Every year the Critérium du Dauphiné is used as a form-checker, and in some cases a form-finder, ahead of the biggest race in the cycling calendar, the Tour de France.
This year two of the Tour’s ‘big four’ arrived at the race in unknown condition having both fallen victim to the same crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, a crash which also took down two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).
