Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) has said he’s some way off his top level but showed no real sign of concern following the stage 4 time trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The Olympic time trial champion finished in fifth place in La Bâtie d’Urfé, some 42 seconds down on stage winner Filippo Ganna over the course of 31.9 largely flat kilometres.
However, he was still the strongest of the pre-race general classification contenders, putting some 30 seconds into the next best, his own teammate Jonas Vingegaard.
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"It's going OK. Definitely I'm not at my best, but I need these kind of things to improve," Roglič said. "I would say mentally [I'm] good, definitely. I'm pleased with my performance, I really pushed myself and I'm happy about that," he said.
The main goal for the three-time Vuelta a España champion is the Tour de France, which gets underway in just over three weeks' time. Despite being a rider of seemingly perpetual form, Roglič is making his first racing appearance since early April, having suffered a knee injury in the interim.
As such, for all his favourite status at the Dauphiné, he's looking for signs he's on track for the start of the Tour in Copenhagen on July 1.
"We will see when we are there," he said of Copenhagen. "But these kind of things will help me and are part of my preparation towards the Tour."
Roglic now lies third overall at the Dauphiné, 56 seconds down on teammate Wout van Aert, but 30 seconds up on the rest of the contenders and more than 40 over anyone who's not a teammate.
The race continues on Thursday with a flatter stage north of Lyon before heading to the Alps via Friday's hilly stage to Gap ahead of back-to-back mountain stages and summit finishes at the weekend.
