Jose de Cauwer: "I think everyone wants to see Alaphilippe racing like this: eager and participating again"

In a Critérium du Dauphiné where much of the race was dominated by Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma, Julian Alaphilippe was a bright spark, enjoying something of a resurgence.

One man who was certainly impressed was Sporza analyst, Jose de Cauwer. "It is actually a kind of resurrection," he tells Sporza as part of his post-Critérium du Dauphiné recap. "I think everyone wants to see Alaphilippe racing like this: eager and participating again. It's not a big deal that he gets caught once."

With the Tour de France on the horizon, and the Soudal - Quick-Step man seemingly returning to his best form, can de Cauwer see the Frenchman taking the Maillot Jaune in one of the early Basque Country stages? "Yes, but there are still a few others. I think in the first place of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel," he explains. "In any case, it would be a huge boost for himself and his team. Alaphilippe is out of contract next year and would certainly like to get a nice contract somewhere. Whether that will be with Patrick Lefevere's team, that is still the question."

Aside from Alaphilippe the other French hope, David Gaudu goes to the biggest race of the year with plenty of questions over his form. "He was thought to be competing for the top five. That was far from successful," de Cauwer analyses of Gaudu's Dauphine. "He will have questions: for the Tour, and also for the further future."