Chastreix-Sancy (dpa) – The Belgian Wout van Aert missed his second day’s victory in the Dauphiné tour of the professional cyclists by celebrating too early.
Van Aert raised his arms shortly before the finish of the third stage over 169 kilometers from Saint-Paulien to Chastreix-Sancy, but Frenchman David Gaudu passed him.
At least van Aert, who had won the first leg, replaced Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz at the top of the overall standings again. Vuillermoz fell back on the climb towards the finish. Even the German professionals could not intervene in the decision. Veteran Simon Geschke was 42 seconds behind, Nils Politt almost three minutes.
The strong, demanding race lasts until June 12th. The Dauphiné tour traditionally serves as a preparation for the Tour de France, which starts this year on July 1 in the Danish capital Copenhagen.