June 12, 2025 – Stage 5: Saint-Priest > Mâcon 183km
After days of mountain mayhem and GC fireworks, Stage 5 at the Critérium du Dauphiné finally threw a bone to the fastmen—and it was James Stewart of Israel-Premier Tech who grabbed it with both hands. The 23-year-old Brit launched a blistering sprint in Mâcon to claim the biggest win of his young career and a rare moment of glory for the sprinters in this year’s climbing-heavy edition.
Fans and riders love the Dauphine because the relaxed vibe is to opposite Le Tour.
It wasn’t handed to him either—Stewart surged past some serious horsepower in the final dash, including Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) and TotalEnergies’ Dries Van Gestel, who had to settle for second and third, respectively. The final sprint was chaotic and messy, as you’d expect after after 200 kilometers of French summer heat, rolling terrain and a nervous peloton. But Stewart timed his move to perfection, surfing wheels and punching clear with just the right mix of patience and panache.
“It was a super hard day, especially with the break dangling out there for so long,” said Stewart post-stage. “But I knew if I could hold position through the last roundabout, I had the legs. This one’s for the team.”
And speaking of the break—Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) and the always-combative Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ) gave the peloton a proper scare, keeping the gap hovering around the minute mark until the last 15 km. It took some full-gas chasing from the sprint squads to finally bring the duo to heel.
Up front in the GC, it was status quo. Remco Evenpoel kept his grip on yellow, with no changes in the top 10, even after he went down inside the last km (with no time penalty due to being inside the final 3km). The big guns were happy to let the sprinters play today—but with more mountains looming on the horizon, they’ll be back at it soon enough.
So a day for the fast-twitchers, a big career boost for Stewart, and a reminder that even in the land of the grimpeurs, every now and then, the sprinters get their say.
Tomorrow’s Stage 6 runs 126.7 km from Valserhône > Combloux, with a summit finish atop the 9km long climb to Combloux.
Stage 5 Results
| Rank | Rider | Rider No. | Team | Times | Gap | B | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | THOMAS JAKE STEWART | 141 | ISRAEL – PREMIER TECH | 04h 03′ 46” | – | B : 10” | – |
| 2 | AXEL LAURANCE | 33 | INEOS GRENADIERS | 04h 03′ 46” | – | B : 6” | – |
| 3 | SOREN WAERENSKJOLD | 127 | UNO-X MOBILITY | 04h 03′ 46” | – | B : 4” | – |
| 4 | LAURENCE PITHIE | 5 | RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 5 | JONATHAN MILAN | 61 | LIDL-TREK | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 6 | PAUL PENHOET | 135 | GROUPAMA-FDJ | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 7 | EMILIEN JEANNIERE | 214 | TOTALENERGIES | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 8 | ALFRED WRIGHT | 57 | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 9 | MATHIEU VAN DER POEL | 111 | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
| 10 | BASTIEN TRONCHON | 77 | DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE TEAM | 04h 03′ 46” | – | – | – |
Overall After Stage 5
| Rank | Rider | Rider No. | Team | Times | Gap | B | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | REMCO EVENEPOEL | 41 | SOUDAL QUICK-STEP | 18h 34′ 54” | – | B : 1” | – |
| 2 | FLORIAN LIPOWITZ | 4 | RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE | 18h 34′ 58” | + 00h 00′ 04” | – | – |
| 3 | IVAN ROMEO ABAD | 107 | MOVISTAR TEAM | 18h 35′ 03” | + 00h 00′ 09” | B : 10” | – |
| 4 | MATHIEU VAN DER POEL | 111 | ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK | 18h 35′ 08” | + 00h 00′ 14” | B : 8” | – |
| 5 | JONAS VINGEGAARD | 11 | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | 18h 35′ 10” | + 00h 00′ 16” | B : 6” | – |
| 6 | EDWARD DUNBAR | 161 | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 18h 35′ 24” | + 00h 00′ 30” | – | – |
| 7 | TADEJ POGACAR | 21 | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | 18h 35′ 32” | + 00h 00′ 38” | B : 12” | – |
| 8 | MATTEO JORGENSON | 14 | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | 18h 35′ 33” | + 00h 00′ 39” | – | – |
| 9 | LOUIS BARRE | 182 | INTERMARCHÉ – WANTY | 18h 35′ 57” | + 00h 01′ 03” | B : 7” | – |
| 10 | PAUL SEIXAS | 76 | DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE TEAM | 18h 36′ 07” | + 00h 01′ 13” | – | – |
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