The results remain to be seen, but considering where Adam Yates stood a few weeks ago, the British climber can be pleased with his performance at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

Yates is currently in 23rd place overall, 4:46 behind Primoš Roglic, who leads the yellow jersey. The leader of Mitchelton-Scott, who is aiming to compete in the Tour de France later this month, has lost time in each of the three stages so far, and for good reason: Mitchelton-Scott's rider has been off the bike for 10 days due to what the team describes as "persistent gastroenteritis. As a result, the 28-year-old rider has been riding cautiously through the Dauphiné Mountains and is slowly getting back into shape.

"I think I'm getting better every day," Yates said after stage 3 in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.

"I didn't have the ideal preparation and I wasn't in the best shape. But I'm getting better every day and I'm doing what I can without going into the Red or hurting myself. But I'm getting better every day and doing what I can without going into the Red or hurting myself.

The last two days of the Dauphiné continued the trend of mountain finishes in this year's race, with every stage of the five-day event ending uphill, and Jumbo Visma controlling the race with two stage wins and the race lead. Yates is observing the race to see if he can hold his own.

"Many of the riders are doing well, especially some of the teams, which are well organized and have obviously trained a lot during the lockdown and isolation periods," Yates noted.

Yates started the year in nearly perfect form with a stage win and a GC win at the UAE Tour in late February.

The Dauphiné was the first and only major World Tour stage race with a real mountain stage prior to the Tour, and Yates was impressed by the improved level of his competitors. But Yates, the Tour de France white jersey winner, is confident that he will arrive in Nice's Grande Pearl in perfect condition. The Tour de France will begin on August 29.

"They are really strong and you can see that the level is really high at the moment. But we have prepared really well as a team.