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Two stages down at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Critérium du Dauphiné and the majority of the leading GC contenders haven't put a foot wrong, and while the yellow jersey rests on the shoulders of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Thomas De Gendt (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Lotto Soudal), a cluster of overall contenders lie in wait with Wednesday's individualꦐ time trial expected to alter the 𝐆standings head of the mountains.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) is the best placed GC rider at 1:09 with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Chris Froome (Team Sky), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Andrew Talansky (Cannondale-Drapac), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Romain Bardet (AG2R), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Richie Porte (BMC Racing), 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Esteban Chaves (Orica-Scott), and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) all tied on the same time.

For Chaves, the Dauphiné is a somewhat of a voyage of discovery. The Colombian only returned to training in April after a lengthy knee injury and is tentatively🌜 making his way through the opening days before testing himself against the best in Wednesday's time trial. While the mountains that punctuate the final three days offer more favourable terrain on which his skillset can excel, the Orica rider is taking each stage as it comes.

"Physically it's still hard to say," he said when asked how he feels after two days of racing.

That said, Cha🧸ves' return to racing has not been easy. Although there has been relati༺ve calm across both of the race's opening stages, they still mark his first competitive outing since the Herald Sun Tour in February.

"My feelings have not changed too much from yesterday. I'm stilౠl a little scared in the bunch but we have time to habituate to that, we knew it would be like this. But I'm happy, like always, and I'm enjoying being back racing with the team."

For Porte, there is more pressure on his shoulders. Although he too is thinking long-term, unlike Chaves he arrives at the Dauphiné with greater expectancy on his shoulders after commanding rides in the Tour Down Under and the Tour de Romandie. The 32-year-old has come through the opening two stages here in France without a hitch a🍸nd looks set to rival Froome, Bardet and Contador for the overall title.

"It was quite hectic," Porte said after stage 2, "but the gu🌼ys were always around me today and kept me in a really good position. It was a nice stage to get ticked off and day-by-day we're getting closer to the real mountains. These stages are quite tricky. There is so much to lose, but I think we did another great job today."

As for Contador, his form is harder to predict. He has been competitive since the season started and has been unlucky not to win several races, including a nail-biting edition of Paris-Nice in March, but he arrived at the Dauphine talking down his chances. While he does not have the strongest team here – and is unlikely to put his men in a toe-to-toe fight with Froome's Team Sky or Porte's BMC – it's hard to envisage that he will use the Dauphine as little more than a training exercise.