Final winner(s)
June 16 th 2025 - 05:25
The winner takes it all, at least according to the saying and the song. In the Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, Tadej Pogacar has emerged as a supreme ruler, already finding his way to victory on day 1 before asserting his dominance on the mountains. The world champion has dominated the explosive finale in Combloux as well as the higher summits of the race with another triumph in Valmeinier 1800. Will we see him rise to glory one more time in Val-Cenis to cap off a brilliant week of racing started with his banger in Montluçon, last Sunday?
One of the many beauties of cycling is that it crowns several winners with its intricate rankings. With his dominant performances on varied terrain - he was still outperformed in the ITT on Wednesday -, Pogacar leads the overall standings but also the points standings and the KOM standings. When it comes to the yellow and blue jersey, it would take a stunning assault from his rivals or an unprecedented failure for the Slovenian to lose it, with Jonas Vingegaard trailing by 1’01’’, Florian Lipowitz by 2’21’’, and the rest of the field by more than 4 minutes.
Pogacar also owns the green jersey, but he’s tied on points with Mathieu van der Poel (69 each). In the KOM standings as well, his 27 points are matched by Santiago Buitrago and Sergio Higuita. As for the white jersey, Pogacar is getting (slightly) too old (26 years old), opening the door for an impressive Florian Lipowitz, currently getting the better of Remco Evenepoel (+1’50’’) while French teenage sensation Paul Seixas (+4’29’’) keeps on displaying a unique talent.
Finally, the mast stage win of the Critérium du Dauphiné is a most coveted prize and it could be a very special one for Pogacar, who already took 98 wins as a professional. The Slovenian is headed towards a 99th, with the Critérium du Dauphiné… Will he make it 100 with the stage as well? It would b the second time he takes four stages in a one-week race, after the Volta a Catalunya 2024. His rivals are more than willing to spoil the party.
