Jake Stewart Claims Stage 5 Victory in Critérium du Dauphiné 2025, Evenepoel Maintains Yellow Jersey

In a thrilling conclusion to Stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné held on June 12, 2025, Jake Stewart from Israel-Premier Tech secured a notable victory in Mâcon with a powerful sprint finish. The English cyclist outperformed competitors Axel Laurance of Ineos Grenadiers, who finished second, and Soren Waerenskjold from Uno-X Mobility, who completed the podium in third place.

Stewart's decisive win was marked by his speed in the final 200 meters of the race. Laurance reflected on the intensity of the stage, saying, "It’s not too bad for a massive sprint. I felt great all day. It was tough to manage; we wanted to speed up, but with the heat, we were quickly caught."

Despite a minor crash in the last kilometer, Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel maintained his overall lead and retained the coveted yellow jersey after previously securing it during a time trial. He holds a slender margin over Germany's Florian Lipowitz, who is just four seconds behind. The current classification sees Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel in third place, trailing Evenepoel by 14 seconds, while Jonas Vingegaard follows close at 16 seconds behind. Notably, Slovenian star Tadej Pogacar sits in seventh, 38 seconds off the lead.

The race also showcased the resilience of several French riders, including Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B), Jordan Labrosse (Décathlon-AG2R), and Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis), who led for parts of the stage before being overtaken in the closing kilometers. Benjamin Thomas was recognized for his efforts, winning the combativeness prize for the day.

As the race progresses, the narrative of Stage 5 sets the stage for the upcoming challenges in the competition, with Evenepoel's leadership and Stewart's emerging prowess promising an exciting continuation.