Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Michal Kwiatkowski finished 23rd on the 158.5km Stage of Critérium du Dauphiné on Monday. The race exploded on the 13.6, 6.5% finishing climb on HC Col du Béal. Yellow jersey wearer Chris Froome (Team Sky) was guided on the earlier kilometers of the climb by his teammates on the front as they swept up the final rider from an original breakaway with 7.7km to go. Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), 2nd in the GC in the green jersey, was directly behind.
As the pace continued to stay high in anticipation of final actions, riders began to lose contact with the peloton. Kwiatkowski did his best to minimize the damage in a small chase group.
Froome eventually accelerated, bringing Contador with him. Eventually, chasers Wilco Kelderman (Belkin ProCycling), Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) worked their way to the wheels of the leaders along the final climb. Going into the final kilometer Froome was on the front of the group with Contador 2nd wheel. Froome accelerated one final time and Contador was the only rider able to stay with him. The two went to the line together, but Contador was unable to come around on Froome and Froome won his second straight stage. Kelderman crossed the line shortly after for 3rd place.
Kwiatkowski finished 2'11" back with a chase group.
Froome remains the race leader, 12" over Contador and 21" over Kelderman.
OPQS looks next to medium mountain stage 3, a 194km stage from Ambert to Le Teil. There are two 2nd Category climbs and an intermediate sprint section, but the stage descends to a flat final kilometers.