Critérium du Dauphiné (2014) Photos June 8 - 15

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Last man down the ramp, Christopher Froome (Team Sky), set the best time for the 10.4 km technical Stage 1 TT in Lyon	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) rounding one of the many corners in Lyon	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) wins the 10.4 km ITT in 13:13
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo), was second last man down the ramp and second on the day	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo)	2nd Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) + 8s
3rd Bob Jungels (Trek Factory) + 9s	5th Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) + 11s	8th Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) + 13s
Your Stage 1 (short) ITT winner, Christopher Froome (Team Sky)	Dress rehearsal for July? Christopher Froome (Team Sky) in Yellow holding the Crédit Lyonnais Lion in Lyon

Stage 2:  Tarare → Pays d'Olliergues-Col du Béal, 156 km  Full Results and Report

After his win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège at the end of April, Simon Gerrans (Orica GreenEDGE) rolling to the stage 2 start in Tarare. He returned to racing at the end of last month's, Bayern Rundfahrt (2.HC GER)	France's favorite son, Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) is winless so far this year	Race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky), looking all business for the stage 2 start in Tarare
After Team Sky set a fast pace most of the way up the finishing climb, Col du Béal (13.6 km, avg 6.6 %, max 9 %), Christopher Froome then attacked repeatedly over the final 5 km, but Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) stayed on his wheel	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) attacking on Col du Beal	Attack close-up
	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) followed by Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) and Wilko Kelderman (Belkin)	Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) yo-yoed off the back every time Chris Froome attacked
A fine ride by 8th Adam Yates (Orica GreenEDGE) + 42s	Many other riders were strung out down the climb, Daniel Moreno (Katusha) on his own headed for 22nd + 1:51	Final 50m with Christopher Froome (Team Sky) trying to ride Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) off his wheel
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) wins the thrilling Stage 2 summit finish	The bonus seconds for the win extended Christopher Froome's lead over Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) by 4s to 12s	Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) was surprised to finish 3rd after competing in the Giro d'Italia last month
4th Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol) + 10s	5th Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) + 12s	6th Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) + 27s
Further down the climb, 32nd and 33rd, BMC's Peter Stetina, Tejay Van Garderen + 2:38	16th Leopold Konig (Netapp - Endura) + 1:17	Leopold Konig (Netapp - Endura) regaining his senses after a tough finish
Mikael Cherel (Ag2r La Mondiale) leading team leader Jean-Christophe Peraud to a disappointing 56th + 06:54	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) post-stage. He stayed with Froome all the way. Could he have passed him if he had to? 'I am afraid of no one' he said to France TV	In the middle, Bob Jungels (Trek Factory), 3rd on the stage 1 TT and 76th today + 10:48 with teammate Markel Irizar
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) and Bernard Hinault on the podium	Your Stage 1 and now Stage 2 winner, Christopher Froome (Team Sky)	Race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky) extended his lead today. Only Alberto Contador (+ 12s) is within striking range.

Stage 3:  Ambert → Le Teil, 194 km  Full Results and Report

Orica GreenEDGE leading the peloton through the final tricky corners into Le Teil	Race leader Christopher Froome (Team Sky) followed by Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo)	Sprint finish in Le Teil at the end of Stage 3
At the front, Nikias Arndt (Giant - Shimano), Kris Boeckmans (Lotto - Belisol), Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (Lampre - Merida), Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida)	Same shot, close-up
Same shot, close-up		Nikias Arndt (Giant - Shimano) wins ahead of fast-charging Kris Boeckmans (Lotto - Belisol)
Photo finish photo	No victory salute. Also, notice how Kris Boeckmans (Lotto - Belisol) carried more speed over the line.	Your stage 3 winner, Nikias Arndt (Giant - Shimano). Second career and biggest win for the 22 year-old, second year pro.
Race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky) survived the dodgy finish

Stage 4:  Montélimar → Gap, 168 km  Full Results and Report

Yury Trofimov (Katusha) soloing the Col de Manse descent after cat 2 climb (9.6 km, average grade 5.2 %) crested with 13 km to go	Yury Trofimov (Katusha) Col de Manse	Yury Trofimov (Katusha) leaning into one of the many tricky Col de Manse corners
24s later Bob Jungels (Trek Factory) appears leading the rest of the break. Jungels crashed shortly after this photo and finished 63rd + 2:20	2 minutes behind the leader, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Sharp) comes through. He made up 35s on the descent and finished 10th + 1:31	14s after Hesjedal and 2 minutes behind the Trofimov was Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo)
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) following Contador	View from the picturesque, but dangerous Col de Manse descent leading into Gap	The GC group descending into Gap
Yury Trofimov (Katusha) solos into Gap	Yury Trofimov (Team Bare Chest) wins Stage 4 by 23s	2nd Gustav Larsson (Iam Cycling) + 22s checks his gap on third place Pim Ligthart (Lotto-Belisol) + 25s
4th Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Belkin), 5th Peter Velits (Bmc), 6th Maxime Bouet (Ag2r La Mondiale), 7th Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) + 28s	More riders descending Col de Manse, 10 minutes behind the winner
Meanwhile 10th Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Sharp) and 9th Andry Grivko (Astana) + 1:31 crossing the line	16th Jens Keukeleire (Orica GreenEDGE) + 2:10 leads in the GC group with Christopher Froome (Team Sky)	Race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky) post-stage 4, keeps his race lead despite trying to give the Yellow Jersey to one of the guys in the break
Top Frenchman in the break, 6th Maxime Bouet (Ag2r La Mondiale) + 28s, garners his share of the French media post-stage 4	It has been awhile since Yury Trofimov (Katusha) has won a race so Bernard Hinault shows him the way to the podium	Your Stage 4 winner, Yury Trofimov (Katusha) celebrates his 4th career win and his first since 2009
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) at the post stage press conference: "It was our intention to let the Yellow Jersey go and another team take it before the weekend of racing but in the end, the race was just so fast that we reached the finishing line quickly after the breakaway riders.”	“I wouldn't say it was an easy stage but, once again, I have say thank you to my teammates for having made it a trouble free day. This is a team building for the Tour de France and we got really good signs today."

Stage 5:  Sisteron → La Mure, 190 km  Full Results and Report

Cannondale's Alessandro De Marchi and Damiano Caruso at the front of the 17 man break after the first two of six categorized climbs	First pass of La Mure with 60 km to go: The Team Sky domestiques including Danny Pate, Xabier Zandio worked hard today to chase down breaks today for race leader, Christopher Froome	Tinkoff - Saxo unsuccessfully attacked on the final climb, the cat 2 Côte de Laffrey (6.3 km, avg 6.2 %) with 20 km
	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) followed by Richie Porte (Team Sky) on La Mure (first pass)	The second and final time through La Mure, Simon Spilak (Katusha) broke free of the break
Simon Spilak (Katusha) with 2 km to go	Simon Spilak (Katusha)	Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) and Adam Yates (Orica GreenEdge) successfully attacked off the GC contenders
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) and Chris Froome (Sky)	A solo win for Team Katusha in consecutive days; Simon Spilak was told by his team to zip up the jersey today	Simon Spilak (Katusha) wins Stage 5
	Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) off the front of the GC Group	2nd Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) and 3rd Adam Yates (Orica GreenEDGE) + 14s. The 3 second gap and 6 bonus seconds for 2nd move Kelderman into a tie for 2nd overall with Alberto Contador.
Christopher Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) crossing + 17s	Jens Voigt (Trek Factory) and trailing riders	Stage 5 winner, Simon Spilak (Katusha)
	Fifth leader's jersey for Christopher Froome (Team Sky)	New KOM leader Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale)

Stage 6:  Grenoble → Poisy, 179 km  Full Results and Report

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) looking all business before the Stage 6 start in Grenoble. He said this week he's not afraid of anyone. Chris Froome better not take his eyes off of him during the weekend mountain stages.	Your race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky), after signing in	Make room for the race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky) in Grenoble
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) and best young rider and 3rd overall, Wilko Kelderman (Belkin)	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo), Christopher Froome (Team Sky) and Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) in Grenoble	Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) during the Stage 6 rollout from Grenoble
Jumping ahead to the final km, Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) and Lieuwe Westra (Astana) at the front of the race in Poisy	Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) on his way to finishing 3rd + 24s	Lieuwe Westra (Astana) led through the final corner into Poisy, but inexplicably left the inside track available for Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) to squeeze through
	Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) taking the the right side of the road	Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) wins Stage 6 ahead of Lieuwe Westra (Astana) in Poisy
Stage 6 victory and runner-up salutes	Lieuwe Westra (Astana) knows he blew it	Meanwhile the GC contenders out on the course with 1 km to go. They waited for Chris Froome after he crashed near the end of the stage.
The back of the bus on the 15% section with 1 km to go	Richie Porte (Team Sky) leads the GC riders across in Poisy for 17th + 3:35	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) with his left side cut up after his crash. Alberto Contador will take no mercy on him during the weekend mountain stages.
Photographers taking photos of the left, cut up side to Christopher Froome (Team Sky)	Stage 6 winner and breakaway specialist, Jan Bakelandts (Omega Pharma - Quick Step)	Race leader, Christopher Froome (Team Sky), gets a badly needed fresh Yellow Jersey

Stage 7:  Ville-la-Grand → Finhaut-Emosson, 160 km  Full Results and Report

The mountain hamlet, Finhaut, with Mont Blanc in the background, was the picturesque finish host for Stage 7	Mont Blanc	Looking down from the finishing climb at the Finhaut Dam
Some dam nice scenery	Yuri Trofimov (Katusha) and Egor Silin (Katusha) led all the way up to the finishing HC climb to Finhaut (10.2 km, avg 8 %, max 17 %)	Lieuwe Westra (Astana) was dropped by the Katusha riders on the previous, but he clawed his way back
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) attacked off the diminished GC group inside 2 km to go	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) kept looking back to see who, if any, could follow him	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) digging deep
Christopher Froome (Team Sky) followed by two Garmin riders (Hesjedal and Talansky)	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) on the ropes	Lieuwe Westra (Astana) caught the two exhausted Katusha riders in the final 200m
Denied victory yesterday, Lieuwe Westra (Astana) inching to an epic Stage 7 win	Meanwhile, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) on his way to 8th + 2:11	11th Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol), 10th Sebastien Reichenbach (Iam), 9th Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) + 2:16
Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) on his way to 12th + 2:32, easily good enough to retain his best young rider's jersey, but he lost his third overall spot	This was the closest thing to a victory salute that Lieuwe Westra (Astana) offered after he just barely crossed the line	No comment necessary
GC battle in the final stretch; Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) digging for the line with Chris Froome in the distance	4th Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) + 1:33	5th Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) + 1:51 moving him up to 3rd overall + 39s
7th Christopher Froome (Team Sky) + 1:53 (20s behind Contador) crossing with Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin - Sharp)	A nice shot of Julian Alaphilippe (Omega Pharma - Quick Step) on the finishing climb	Lieuwe Westra (Astana) floating on clouds
Your Stage 7 winner, Lieuwe Westra (Astana)	Picturesque Podium setting	Your new race leader, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo), who leads Chris Froome by 8s now
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) is in the driver's seat now, but one more mountain stage remains	Your best young rider overall leader, Wilko Kelderman (Belkin) by + 1:12	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) at the post-race press conference. He was surprised he got such a large gap when he attacked inside 2 km to go. Leading the race is great he said, but the Tour de France is the main goal.
The gruppetto still making their way up to Finhaut

Stage 8:  Megève → Courchevel, 132 km  Full Results and Report

Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) successfully attacked the break with 2 km to go on the finishing climb to Courchevel	3rd overall + 29s at the start of the day, Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) made it into the main break with the help of teammate Ryder Hesjedal	Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) was forced to chase solo with 22 km to go when he ran out of teammates and Team Sky gave up the chase
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) gained time on Courchevel but not enough to save the overall win	Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) wins Stage 8
2nd Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) + 3s followed by 3rd Adam Yates (Orica GreenEdge)	4th Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) and 5th Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto Belisol) + 9s, 1:06 ahead of Alberto Contador	Christopher Froome (Team Sky) finished 20th + 5:05 dropping him out of the top 10
Consolation prize for Team Sky; Your stage 8 winner, Mikel Nieve (Team Sky)	Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) soaking it in	Your 2014 Critérium du Dauphiné overall winner, Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp)
Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) standing tall on Courchevel	Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) knows this isn't the Tour de France, but it's a big win nonetheless	Next to a summer sky jump on Courchevel, your overall/gc podium...
2014 overall podium: 2nd Alberto Contador (Tinkoff - Saxo) + 27s, 1st Andrew Talansky (Garmin - Sharp) 31:08:08, 3rd Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto - Belisol) + 35s