Cycling News - Bradley Wiggins wins Criterium du Dauphine
Last updated 6/13/2011 8:40:49 AM
Cycling News - Bradley Wiggins wins Criterium du Dauphine
Britain's Bradley Wiggins clinched the biggest win of his road-racing career when he conquered the Alps to win the Criterium du Dauphine.
Racing for Team Sky the Olympic Champion led by one minute and 26 seconds going into the difficult 117.5km final stage and retained that advantage over Australia's Cadel Evans.
Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez, who won Saturday's stage, made it back-to-back wins by taking Sunday's finale with a consummate display on the big mountain.
Wiggins safely finished in 10th place, 11 seconds behind the Spaniard, to clinch his overall victory for the British based team.
The victory is a massive boost to Wiggins and the team ahead of the Tour de France, which begins on 2 July.
He is the third Briton to win the traditional Tour de France warm-up race after Brian Robinson in 1961 and Robert Millar in 1990.
Rodriguez broke clear in the last kilometre of the stage from Pontcharra to the mountain resort of La Toussuire.
Thibault Pinot of France was second and Dutch rider Robert Gesink was third on the stage - both eight seconds behind the Spaniard.
Stage results:
1. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) 3 hrs 24 mins 30 secs
2. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ) +8 secs
3. Robert Gesink (Ned/Rabobank)
4. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel/OmegaPharma-Lotto)
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (KZH/ Astana)
6. Chris Sorensen (Den/Saxo Bank) +11"
7. Cadel Evans (Aus/BMC Racing)
8. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (BLR/HTC - Highroad)
9. Janez Brajkovic (Slo/RadioShack)
10. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Team Sky)
Overall standings:
1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/Team Sky) 23 hrs 33 mins 24secs
2. Cadel Evans (Aus/BMC Racing) +1:26"
3. Alexandre Vinokourov (KZH/Astana) +1:49"
4. Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel/OmegaPharma-Lotto) +2:10"
5. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) +2:50"
6. Christophe Kern (Fra/Europcar) +3:05"
7. Jean Christophe Peraud (Fra/AG2R) +3:30"
8. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (BLR/HTC - Highroad) +4:14"
9. Janez Brajkovic (Slo/RadioShack) +4:22"
10. Thomas Voeckler (Fra/Europcar) +4:30"