The Critérium du Dauphiné came to an end on Sunday after eight stages of exciting racing, toe-curling crashes and the usual fever that precedes the Tour de France. Between them at the end of the race, Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) had won three stages, the points classification and the overall title.
But has either man bolstered their credentials for the Tour de France in July? There is a case to be made that they have not.
When it comes to the Tour de France, there is no escaping the fact that there are four out-and-out favourites for the title. If a winner emerged from elsewhere, most commenters and fans would be gobsmacked. Evenepoel and Roglič should be in a four-way battle for the yellow jersey alongside the Giro d’Italia champion, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), and the two-time reigning Tour winner, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
The form and pedigree of each rider has been carefully monitored since their participations were confirmed in late 2023, but with none of the four scheduled to race between now and the Grand Départ in Florence, Italy, it is time for the GCN Racing News Show to take final stock of how each rider is shaping up for the race.
