Daniel Martínez victorious in Dauphiné after Primoz Roglic withdraws
Colombia’s Daniel Martínez claimed overall victory in the Criterium du Dauphine after leader Primoz Roglic pulled out of the race before Sunday’s fifth and final stage. Roglic’s withdrawal, after a crash on Saturday, looked to have given France’s Thibaut Pinot control of the race, but EF Pro Cycling’s Martinez had other ideas.Martínez was part of an attack that left Pinot trailing with 15km remaining of the 153km mountainous route starting and finishing in Megeve and crossed the line second behind stage winner Sepp Kuss. Pinot battled desperately to claw back time on the day’s final climb back into Megeve but could not regain the overall lead as Martinez
won by 29 seconds.
It is the fourth time a Colombian rider has won the Criterium du Dauphine,
seen as a crucial indicator of form ahead of the Tour de France. Luis Herrera won in 1988 and 1991, while
Martín Ramírez claimed the title in 1984.“This morning they told me Roglic wouldn’t start, so I knew the race would be hectic from the beginning,” Martínez said. “I was at the limit but I was determined to make it to the finish. It’s one of the biggest race in the world and to be able to win this, coming from Colombia, makes me very happy.”
The Slovenian Roglic, who rides for Jumbo-Visma, suffered bruises and cuts after crashing during the penultimate stage on Saturday but managed to finish in 10th place, holding on to his lead in the general classification before deciding against racing on Sunday.
“As a result of his crash yesterday Primoz Roglic – leader in the general and points classification – won’t start in the ultimate stage today,” Jumbo-Visma announced on Twitter. “The evolution of his injuries will determine the plans for the upcoming races. Speedy recovery.”The 2019 Tour de France winner, Egan Bernal, had pulled out on Saturday, with the French sports daily L’Equipe reporting that the 23-year-old was suffering from back pains.