COL DU BEAL, France (AP) β British rider Chris Froome showed he is in dominant form ahead of the Tour de France, beating main rival Alberto Contador to win the second stage of the Criterium du Dauphine on Monday.
Froome accelerated with 800 meters (yards) remaining and managed to hold off two-time Tour de France champion Contador on the 158.5-kilometer (98.5 mile) leg from Tarare to Col du Beal.
Wilco Kelderman was third, four seconds behind the lead duo.
It was Froome’s second successive victory in the eight-stage race, after winning the opening time trial. He has a 12-second advantage over Contador and is 21 seconds ahead of Kelderman.
Froome won the Dauphine last year and went on to secure the Tour de France title a few weeks later.
