2019 Critérium du Dauphiné, Daily News Digest, Features, Marianne Vos, News, Sam Bennett - June 12, 2019

Bennett sprints to Dauphiné stage 3 victory: Daily News Digest

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Welcome to your Daily News Digest. Here’s what’s happening today:

Sam Bennett wins stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, Marianne Vos takes the Women’s Tour lead with a stage 2 victory, MIPS-equipped helmets earn high marks in an annual safety test. Those stories and more in today’s Daily News Digest.

Story of the Day: Bennett sprints to Dauphiné stage 3 win

Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) continued his strong 2019 season with a sprint victory in stage 3 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Enjoying a textbook lead out into the final few hundred meters, Bennett powered to a clear win over Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Davide Ballerini (Astana) in Riom.

Bahrain-Merida’s Dylan Teuns finished safely in the peloton to retain his overall race lead.

“I am super happy to take the win today. It’s certainly not just my victory, the team rode absolutely amazing today and the support I got is what made that win look so easy,” Bennett said after the stage. “Let’s hope the legs are still good for stage 5 in two days.”

With a mostly flat finale, the 177-kilometer stage from Le Puy-en-Velay always seemed likely to conclude with a bunch kick, and the sprinters’ teams made sure to keep the day’s breakaway on a short leash to guarantee that outcome. A two-rider move was kept at between two and three minutes’ advantage for most of the day before the pack started reeling the escapees in, making the catch with around 10 kilometers to go.

Deceuninck-Quick-Step led into the final 500 meters but the Bora-Hansgrohe train took control of the front for Sam Bennett as the peloton rounded onto the finishing straight. Lead out man Shane Archbold pushed a high tempo just in front of Bennett until the Irishman launched with around 200 meters to go.

No one came particularly close to matching his speed.

Teuns and the top favorites for the general classification all finished on the same time in the pack just behind.

The Critérium du Dauphiné continues Wednesday with a 26.1-kilometer individual time trial in Roanne.

Stage 3 results

1 BENNETT Sam (BORA – hansgrohe)
2 VAN AERT Wout (Team Jumbo-Visma)
3 BALLERINI Davide (Astana Pro Team)
4 VENTURINI Clément (AG2R La Mondiale)
5 THEUNS Edward (Trek – Segafredo)
6 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald (Team Dimension Data)
7 HODEG Álvaro José (Deceuninck – Quick Step)
8 DEBUSSCHERE Jens (Team Katusha Alpecin)
9 MEZGEC Luka (Mitchelton-Scott)
10 LAMBRECHT Bjorg (Lotto Soudal)

1 TEUNS Dylan (Bahrain Merida)
2 MARTIN Guillaume (Wanty – Gobert Cycling Team)
3 LUTSENKO Alexey (Astana Pro Team)
4 FUGLSANG Jakob (Astana Pro Team)
5 QUINTANA Nairo (Movistar Team)
6 PINOT Thibaut (Groupama – FDJ)
7 WOODS Michael (EF Education First)
8 FROOME Chris (Team INEOS)
9 POELS Wout (Team INEOS)
10 YATES Adam (Mitchelton-Scott)

Socially Speaking

The Critérium du Dauphiné peloton rode through some unpleasant weather on Monday, and as Trek-Segredo’s Peter Stetina pointed out on Twitter, Australian veteran Rory Sutherland (UAE-Team Emirates) looked like he was having a blast…

pure gold @rorysutherland1 ???? #dauphine #NOTpokerface pic.twitter.com/1hSloYpSnD

— Peter Stetina (@peterstetina) June 10, 2019

Elsewhere in the Twitter-sphere was this thread, which saw dozens of good replies to a question plenty of cyclists have heard before.

I see motorists choosing to drive and park in bike lanes all over the city when there's perfectly good parking lots and spaces all over the city. Why?!

— Andres Salomon (@Andres4Seattle) June 9, 2019

'cause it's legal, 'cause I have to wait/go around while people pull cars into bike lanes, 'cause sometimes I might want to make a left turn, 'cause sometimes there are hazards in the bike lane (that drivers may not be able to see), 'cause drivers open car doors in bike lanes

— Becky (@beckedm) June 10, 2019

A good way to answer your question would be to try getting around on a bicycle for a while.

— Unidentified Pedestrian (@dfwagoner) June 10, 2019

Race Radio

Vos leads Women’s Tour after stage 2 win

Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv) won stage 2 of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, out-sprinting Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) and Sarah Roy (Mitchelton-Scott) in Kent and taking the race lead.

The lumpy 62.5-kilometer circuit race at the Kent Cyclopark was not so challenging as to blow apart the peloton, but the uphill sprint to the line saw a number of punchy riders contesting the victory after a more traditional bunch kick on stage 1. Vos went long on the sloping drag and quickly distanced her rivals, celebrating her win with plenty of room to spare over second-placed Deignan.

???? @marianne_vos ???????? (@CCCLivTeam) wins stage two of the @OVOEnergy Women’s Tour at the Kent @Cyclopark!#OVOWT #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/Mk28JjOmde

— The Women's Tour (@thewomenstour) June 11, 2019

The 32-year-old Dutchwoman now sits atop the general classification with a nine-second advantage over Deignan, with Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans) in third overall on the same time.

Next up at the Women’s Tour is a 145.1-kilometer stage 3 from Henley-on-Thames to Blenheim Palace.

Stage 2 results

1 VOS Marianne (CCC – Liv)
2 DEIGNAN Elizabeth (Trek-Segafredo Women)
3 ROY Sarah (Mitchelton-Scott)
4 CECCHINI Elena (Canyon SRAM Racing)
5 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia (Valcar Cylance Cycling)
6 BERTIZZOLO Sofia (Team Virtu Cycling)
7 RIVERA Coryn (Team Sunweb)
8 FOURNIER Roxane (Movistar Team)
9 LONGO BORGHINI Elisa (Trek-Segafredo Women)
10 LIPPERT Liane (Team Sunweb)

1 VOS Marianne (CCC – Liv)
2 DEIGNAN Elizabeth (Trek-Segafredo Women)
3 PIETERS Amy (Boels – Dolmans Cycling Team)
4 RIVERA Coryn (Team Sunweb)
5 ROY Sarah (Mitchelton-Scott)
6 BRENNAUER Lisa (WNT-Rotor Pro Cycling)
7 CONFALONIERI Maria Giulia (Valcar Cylance Cycling)
8 FOURNIER Roxane (Movistar Team)
9 CECCHINI Elena (Canyon SRAM Racing)
10 LIPPERT Liane (Team Sunweb)

Pantano says he will no longer fight doping case

Jarlinson Pantano has told Colombian media that he will no longer fight his case after an adverse analytical finding for EPO.

The 30-year-old climber was notified of the positive test in April, and was subsequently suspended by Trek-Segafredo. Pantano, who won a Tour de France stage in 2016, has claimed innocence throughout the process, but says he will not continue to “fight against the UCI,” citing the associated costs.

Abuse complaints filed against manager of Health Mate-Cyclelive team

Cyclingnews reports that two former Health Mate-Cyclelive riders and the father of another rider have filed abuse complaints against Patrick Van Gansen, general manager of the UCI Women’s Team.

According to Cyclingnews, Esther Meisels, Sara Mustonen, and the father of Chloë Turblin have lodged formal complaints with the UCI Ethics Commission. The three riders have reportedly left the team. Meisels told Cyclingnews that she experienced “abusive treatment” and “innappropriate behavior” in her interactions with Van Gansen, while Mustonen described “comments that qualify as sexual harassment and psychological abuse.” Van Gensen apparently cited that he had been in a relationship with Turblin in his written defense to the UCI Ethics Commission, which Turblin denied.

Van Gansen has denied the allegations, and Cyclingnews reports having received a collective email signed by the riders still on the team stating that they had not seen or experienced abuse by Van Gansen.

Tech News

Annual study gives MIPS-equipped helmets top rankings

An annual helmet safety test conducted by Swedish insurance group Folksam puts several MIPS-equipped helmets atop its rankings. The field of helmets tested was limited, but three helmets equipped with MIPS received a four-out-of-four score.

Abbreviated results from the 2019 Folksam bicycle helmet test. Note: chart provided by MIPS.

Dave Rome has more details.

Happy birthday to…

Julian Alaphilippe is 27. The Frenchman has emerged as one of the top talents on Deceuninck-Quick-Step over the past few years.

He delivered an especially brilliant spring campaign this season, winning Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, and La Flèche Wallonne among other big results.