MEGEVE, France Colombian rider Daniel Martinez won the Critrium du Dauphin race after leader Primoz Roglic pulled out before Sunday’s final stage.
The Slovenian led Frenchman Thibaut Pinot by 14 seconds overnight but decided to abandon after crashing midway through Saturday’s penultimate stage.
That gave Pinot, who is expected to be among the contenders to win the upcoming Tour de France, an ideal chance. But it was Martinez who jumped from fifth overall to claim an unexpected victory, finishing 29 seconds ahead of Pinot overall and 41 clear of French rider Guillaume Martin.
American rider Sepp Kuss won the fifth and final stage itself, a 153.5-kilometer (95.2-mile) mountain trek which started and finished in the Alpine ski resort of Megve.
Kuss won comfortably with Martinez 27 seconds behind and Slovenian Tadej Pogacar 30 seconds back in third.
Another big-name rider pulled out on Sunday, with Colombian climbing ace Nairo Quintana deciding his knee pains were too much.
Quintana has won the Giro d’Italia and Spanish Vuelta, but has his heart set on winning the Tour.
He must now recover in time for the Aug. 29.-Sept. 20 race.
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