Juan Ayuso the big GC hope as Tadej Pogacar's support team step up Tour de France preparations at the Critérium du Dauphiné

After Tadej Pogacar's thunderous victory at the recent Giro d'Italia, some of those who'll be the UAE Team Emirates' leader's key teammates at the upcoming Tour de France are set to test their legs at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Leading the line for UAE Team Emirates at the pre-Tour de France warm-up will be recent Itzulia Basque Country winner, Juan Ayuso. “Since Romandie I took a little bit of a break and after I have just been building up slowly again. We’ve been training really well as a group at altitude the past weeks and the atmosphere is good with lots of guys going well so we’re aiming to be up at the sharp end of the racing," the Spaniard previews. "The Dauphine now will be a good tester before the Tour de France. Obviously the big goal will be the Tour, and it will be my debut there too which is a dream. There are some nice months of racing coming ahead and we’re keen to get started.”

Although testing their legs ahead of the Tour de France will be Pavel Sivakov, Nils Politt Marc Soler and Tim Wellens as UAE Team Emirates don't quite send the team of superstars to the Dauphine that they will to the upcoming Grand Tour, Igor Arrieta and Michael Vink are reliable domestique options to complete their lineup over the next week.

Whilst Pogacar is resting, recuperating and refocusing between Grand Tours, some of his Maillot Jaune challengers will be in action at the Dauphine such as the likes of Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel and Sepp Kuss among others, with Ayuso having the possibility to land a potentially decisive mental blow to Pogacar's main rivals.

UAE Team Emirates for 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné:

Juan Ayuso
Michael Vink
Marc Soler
Igor Arrieta
Pavel Sivakov
Tim Wellens
Nils Politt