Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) left little ambiguity about his intentions at the 2016 Criterium du Dauphine on Sunday, winning the 3.9km uphill prologue time trial and taking the first yellow jersey of the race. The Spainiard put six seconds into GC rival Richie Porte (BMC Racing) and 13 seconds into fellow Tour de France winner Chris Froome (Team Sky). The course in Les Gets averaged more than nine per cent and hit gradients of up to 19. The opener was an opportunity for the climbers to deal a physiological blow to their rivals ahead of the big mountain stages later in the race, and Contador took full advantage.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
