No surprises at the Dauphiné: Pogacar takes it after a brilliant Lenny Martínez performance.

Tadej Pogacar is already cycling history, but each race he completes adds another step to his legend. This Sunday, he claimed his first overall title at the Dauphiné, adding 99 victories in his career. The Slovenian managed his lead in the overall standings and didn't even sprint, allowing Jonas Vingegaard to finish second. The stage win went to Lenny Martínez , who held off Enric Mas's attacks and was the strongest on the final climb. The French cyclist completed a 100-kilometer solo offensive in a mountain stage with six qualifying climbs and over 3,500 meters of elevation gain.

Pogacar 's victory was a statement of authority and a clear message for the upcoming Tour de France. His final triumph came on the queen stage, where he put on a display and demonstrated his potential, leaving his great rivals, such as Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, far behind. Vingegaard led the race during the early stages, but collapsed upon reaching the mountains. The Slovenian won three stages of this Criterium, leaving Vingegaard a minute behind in the general classification . Adding to his dominance in this race is the fact that he has won every World Tour-level stage race he has entered, except for the Itzulia, where he finished third in 2021.

Vingegaard wanted to add excitement to the stage from the start, participating in a breakaway alongside riders like Healy, Van Gils, Lutsenko, and Enric Mas. Alarm bells went off for the UAE Team, which didn't want any scares for its leader. The Dane from Vismal pulled out and returned to the peloton, seeing that he wasn't going to achieve anything. The Alpecin rider fought to ensure Van der Poel took the green jersey. From then on, a beautiful fight broke out between Enric Mas and Lenny Martínez , until the Spaniard gave up and the Frenchman was able to ride alone towards the finish. In the final kilometers, Pogacar and Vongegaard tried to catch him, but it was too late.

"It was a great effort from the whole team and good preparation for the Tour," Pogacar said after crossing the finish line. Enric Mas , seventh overall, was the highest-placed Spaniard in the stage and overall. Carlos Rodríguez finished ninth.