Critérium du Dauphiné
Stage 1: Aurillac to Jussac
Historical Note
This stage in the actual race took place on 9 June 2019 and was won by Edvald Boasson Hagen from Norway, representing Team Dimension Data. He completed the 142 km-stage (88.2 miles) in a time of 3 hours 24 minutes and 33 seconds.
Above: Flamme Rouge track layout for Stage 1, using track tiles from the base game and Peloton expansion; the start and finish tiles are conveniently located close to each other.
Left: Schematic representation of the stage recreated using the Flamme Rouge Companion App designed by Benoit Gourdin; the illustration shows the track tiles required to create the stage and also the appropriate ordering; there is also a depiction of the contours of the stage.
The Race
Ready for the Grand Depart at Aurillac. Federico Bianchi (front row, centre) of Team Camargue is a little unsteady on this wheels.
The teams are ready and waiting for the start.
The Peloton team, Blue Mountain, started off strongly and led the race along the long flat section going into the first climb. The Red Dragons found themselves isolated at the rear of the Peloton and found it difficult to make much headway for much of the stage. The first climb was a long one offering 3, 2 and 1 Mountain Classification points. At the start of the climb Niklas Groen of Racing Green made the decision to push on hard to close the gap with the leaders from Blue Mountain. Approaching the summit and with Groen closing in fast on the lead João Ultramar was just able to hold off the Dutchman and secure the 3 points. Blue Mountain’s Héctor Azul collected the final point.
Groen makes his move as the peloton approaches the first climb.
The riders clear the first summit.
Following the ascent, a cobbled section of the course brought about a change in the shape of the race. The riders became more strung out and Niklas Groen and Kyle Blackstone (Black Eagle Racing) began to make the running at the head of the race as a breakaway. Sprinteurs Frankie Moss (Racing Green), Hansie Pienk (Rose Racers) and Federico Bianchi (Team Camargue) became slightly detached from the rear of the Peloton and struggled to keep in contact.
Niklas Groen takes a slender lead into the cobbles.
Peloton stretches out and breaks begin to appear, with the Sprinteurs being left behind.
Kyle Blackstone cleared the summit of the second climb with his nose ahead of Groen and so collected the 1 Mountain point available. Descending from the climb, these two riders were able to maintain their slender, but significant lead over the Peloton and reached the final summit with their wheels almost touching. This time, however, Groen was able to take the honours and the 1 Mountain point. The two raced neck-and-neck to the line, but the Dutchman proved just too strong for the Australian and took home the stage win and its accompanying 3 Green Jersey points. Once again, Héctor Azul was able to claim 3rd spot and the final stage point. The Combativity Award for the stage went to Niklas Groen, who will take 3 exhaustion cards into the next stage.
The breakaway nears the final climb and the finish.
And the winner is ...
Niklas Groen of Racing Green takes Stage 1 … but there is still a long way to pedal in this 8-stage race.
Stage Result / General Classification
- Niklas Groen (Racing Green)
- Kyle Blackstone (Black Eagle Racing) + 0”
- Héctor Azul (Blue Mountain) + 10”
- Rock Salmon (Rose Racers) + 10”
- Michel Blanc (Team Camargue) + 40”
- João Ultramar (Blue Mountain) + 1’00”
- Rhys Coch (Red Dragons) + 1’00”
- Frankie Moss (Racing Green) + 1’40”
- Hansie Pienk (Rose Racers) + 2’10”
- Khariyn Battoyrog (Black Eagle Racing) + 2’10”
- Federico Bianchi (Team Camargue) + 3’10”
- Michał Czerwiński (Red Dragons) + 3’10”
Points Classification
- Niklas Groen 5 pts
- Kyle Blackstone 3 pts
- Héctor Azul 1 pt
Mountain Classification
- Niklas Groen & João Ultramar 3 pts
- Kyle Blackstone & Héctor Azul 1 pt