Dauphiné and Lombardia leave teams rethinking Tour plans

Amid lively racing, multiple crashes and incidents force teams to reconsider Tour plans during an eye-opening week of riding

- James Shrubsall

Following the Critérium du Dauphiné and Il Lombardia at the weekend, the stage has been set for the Tour de France — although the curtain is still tantalisingly pulled partially across as we wait to see just how much the ailments being nursed by favourites Egan Bernal (Ineos) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) — and others besides — will affect them at the Tour.

And they were far from the only casualties. The Dauphiné, which was won overall by Daniel Martínez (EF Pro Cycling) is usually little more than a straightforward week of engaging Alpine racing, acting as a useful barometer of form for the Tour favourites. But this year it has scattered multiple major contenders in its wake.

Dutch super-team Jumbo-Visma looked imperious at the start of the race, winning stage one and two with Wout Van Aert and Primož Roglič . But they saw Steven Kruijswijk crash on a gravelly descent on stage four and dislocate his shoulder, while Roglič, who was in yellow for the third consecutive day, also crashed heavily and failed to start the following day “as a precaution”.

“Before yesterday I would have said yes [we were favourites for the Tour],” said Jumbo’s Tom Dumoulin after stage five. “But yesterday was really just a s*** day for us. Stevie is really banged up and Primož as well. There is still time to recover but it’s not ideal.”

Ineos, too, saw their stock fall, as last year’s Tour winner Egan Bernal suffered a recurrence of a previous back injury and was withdrawn from therace after stage three, while lying in seventh place.