The Critérium du Dauphiné is always an important warm-up race for the Tour but with the Grand Départ in Nice just two weeks away it was an even bigger indicator of form.
Daniel was in France and reports back on the race, while Richard draws up his list of the week’s 18 winners and losers.
Jumbo-Visma started and ended the week brilliantly but suffered setbacks too. Primoz Roglic pulled out while leading the race following a crash and key helper Steven Kruijswijk also crashed out of the race.
Meanwhile, it was far from plain sailing for Team Ineos. Egan Bernal also pulled out with a back issue and Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas were off the pace all week. Their only bright spot was Pavel Sivakov, who finished the race strongly. We hear from him in this episode.
We then switch our attention to Italy and il Lombardia, where Jakob Fuglsang took his second monument victory following Liège-Bastogne-Liège last year.
The Dane saw off George Bennett, who again shone for Jumbo-Visma, but there were questions for Trek-Segafredo, who got three riders into the final six man selection only to finish fourth, fifth and sixth.
However, the race was marred by another serious crash, this time for Remco Evenepoel, and an incident where an public car got onto the course near the finish. Is it time for responsibility for race safety to be taken over by an independent body?
The Cycling Podcast is supported by iwoca and Science in Sport.
My first Tour de France
Our four-part series, My First Tour, is available for Friends of the Podcast. Sign up on our website. In the series, Richard, Lionel, Daniel and François take turns to recall their first Tours – whether it be the first they saw on television or from the roadside, the first they covered or, in Lionel’s case, the first they covered in a camper van.
Also, with the peloton set to return to the Giant of Provence this week, we’ve made the 2016 Friends Special about Mont Ventoux – Heat, Wind and Fear – available for current Friends of the Podcast.
OUR NEW CLOTHING RANGE
We have teamed up with Katusha to produce The Cycling Podcast Collection. The launch range is a cycling jersey and a t-shirt in both men’s and women’s cuts. To check out the range go to our website.
OUR SPONSORS
Click Here to Listen the Podcast from The Cycling Podcast…