Magnus Cort Nielsen took the race lead after winning the second stage of the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of Primoz Roglic in thick fog on the summit of the Col de la Loge on Monday.

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The Uno-X rider won a sprint finish ahead of the peloton of favorites who caught the last survivor of the breakaway, Frenchman Bruno Armirail, just 150 meters from the finish line.

Armirail's misfortune worked in the favor of Dane Cort Nielsen, who relishes these stages for punchers and already has won stages on the three Grand Tours.

At the bottom of the final climb, Col de la Croix Ladret, Armirail attacked on his own and dropped his former breakaway companions, who were reined in by the pack with 8 kilometers to go.

Race leader Mads Pedersen was dropped by the peloton 500 meters from the top of the last hill, and the French escapee held on.

Armirail retained his 25-second advantage with 5 kilometers to go and still was leading with 300 meters left, as the fog made the visibility very poor.

He hardly saw the peloton race past, led by Cort Nielsen, who outpaced Roglic and American Matteo Jorgenson, the co-leader of the Visma team in the absence of Jonas Vingegaard.

Cort Nielsen, at the same time, took the lead in the general classification from fellow Dane Mads Pedersen, after his first race win in his new Uno-X colors.

"I didn't have my best start to the season, I went through difficult times, without great results," Cort Nielsen said. "So, winning in a race as important as the Dauphine is really fabulous."

To complete his happiness, he took the yellow leader's jersey.

"Wearing this jersey will be a memorable memory of my career," added the 31-year-old Cort Nielsen. "Danish cycling has been going extremely strong for several years."

Among the favorites, Roglic made a good impression by taking second place.

The Bora-Hansgrohe leader is "excited to be racing with the guys again" after spending a lot of time in training following his crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in early April.

Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Spaniard Juan Ayuso also finished in the peloton.

For them, Wednesday's time trial will be the first real test after another hilly ride Tuesday over 181.7 kilometers from Celles-sur-Durolle to Les Estables in south-central France.

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