Belgian wins time trial 21 seconds ahead of Vingegaard

Pogacar drops to eighth, 38 seconds behind

Time-trial specialist Remco Evenepoel laid down a marker in the fourth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné on Wednesday, winning the 17.4km race against the clock in style to move top of the overall classification. The 25-year-old Belgian tasted Olympic gold in the discipline last year and is also the double time-trial world champion. He showed his pedigree by blowing away a field containing Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.

Evenpoel raced home 21 seconds ahead of Dane Vingegaard, with Matteo Jorgenson a further 17 seconds back in third. Pogacar just missed the podium at 49 seconds behind Evenepoel, with Florian Lipowitz fifth and Mathieu van der Poel sixth.

“I’m surprised with the gaps,” Evenepoel said. “It’s quite big on a short TT so I’m very happy to have put over a second per kilometre on everybody and even two seconds per kilometre on some. I’m feeling good and it’s always nice to bring home a World Tour victory.”