Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar secured his first Criterium du Dauphine title after ending third in Sunday’s ultimate stage.

The reigning Tour de France and street world champion started the ultimate day one minute and one second forward of his closest rival Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard because of back-to-back stage wins on Friday and Saturday.

And the UAE Staff Emirates-XRG rider safely negotiated the 133.3km stage from Val-d’Arc to the Plateau du Mont-Cenis to complete alongside Vingegaard, 34 seconds behind stage winner Lenny Martinez.

“It has been a extremely superb week,” stated Pogacar, who topped the general standings by 58 seconds for his 99th skilled win in levels, races and common classification leads – essentially the most by an lively rider.

“As soon as once more at present, the workforce did an excellent job. We managed to defend the [yellow] jersey and we are able to go residence comfortable and put together for the Tour [de France].

“There’s a whole lot of positives from this week and we turned all of the negatives into positives, so it is all good.

“There’s not a lot to do forward of the Tour. I relaxation a bit, perhaps some additional work for the time-trial, after which I am prepared.”

The 26-year-old turns into the third reigning world champion to win the race, after French pair Louison Bobet and Bernard Hinault in 1955 and 1981 respectively.

German Florian Lipowitz accomplished the general podium forward of Belgian Remco Evenepoel.

French rider Martinez, 21, acquired previous Spaniard Enric Mas eight kilometres from the end of the mountainous stage so as to add to his wins within the Tour de Romandie and Paris-Good earlier this yr.

Consideration will now change to the Tour de France which begins on Saturday, 5 July.