Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) had never won a WorldTour race before this week, but he ends the Critérium du Dauphiné with three – two stages and the overall – tucked in his jersey pocket. Liberated at Astana by the departure of Vincenzo Nibali, the Dane’s assertion at the start of the year that he wanted to improve on his best-ever Tour de France result, seventh in 2013, now looks very reasonable indeed.
Fuglsang, who snatched the Dauphiné from Richie Porte on a dramatic final day in the Alps, has spent the majority of his career as a domestique, spending his first few seasons alongside the Schleck brothers. He moved to Astana in 2013 and, although the door was open for him to grab his Tour de France result, he soon slotted into a support role for Vincenzo Nibali.
“I tried to be leader before in 2013, without having a big team behind me, and from there on I’ve been working for Vincenzo for many years and without having the big success myself – and sometimes also even having Vincenzo as a rival within the team,” Fuglsang said in his winner’s press conference in Bonneville, at the foot of the Plateau de Solaison.
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“To have this opportunity now is perfect, and it’s a big motivation for me. Also my silver medal at the Olympic Games last year gave me huge motivation. I showed myself that once I get the chance I can perform and deliver.”
The leadership door swinging open was the biggest factor in paving the way for this success, but the 32-year-old added that everything has come together perfectly for him to grasp the opportunity with both hands.
“After that I think it’s the little details that have made the difference, the little details that that hadn’t been in my favour in the past,” he said. "The fact that I recently became a father has also given me, in some way, added strength."
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