Ireland's Dan Martin and Britain's Geraint Thomas were edged out in a dramatic sprint as Julian Alaphilippe claimed stage four victory at the Criterium du Dauphine.
The trio reined in Dario Cataldo 300 metres from the line in Lans-en-Vercors after the Astana Pro Team rider had established a lead of two minutes and 10 seconds over the peleton with just 10km to go.
Cataldo was still 45 seconds clear of the Team Sky-led chasing pack with just 2000m of the 181km stage to go, and was eventually swallowed up as the stage reached its climax.
Ultimately, it was Quick-Step Floors' Alaphilippe who crossed the line in front in a time of 4.26.58 with UAE Team Emirates' Martin and Sky's Thomas in hot pursuit.
Team Sky remain in the top three places in the general classification with Gianni Moscon having leapfrogged Michal Kwiatkowski into first place and Thomas in third with only six seconds separating them and Frenchman Alaphilippe 48 seconds behind the leader in fourth.
Martin has finished third in the Critérium in each of the last two editions, and followed that up with ninth and then sixth-placed finishes at the Tour de France. He's lying in 20th in the GC.
