World champion Remco Evenepoel offered a glimpse of his potential Tour de France form by taking the overall lead at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné on Wednesday with a pulsating time-trial win.

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Two months after breaking a shoulder, Belgian Evenepoel won the 34-kilometer individual effort in the eight-day Criterium by 17 seconds from Briton Josh Tarling and 39 seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic.

The trio also should be medal hopes at the Paris Olympics time trial.

Roglic and Evenepoel, however, are seen as rivals to Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the upcoming Tour de France, where two tough time trials - one on gravel and the other a final-day slog across the Monaco to Nice corniche - stand in the way of any winner.

Evenepoel said he was both relieved and proud to find his form.

"It's been quite a long way," said the Soudal Quick Step leader, who was decked out in his time-trial world champion rainbow jersey. "Three weeks of almost no bike, and then only four weeks of training, so to be at this level already is a good sign toward the Tour. Now, we go day by day, and we will see what we can achieve in this race."

With a blockbuster weekend of climbing in the Alps ahead, Evenepoel leads Roglic by 33 seconds in the overall standings, with Paris-Nice champion Matteo Jorgenson of Visma in third at 1minute, 7 seconds.

Other potential winners, Spaniards Juan Ayuso of UAE at 1minute, 27 seconds and Carlos Rodriguez of Ineos at 1 minute, 41 seconds, lurk slightly lower down the standings, awaiting the mountain challenges.

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