South African national champion Daryl Impey of Mitchelton-Scott claimed stage 1 of the 70th Critérium du Dauphiné as he outsprinted Julian Alaphilippe from Quick-Step Floors. The first African to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France back in 2013 moved up on GC and is now only two seconds down on prologue winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky).
After 5 kilometres of racing of the 179-kilometre stage from Valence to Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Brice Feillu (Fortuneo-Samsic) and Lawson Craddock (EF Education Fist) broke clear and their advantage reached six minutes after 50 kilometres of racing.
Vital Concept, Quick Step and Team Sky worked to reduce their deficit and they brought the gap down to 1’20’’ before the last hour of racing. Edet and Craddock and it was all together again with 11 kilometres to go
Impey seized the opportunity to sprint from far out and Alaphilippe had to settle for second place with Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) rounding out the podium. Kwiatkowski crossed the line in fifth position and retained the overall lead but Impey moved up on GC thanks to a time bonus.
