Britain’s Chris Froome finished safely in the peloton on the first stage of the Criterium du Dauphine, an important Tour de France warm-up race.
Team Dimension Data’s Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen, 32, won the lumpy stage from Aurillac to Jussac in a sprint from Phillipe Gilbert, 36.
Gilbert’s 24-year-old fellow Belgian Wout van Aert finished third in France.
Four-time Tour de France champion Froome, 34, has won the eight-stage race three times, the last in 2016.
Defending champion Geraint Thomas, who also went on to win the Tour de France for the first time in 2018, is not taking part in the 2019 Dauphine and will instead continue his Tour preparations at the Tour of Switzerland later this month.
The 180km second stage starts on Monday in Mauriac, taking riders east across central France to Craponne-sur-Arzon.
The race is designed to test the riders on similar terrain to that they will experience during the Tour de France, including Alpine mountains, time-trials and hilly stages.
The Tour de France begins in Brussels on 6 July.
Stage 1 standings
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data) 3 hours 24mins 33secs
2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel/Quick-Step) Same time
3 . Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma)
4. Nils Politt (Ger/katusha-Alpecin)
5. Gregor Muhlberger (Lat/Bora Hansgrohe)
6. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain Merida)
7. Jonas Koch (Ger/CCC Team)
8. Alexey Lutsensko (Kaz/Astana)
9. Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale)
10. Michal Kwiatowski (Lat/Tream Ineos)
General classification
1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data) 3 hours 24mins 23secs
2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel/Quick-Step) + 00:04secs
3 . Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +00:06secs
4. Nils Politt (Ger/Katusha-Alpecin) + 00:10secs
5. Gregor Muhlberger (Lat/Bora Hansgrohe) Same time
6. Sonny Colbrelli (Ita/Bahrain Merida)
7. Jonas Koch (Ger/CCC Team)
8. Alexey Lutsensko (Kaz/Astana)
9. Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale)
10. Michal Kwiatowski (Lat/Tream Ineos)
Source: Read Full Article