With world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates–XRG), two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma–Lease a Bike), Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and the multi-talented Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) all on the start list, expectations were high. But few would have predicted that the ‘Big Four’ would face off this early — let alone on a stage suited to the sprinters.
The finale was kicked off, unexpectedly, by Vingegaard, not typically known for his explosive attacks on flatter finishes. With 5.3 km left on the lumpy 195.8 km course from Domérat to Montluçon, the Dane launched off the front. He was quickly followed by the other three superstars, with Evenepoel bridging last. The move turned a sprinter-friendly stage into a late-race showdown between four GC-calibre riders, all with something to prove.
Romain Bardet (Picnic–PostNL), riding his final pro race, briefly joined the front group alongside Vingegaard’s teammate Matteo Jorgenson and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain–Victorious), but it was the ‘Big Four’ who ultimately commanded the spotlight. Even with the peloton chasing hard — the gap never more than 10 seconds — it became a test of legs, nerves, and recovery.
Van der Poel made the first move with 250 meters to go, but it was Pogačar and Vingegaard who swept past, with the Slovenian taking the stage and the yellow jersey. But beyond the result, the deeper story was about the form each rider showed — and what that might mean for July.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” Pogačar said post-stage. “We were just thinking about going quickly to the bus at the end of the day and taking a shower. But finally I’m here with the victory and the yellow jersey. I can go home happy [now] from this Dauphiné. But it’s true that the most important things are still to come, with the time trial and the mountain stages.”
He and Vingegaard shared a laugh at the finish — two riders returning from spring setbacks, clearly pleased to be back in race shape. “I had a good day, to be honest,” Vingegaard said. “I guess it was the first time I finished second in a bunch sprint.”
Van der Poel was more subdued, still adjusting to his recent broken wrist sustained at the Nové Město mountain bike World Cup. “I just didn’t have the legs anymore. Like I said before the race, I could not train in the last weeks,” he admitted. “I really felt I was on the limit over the top of the climb, and I hoped my legs would recover a bit for the final sprint, but that was not the case. But to be honest, I’m quite happy with the performance today.”
In fact, all four riders are navigating comebacks of some sort. Van der Poel is regaining form after his crash, Vingegaard is building back from his injury at Paris–Nice, and Evenepoel is also fresh off a recovery period. And yet here they were — animating the finale, testing each other early, and reminding everyone what’s on the horizon.
Evenepoel reflected on the unpredictability of the moment: “That’s where modern cycling [is going] to — you never know what to expect in a race like this. It was pretty special and pretty nice to be up there. Positive signs.” He faded in the sprint but pointed to positioning and wind as factors. “On paper, Mathieu would have won this sprint easily, but he launched from far away. [The confrontation] was good for racing, but I have a bit of feeling for the sprinters.”
In the Tour, van der Poel will likely target stage wins and ride support for Jasper Philipsen. The other three have more ambitious GC goals. Based on Stage 1’s effort and intent, the Dauphiné is already shaping into more than just a warm-up — it’s a battlefield in its own right.
