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Vingegaard initially followed an attack by Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) on the Côte de Thésy, before dropping his rival midway up the climb and building up a lead on all the other major contenders for the stage and overall at the Dauphiné.
Dropping Carapaz with 16 kilometres to go, Vingegaard showed just how far he was ahead of his rivals for the Tour de France (with the exception of the absent Pogacar). Vingegaard will take a lot of confidence from the ride that saw him crest the short climb of the Côte de Thésy with 45 seconds lead, then holding off a strong group of 18 chasing him to cross the line first and take the yellow jersey off time trial winner Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates), the race leader with little chance to defend his lead after crashing on the early slopes of the Côte de Thésy.
Vingegaard explained that his attack was an opportunistic one based on how the final climb played out.
"The intention was not to do anything,” said Vingegaard. “The major aim was to stay out of trouble before the difficult days that lay ahead. I didn't hesitate for even a second when Richard accelerated. When I took the lead, he was unable to follow. Then the race to the finish was full throttle.
After his victory, Vingegaard was sombre, his thoughts on a horrific attack on children in Annecy earlier in the day. "On days like this, none of what occurs in the world of sports matters. My thoughts are with the victims of the tragic event in Annecy.
“Of course, I am happy with this triumph, but as I already stated, it stands in sharp contrast to the things that are truly important in this world. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.”
Vingegaard will carry the race leader’s yellow jersey into Stage 6. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) finished 2nd in Salins-les-Bains, leading the chasing group in 31 seconds behind Vingegaard. Australian Ben O’Connor (AG2R-Citroen) moved up to second overall on the general classification and sits 1’10 behind Vingegaard, while other Aussie hopefuls Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) and Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) moved up to sixth and seventh, respectively.
“I didn't anticipate to be wearing the yellow jersey by this point before today,” said Vingegaard. “It changes the dynamics of the race. I am happy with my form, and the team's work has paid off today.”
Stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné takes the peloton from Nantua to Crest-Voland with over 3,000 metres of climbing with two short, sharp climbs to the finish to conclude the stage. Watch all the action from 10:55pm AEST on SBS On Demand and 11:15pm AEST on SBS VICELAND.
