After a flying start to 2016 Wout Poels is ready to resume his campaign at the prestigious Criterium du Dauphine.

Team Sky have enjoyed a superb record in the French stage race, which is well known as a great indicator of form ahead of July's Tour de France. Part of the winning team 12 months ago, Poels will again play a key role as he joins Chris Froome in a strong eight-man lineup.

On the eve of the race TeamSky.com caught up with the 28-year-old Dutchman for an update on the team's Tenerife training camp, Olympic selection and life as a Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner.

"It feels like quite a long time ago since Liege I'm really looking forward to racing again," he said. "I had a small break after that race and then I worked really hard out in Tenerife with the team at our training camp. Now it's time for the Dauphine - I'm ready for it and it's nice to be back in the saddle again.

Poels has already bagged five victories this year but he was redy for a break after his monument win.

"After Liege is was already the plan to have a break," he said. "I'd started my season in Valencia, so quite early. It wasn't a super busy programme, but if you're also doing the Ardennes, and preparing to head off to an altitude camp, it was nice to take a little break of one week. That allowed me to recharge the batteries again and then train full gas. It's such an important period now - starting with the Dauphine, the Tour and then the Olympics - you have to be ready for it, especially mentally in your head.

"Sure if you're winning races you think you can do anything. But it's always good to have a really good condition, take a break and then start up again. Everything is a bit easier after that."

Poels' life hasn't changed since his major win in Liege.

"I think maybe a few more people recognise me now - but not the other day," he said. "I had a flat tyre, and the tyre I changed it to also needed a small repair. So I went to a bike shop just 10 kilometres from my house. I replaced the tyre and the guy from the shop came out and said "hey you're looking good, you almost could be in the Tour de France!" And I said "yeah, I'm doing it" and he looked really flabbergasted! He had no idea who I was (laughs)."

Poels has just returned to the European mainland following a traing camp in Tenerife.

"We always train hard out there. We did plenty of kilometres and lots of climbing, but we had a really nice camp and a good group out there - riders and staff members. I think everybody had a good camp, trained well and took good care of themselves. As a team we're definitely ready for this next block of racing," he said.

Poels is now preparing for the Dauphiné.

"The race starts with a really hard uphill prologue," he said. "So that's maybe not the best start to have for anyone but hopefully it will go well. In Valencia I managed to perform well in the opening TT of the race, so hopefully I can do that again. We'll see how the legs are.

"We have a really strong lineup for the Dauphine. It's always nice to go into a race with a team like that. It gives you confidence and hopefully we can do a great job."

Poels recently got Olympic call-up for the Dutch team and the race in Rio is another target for him.

"It was a big goal to go the Olympics," he said. "That's why I did all the Ardennes Classics this year. The Tour de France is a really good race to do because if you are going well at the Tour then you're in good shape (for the Olympics). Last year I came really well out of the Tour and hopefully this year will be the same."