Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) went into last week’s Critérium du Dauphiné with the intention of honing his form towards July’s Tour de France. The 28-year-old Belgian finished fourth in last year’s Dauphiné, then went on to finish fifth in the Tour, the best for a Belgian in 24 years.
In the event, Van Den Broeck finished fourth for the second successive year, although he obviously feels he could have gone better.
"As a rider you’re never really satisfied,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “I couldn’t make the difference in the climbs; my legs were not so fresh.”
On the final stage to La Toussuire, he attempted to breakaway, but got no support and was unable to answer the acceleration of stage winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).
“I tried it from 5 km from the summit to take a little more time, but the others just sat in my wheel. I do not know why they didn’t work with me; could they not or would they not?”
When Rodriguez went, there was nothing the rest of the lead group could do, and the Spanish rider took his second successive stage by seven seconds.
"He can do that, of course,” said Van Den Broeck. “I had expected it, even though I was ready for a sprint. I didn’t want the same thing as Monday when I couldn’t get my jersey closed, which was why more than one kilometre from the finish I got my jersey neatly zipped shut.
“Just because you're better than last year it doesn’t mean that the results are better,” he added.
While he was disappointed to just miss out on the Dauphiné podium for the second successive year, and not get the chance to sprint for his second stage win, Van Den Broeck is more concerned with the Tour de France.
"The victory in the Dauphine is worth as much as third place in Paris,” he said. “It’s a good a race to test your legs, but don’t needlessly put everything into is. I can’t say much about my direct competitors for the Tour, as everyone rides the Dauphiné in their own way; you do not know what they’ve done before."
While his fourth place overall matched that of last year, Van Den Broeck comes away from the race much more confident in himself as he heads towards the Tour de France.
"Personally I was hoping for a good Dauphiné,” he said. “The end result was within my expectations; my stage victory in Saint-Pierre de Chartreuse was beyond expectation.
“This Dauphiné has taught me that I am even more convinced of my own qualities,” he explained. “I have no fear when going uphill. I used to think: ‘oops, will I be able to go?’ Now I accelerate myself, I counter if I can; but then again, can I stay with it if someone like Rodriguez attacks about three or four times.”
After the Dauphiné, like many of his rivals for July, Van Den Broeck has stayed on in the Alps to check out some of the key mountains and to hone his form a little further.
“I’m here for the last little bit of condition,’ he explained. “And hope that after a day or two in the Tour I’ll hit my peak, because the last time trial in Grenoble will decide the Tour podium.
“I've also seen that the team will be good,” he added. “[Jurgen] Van de Walle, [Jelle] Vanendert, [Frederik] Willems... it is all good."