Courageous Erviti makes 3rd Dauphiné break
13 June 2014

Critérium du Dauphiné (st. 6)

14th place for Imanol in Poisy, yet again one of the most combative in a remarkable Critérium du Dauphiné for him. Decisive mountain stages coming up on Saturday and Sunday

Belgian Jan Bakelants (OPQ) took to frution a third consecutive Critérium du Dauphiné winning break this year. Sixteen riders broke away with about thirty kilometers covered from 178 on stage six, from Grenoble to Poisy, against a bunch which took things easy, fully focused on the two mountain-top finishes -Emosson (Saturday) and Courchevel (Sunday)- set to decide the overall outcome this weekend.

Imanol Erviti, who already tried a winning move in as well Tuesday’s stage as on Wednesday, the two favouring him the most, made the right split again and worked with them until the final 25k, full of small climbs where the power in the flat by the Spaniard was outclassed by better abilities from Bakelants, joined by Dutchmen Lieuwe Westra (VCD) and Pim Ligthart (LTB). Despite trying a counter move later, the Pamplona-based rider gave up chasing alone and crossed the line into a second group int 14th place, 24″ back.

Gets (Cat-2), Corbier (Cat-1), Morgins (Cat-2) and La Forclaz (HC) will make for a hellish approach to Saturday’s finishing climb – a real Tour de France stage despite being just 160km long.