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Criterium du Dauphine 2017: Phil Bauhaus claims first WorldTour win on stage five

Young German outguns illustrious rivals to grab final sprint victory of this year's race

Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) bagged his first WorldTour victory by outsprinting his more illustrious opponents to win stage five of the 2017 Criterium du Dauphine.

German 22-year-old Bauhaus has been in the top ten twice already at the Dauphine, and finished in the top-ten a further three times at the Giro d’Italia but had never previously won at WorldTour level.

But the Team Sunweb rider, without a lead-out, managed to get on the wheels of his rivals’ lead-outs and outsprinted stage three winner Arnaud Demare (FDJ) by a length to claim victory.

Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) finished safely in the peloton in the yellow jersey, meanwhile, and will carry the race lead into the mountains.

Phil Bauhaus outgunned the big-name sprinters to win stage five of the 2017 Criterium du Dauphine (pic – Sirotti)

After several riders tried and failed to get in the breakaway, the move that finally got away contained surprise stage three winner Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo), wearing the polka dot jersey but trailing de Gendt in the mountains classification.

He was joined by Dylan van Baarle (Cannondale-Drapac), Marco Minnaard (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Julian El Fares (Delko Marseille Provence KTM).

Despite Bouwman’s threat to De Gendt’s lead in the mountains classification, it was FDJ not Lotto-Soudal leading the chase, as they bid to avoid a repeat of the missed sprint opportunity on stage three.

Bouwman set about scooping the mountains points he required to overhaul De Gendt’s lead, while in the bunch Katusha-Alpecin offered support on the front.

The break did earn an advantage of more than five minutes at one point, but it was much more controlled this time out, with a rapid pace being set in the bunch.

Bouwman finally paid for his efforts of the last few days when he sat up after the day’s final climb, and – down to three men – the breakaway’s advantage rapidly diminished.

Van Baarle was the last man standing, but Katusha-Alpecin and Bahrain-Merida continued to drive a fast tempo for their respective sprinters, Alexander Kristoff and Sonny Colbrelli.

Bauhaus’ victory was his first on the UCI WorldTour (pic: Sirotti)

With this being the final chance of a sprint victory in this year’s race, Kristoff’s team-mates continued to wind it up for the Norwegian, with Van Baarle caught.

Katusha-Alpecin led under the flamme rouge, and Kristoff kicked first but he did not have the legs – Demare coming around him.

Demare too, however, could not hold off Bauhaus, however, as he burst out from within Direct Energie’s lead-out, ahead of the French team’s own sprinter Bryan Coquard.

And the German held on to claim a priceless victory, for a team still basking in the glow of their Giro d’Italia win.

The attention will now turn to the GC men, and the mountains, with De Gendt leading overall but second-placed Richie Porte, 27 seconds back, well-fancied to take the race lead.

Criterium du Dauphine 2017: stage five – result

1) Phil Bauhaus (GER) – Team Sunweb – 4.04.32hrs
2) Arnaud Demare (FRA) – FDJ
3) Bryan Coquard (FRA) – Direct Energie
4) Adrien Petit (FRA) – Direct Energie
5) Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) – Cofidis
6) Alexander Kristoff (NOR) – Katusha-Alpecin
7) Pascal Ackermann (GER) – Bora-hansgrohe
8) Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) – Dimension Data
9) Enrico Battaglin (ITA) – LottoNL-Jumbo
10) Oliver Naesen (BEL) – Ag2r-La Mondiale

General classification

1) Thomas de Gendt (BEL) – Lotto-Soudal – 17.10.25hrs
2) Richie Porte (AUS) – BMC Racing +27”
3) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar +51”
4) Stef Clement (NED) – LottoNL-Jumbo +55”
5) Alberto Contador (ESP) – Trek-Segafredo +1.02
6) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky +1.04
7) Brent Bookwalter (USA) – BMC Racing +1.12
8) Jesus Herrada (ESP) – Movistar +1.15
9) Sam Oomen (NED) – Team Sunweb +1.17
10) Diego Ulissi (ITA) – UAE Team Emirates +1.22

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