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Sam Bennett took up where he left off in the Giro d’Italia, winning his first race back on Sunday. Bennett was first to the line in the Rund um Köln in Germany, easily dismissing multiple Tour de France stage winner Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin) and others, and notching up his fourth UCI win of the season.
Mihkel Räim (Israel Cycling Academy) was second, with Szymon Sajnok (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Brenton Jones (Delko Marseille Provence KTM) and Kittel next home.
Meanwhile, Dan Martin finished a superb fourth overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He was sixth on the final stage, crossing the line 24 seconds behind the solo stage winner Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott).
Beautiful stage
“I felt good the entire stage,” he said, “but in the final, my legs didn’t respond how I thought they would. I’m still happy with the overall results in this race. I’m at a physical level I didn’t really expect. I won a beautiful stage, I took fourth overall. Now, I’m going to recover for a few days and then build towards the Tour de France.”
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Martin finished two minutes 35 seconds behind the race winner Geraint Thomas (Team Sky). Given that his team lost two minutes 28 seconds to Sky in the team time trial, he will wonder what might have been.
Rund um Koln, Germany:
1. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4 hours 53 mins 17 secs; 2. M. Räim (Israel Cycling Academy); 3. S. Sajnok (CCC Sprandi Polkowice); 4. B. Jones (Delko Marseille Provence KTM); 5. M. Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin); 6. A. Grosser (Team Sauerland NRW p/b SKS Germany
Critérium du Dauphiné, France:
Moûtiers to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc: 1. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) 129 kilometres in 3 hours 51 mins 34 secs; 2. D. Navarro Garcia (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) at 4 secs; 3. R. Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) at 9 secs; 4. E. Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 14 secs; 5. G. Thomas (Team Sky) at 19 secs; 6. D. Martin (UAE Team Emirates) at 24 secs
Teams: 1. UAE Team Emirates, 11 hours 41 mins 33 secs; 2. Team Sky, at 24 secs; 3. AG2R La Mondiale, at 2 mins 21 secs; 4. Cofidis, Solutions Credits, at 3 mins 21 secs; 5. Groupama-FDJ, at 4 mins 37 secs
Final general classification: 1. Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) 24 hours 43 mins 12 secs; 2. A. Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) at 1 min; 3. R. Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) at 1 min 47 secs; 4. D. Martin (UAE Team Emirates) at 2 mins 35 secs; 5. D. Caruso (BMC Racing Team) at 2 mins 44 secs; 6. E. Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 3 mins 5 secs
Points classification: 1. Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) 45 pts; 2. D. Martin (UAE Team Emirates) 42; 3. G. Thomas (Team Sky) 40; 4. J. Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) 37; 5. A. Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) 36; 6. M. Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) 31
Mountains classification: 1. Dario Cataldo (Astana Pro Team) 53 pts; 2. P. Bilbao (Astana Pro Team) 37; 3. D. Navarro Garcia (Cofidis, Solutions Credits) 28; 4. G. Thomas (Team Sky) 26; 5. D. Martin (UAE Team Emirates) 25; 6. W. Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic) 25
Teams classification: 1. Team Sky, 73 hours 17 mins 36 secs; 2. UAE Team Emirates, at 7 mins 18 secs; 3. AG2R La Mondiale, at 10 mins 50 secs
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