Dorian Godon Wins Tour de Romandie Stage 1, Takes Overall Lead

French cyclist Dorian Godon of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team won stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de Romandie in a sprint finish on Wednesday, also taking the overall race lead. Godon edged out his teammate Andrea Vendrame, who finished second, with Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck) coming in third.

The 165.7km stage from Château d'Oex to Fribourg featured six categorized climbs. A breakaway group of six riders formed early but was eventually caught in the final kilometers. World champion Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) attacked on the last climb but was unable to stay clear of the chasing peloton.

In the final sprint, Godon emerged victorious from a group of around 50 riders, slipping through a gap and powering to the line ahead of Vendrame. "It was my first World Tour victory," said Godon. "I was rewarded for being patient."

The stage win, combined with time bonuses, puts Godon into the leader's jersey with a six-second advantage over Vermeersch. Alaphilippe sits nine seconds back in third place overall.

Godon credited his Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale teammates, including Jaakko Hänninen, Jordan Labrosse, and Bruno Armirail, for their vital support in helping him get back into contention after being in the second group. "The team executed the plan well, with two options for the sprint," Godon explained. "I was able to win and take the leader's jersey, which I hope to enjoy in the next stage with good weather."

This marks the second double victory this season for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, after Benoît Cosnefroy won stage 2 of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes in February. The French team has now recorded 11 victories in 2024.

The Tour de Romandie continues on Thursday with stage 2, a challenging 171km route that concludes with a climb to the

Key Takeaways

• French cyclist Dorian Godon won stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de Romandie in a sprint finish.
• Godon took the overall race lead, edging out teammate Andrea Vendrame and Gianni Vermeersch.
• Godon's Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team executed a successful tactical plan for the sprint.
• This is Godon's first World Tour victory and the team's 11th win of the 2024 season.
• Godon's win positions him as a rider to watch leading up to the Tour de France.