Michal Kwiatkowski wins Criterium du Dauphine prologue

Michal Kwiatkowski kicked off the Criterium du Dauphine with a victory in the opening prologue. One day after his 28th birthday, the Pole clocked an unbeatable time of seven minutes and 25 seconds around the 6.6-kilometre opener in Valence.

For a time it seemed like Jos Van Emden’s time was unbeatable, until Michal Kwiatkowski was one second faster at the intermediate checkpoint. The Sky rider held on to this advantage in the second part and replaced Van Emden in the hot seat. Sky seemed to have saved the best for last, as Gianni Moscon finished in third place a few moments later, only three seconds down of the fastest time.

Team Sky’s leader, Geraint Thomas, was the last rider that could threaten Kwiatkowski’s top time. However, the Welshman crashed after a few kilometres, continuing a streak of bad luck in stage races this year.

After a perfect start to the Dauphine Kwiatkowski admitted he wasn’t sure how he’d perform, having not raced since Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April.

“After 40 days without racing of course it’s a bit of a surprise, but I know how hard I was training to be in good shape here in the Dauphine, as well as preparing for the Tour. You have to always be at the start thinking about the win, otherwise you are not able to perform well.

“It’s going to be difficult, the transition I have to make from spring and performing in the Classics, to getting ready for the Tour. I was training for more than two weeks at our altitude training camp getting ready for the climbing. Let’s hope I can find my legs, if not here then for the Tour.”

Criterium du Dauphine 2018 – prologue results (Valence – Valence):