Staff Reporter.
Tadej Pogačar wins the sprint to take the stage victory and the race lead, after a thrilling finish on stage 1 of the Criterium du Dauphine.
Pogačar finished the hilly 196km run from Domerat to Montlucon in four hours 40 minutes and two seconds.
Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar, who won last year’s Tour de France, accelerated past Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel with only 25 metres to go on the way to victory.
Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard of Team Visma-Lease a Bike was second, with Van der Poel in third place and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel in fourth.
The Criterium du Dauphine will be contested over eight stages, which include a time trial, as the riders prepare for the start of the Tour de France on 5 July.