Tadej Pogacar edged a gripping opening stage of the eight-day Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 on Sunday after an elite clique produced a surprise finale that delivered the first yellow jersey to the Slovenian.

Billed as a potential mass sprint, cycling fans were instead treated to a late breakaway, as Jonas Vingegaard attacked late, with Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel following, and double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel chasing them down.

Race designers had placed four small hills in the closing kilometers of the stage, and the idea produced a thrilling four-way race for the line.

Pogacar came across the line ahead of Vingegaard after keeping his powder dry until Van der Poel attacked early, and both men overtook him.

Evenepoel was fourth, with all of them clocking 4 hours, 40 minutes, 2 seconds over the hilly 196-kilometer run from Domerat and Montlucon.

Pogacar said he hadn't expected to win but had tracked the moves of others, before coming up with an impromptu plan.

"I switched my focus around 2k to go to prepare for sprint, and it worked," said the 26-year-old three-time Tour de France winner. "I knew that van der Poel was the fastest, obviously, in this group. But after a finish like this, you cannot count all of the rest out."

Pogacar took the overall lead thanks to 10 bonus seconds, with Vingegaard only taking six. 

It already is looking like a fascinating battle is warming up between these two riders, who have won the last five editions of the Tour de France between them.

Vingegaard said he was disappointed to be four seconds adrift of his perennial rival but was looking on the bright side.

"It's the first time I finished second in a bunch sprint," said the slender climbing specialist. "So, I'm happy. And Tadej was just faster than I was. So congrats to him."

With four hilly stages, a time trial and three final days in the Alps, the Dauphine will provide a glimpse of what to expect when the 21-day Tour de France begins July 5.

The short, tough route has attracted an A-list roster of 154 riders from 22 teams.

Monday's second stage takes in six more big hills over 204.6 kilometers from Premilhat to Issoire.

Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 Stage 1 Results – Top 25

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) – 4:40:12 (B10)
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 4:40:12 (B6)
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – 4:40:12 (B4)
4. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) – 4:40:12
5. Thomas Jake Stewart (Israel - Premier Tech) – 4:40:12
6. Hugo Page (Intermarché - Wanty) – 4:40:12
7. Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) – 4:40:12
8. Clément Venturini (Arkea-B&B Hotels) – 4:40:12
9. Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) – 4:40:12
10. Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ) – 4:40:12
11. Emilien Jeanniere (TotalEnergies) – 4:40:1
12. Laurence Pithie (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) – 4:40:12
13. Stian Edvardsen-Fredheim (Uno-X Mobility) – 4:40:12
14. Ben Tulett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 4:40:12
15. Anders Foldager (Team Jayco AlUla) – 4:40:12
16. Samuel Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) – 4:40:12
17. Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) – 4:40:12
18. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) – 4:40:12
19. Aurélien Paret Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) – 4:40:12
20. Simone Velasco (XDS Astana Team) – 4:40:12
21. Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 4:40:12
22. Michael Valgren (EF Education - EasyPost) – 4:40:12
23. Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar Team) – 4:40:12
24. Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL) – 4:40:12
25. Bjoern Koerdt (Team Picnic PostNL) – 4:40:12