Contador, Froome and Rodriguez headline difficult Dauphiné

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With less than a month to go until the start of the Tour de France, the Critérium du Dauphiné once again assumes its role as a form guide and final test ahead of the sport’s grandest showdown.

Stage three, 167km from Ambérieu-en-Bugey to Tarare, is ideal for a break to slip clear. By now a general pecking order will have been established with time gaps healthy enough for the leading team to allow escapees their chance.