cycling: Critérium du Dauphiné stage #3: Koen Bouwman celebrates his first professional victory - two Germans in the top 10

Cycling: Koen Bouwman (LottoNL-Jumbo) has won the third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné after a strong performance. The Dutchman was part of the day's escape group, which was able to maintain its lead over the sprinters to the finish. For the 23-year-old it is the first professional win ever. With Phil Bauhaus (Team Sunweb) and Pascal Ackermann (BORA-hansgrohe), two German drivers also made it into the top 10.

Third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné and already the second breakaway coup. After Thomas de Gendt's show of strength at the start, it was the young Koen Bouwman who successfully completed the escape today and thus thwarted the plans of the sprinters and their teams. Together with five other drivers, he tore the decisive gap after just a few kilometers. The sextet harmonized well and the lead on the wavy profile grew rapidly - also because the field was more relaxed.

After almost half of the distance to be covered, it was finally Katusha-Alpecin who picked up the pace and tried to reduce the lead of the leading group, which had meanwhile increased to over six minutes. Of course, the Swiss team mainly drove for their sprinter Alexander Kristoff and the hard work seemed to bear fruit quickly: the minutes tumbled and it seemed only a matter of time before the leading sextet would be swallowed up by the peloton. However: Bouwman and his teammates did not give up and pushed the pace again in the last third of the race. Since at the same time there was no longer any agreement in the field regarding the pursuit work, the breakaway group was able to save its lead into the Flamme Rouge.

Bouwman had a teammate in the group, Alexey Vermeulen, who then also started the sprint. Bouwman used the through ball and finally won in front of Evaldas Siskevicius (Delko Marseille Provence KTM) and Frederik Backaert (Wanty - Groupe Gobert). Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) defended his overall lead again and will also start with the yellow jersey on the fourth day.

Final result Critérium du Dauphiné 2017 Stage #3

General classification Critérium du Dauphine 2017 after stage #3