Belgian hope Jurgen Van den Broeck had a welcome boost to his morale at the weekend when he finished a fine fourth overall in the Dauphiné Libéré.
The 27 year old ended the race 3’46 behind RadioShack rider Janez Brajkovic, and rode well in the mountains with a fifth-place finish at the top of Alpe d’Huez.
His performance was a clear improvement over his ride in the same race twelve months ago. On that occasion he was 29th overall, 19 minutes 33 seconds behind the race winner Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne), although he did ride in support of his then-team leader Cadel Evans.
The jump in performance fuels hopes that he will play a bigger part in this year’s Tour de France than he did last year, when he was a very respectable 14th overall.
Van den Broeck stepped up to the challenge after Evans’ form collapsed due to illness. He was the highest-placed Belgian finisher in the Tour, and his compatriots hope that he can eventually become the first winner from that country since Lucien Van Impe back in 1976.
Evans has now left the team and so the Belgian will be the undisputed leader for the race. He’s been getting ready for the goal all season, netting second overall in the Vuelta a Andalucia, then taking a solid tenth in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.
Top 20 finishes in the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège followed, and showed that while he might not be at the same level as the one day specialists in the Classics, that he is developing into a very solid all-round rider.
His Dauphiné performance has boosted his confidence, making him believe that things are going to plan. “The test succeeded,” he told La Derniere Heure. “I had no ambitions for the general classification, but I could follow the best riders on the cols. I gained great confidence in the Alps. I'm ready for the Tour.”
Defending Tour champion Contador said that he was impressed by what he saw, and he thinks there is a chance that the Omega Pharma Lotto could end up being one of his rivals in the Tour de France.
“I do not know where he stands in his preparation for the Tour, but if he can still improve a little, he will join the fight amongst the top riders," said Contador.
Van den Broeck finished two minutes and five seconds behind the Spaniard, earning his respect. His climbing abilities mean that Contador now considers him as one of his rivals for the mountains. “I really think that Jurgen can surprise as regards the spectacle in the cols,” he said.
What is necessary is for the Belgian to remain on an upwards trajectory, building form between now and the important stages in the Tour. He feels that he has done things right, and that the benefits will be seen in his big season goal.
“I don’t think I’m in shape too early. My performance in the Dauphine is the result of targeted training work,” he said. “Now I will be mainly resting and recovering for the Tour start. I'm looking forward to the cols.”