 16 seconds back in fifth.
Thursday’s stage five is a hilly 183km run from Saint-Priest to Mâcon.
