The Critérium du Dauphiné takes place in the heart of the Alps, but it has also got something for sprinters gearing up for the Tour de France. John Degenkolb will be facing Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff.

The small world of sprinters, kept into a constant state of flux by riders getting injured and the rise of new stars, is holding its breath as it watches John Degenkolb prepare for the Tour de France. The sprinter, who sat out the last three editions, is spearheading Giant–Alpecin in the Critérium du Dauphiné in a bid to regain his top shape after being hit by a car in January.

Degenkolb, looking for good sensations after a week in California, can hark back to his debut in 2011, when he claimed his first high-level professional wins —one in Lyon and the other in Mâcon. The up-and-coming star has since proved it was no fluke with triumphs in Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix (2015), along with 10 stages in the Vuelta.

The race which starts this weekend will give the German several opportunities to test his top speed and flair against world-class sprinters such as Nacer Bouhanni and Alexander Kristoff, as well as Sam Bennett, Jens Debusschere and Ben Swift. After the finish in Saint-Vulbas (stage 1), the profiles of the stages to Tournon-sur-Rhône (stage 3) and Belley (stage 4) are fertile ground for "Dege" to open his account for this season. The Tour looms…