Criterium Dauphiné Stage 4: Bjerg Shines in the Individual Time Trial

Today’s stage at the Criterium Dauphiné brought the riders from Cours to Belmont-de-la-Loire for a challenging individual time trial of 31 kilometers. The riders had to face a mix of flat sections and rolling hills, making this a real test of their time-trialing abilities and strength.

The day was marked by unfortunate events that saw two riders having to abandon the race. Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroën was involved in a crash during the time trial. Despite the immediate assistance of the medical team, Bouchard had to be evacuated from the scene for further medical evaluation. His condition is yet to be updated, and we all hope he makes a quick recovery.

In another unfortunate turn of events, Britain’s Ben Turner also crashed out of the individual time trial. The exact circumstances of the incident are not yet clear, but we wish Turner a speedy recovery as well.

Despite these incidents, the race pressed on, showcasing once again the strength and resilience that professional cycling requires. The riders faced the challenging course with determination, demonstrating their technical skill and stamina.

At the end of the day, it was Mikkel Bjerg of UAE Team Emirates who took the stage victory. With a time of 37 minutes and 28 seconds, Bjerg showed his prowess in the time trial, a discipline that requires both power and precise pacing.

Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo Visma claimed the second spot, just 12 seconds behind Bjerg. The young Dane put in an impressive performance, proving once again that he’s a rider to watch in the time trial discipline.

Rémi Cavagna from Soudal Quick-Step finished third, 27 seconds down on Bjerg. Cavagna has shown consistently strong performances in time trials, and today’s result only reinforces his reputation in this discipline.

The individual time trial caused a shake-up in the general classification. Mikkel Bjerg, thanks to his powerful performance today, now wears the leader’s jersey. Following him closely is Jonas Vingegaard, 12 seconds behind. The third place is now occupied by Fred Wright from Bahrain Victorious, 34 seconds behind the leader.

The individual time trial at Criterium Dauphiné has been a thrilling display of power, precision, and resilience. With several days of racing still to come, the fight for the general classification is far from over.