The day after tomorrow, the Critérium du Dauphiné starts, a tough eight-day WorldTour stage race which is a perfect preparation for the Tour de France for many riders.

The Dauphiné is a race for climbers. Bart De Clercq, Tony Gallopin and Tim Wellens will defend the Lotto Soudal colours. All three of them just got back from an altitude training camp in the Sierra Nevada, which they hope to benefit from in a few weeks. The fast men have the biggest opportunity in stage two. Lotto Soudal counts on the sprint of Kris Boeckmans. He can expect competition from Nacer Bouhanni and Sacha Modolo.

“We aim for a stage win; that can be with Kris Boeckmans in the sprint or in the mountains with Tony Gallopin or Tim Wellens. For Tony and Tim this is the first race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Together with Bart De Clercq they stayed in Sierra Nevada for two weeks for a training camp. Like always we have to wait how they react in the first race. They certainly get their types of stages. Bart, Tim and Tony have to be good in the Dauphiné, but not in top shape yet. The main goals lie in the Tour," sports director Herman Frison said.

“There is a team time trial next week. Unfortunately we can’t ride it with the Tour team. That’s never the case because the riders are always spread over several races. That day we won’t strive for the victory, it’s just important that everyone does their part of the job. The riders in the Dauphiné can take a look at a part of the Tour route. The fifth stage is exactly the same as the seventeenth Tour stage. In the last stage the riders have to climb the Lacets de Montvernier, which is on the course of the eighteenth Tour stage as well. It’s a special climb with many turns and a very steep descent.

“The route of the Dauphiné is made for climbers. I hope for two sprints, there definitely won’t be any more. The first stage is not that long, but the climb in the local lap could make the race hard. The second stage is the flattest, there is a big chance of a bunch sprint. There is a climb of first category in the first half of the stage, but that shouldn’t be an obstacle. The fourth stage might end with a sprint of a reduced peloton. Kris Boeckmans is riding very well, he’s our man for the sprint.”

Selection Lotto Soudal: 

Tiesj Benoot, Kris Boeckmans, Bart De Clercq, Gert Dockx, Tony Gallopin, Pim Ligthart, Tosh Van der Sande and Tim Wellens.