With the Giro d'Italia now in the rear-view mirror and the Tour de France on the horizon, The Cycling Podcast begins the countdown to the grand départ in Bilbao. As the Critérium du Dauphiné reaches its halfway stage, Lionel Birnie is joined by François Thomazeau and Rob Hatch to discuss what it all means for the build-up to the world's biggest race. Does his stage win mean Julian Alaphilippe is back? Is Jonas Vingegaard emerging as the pre-Tour favourite with Tadej Pogačar on the sidelines recovering from his fractured wrist? We tackle all the big questions from the Tour de France dress rehearsal. We also get a view from the front row as the voice of Radio Tour, Seb Piquet, talks us through the opening few stages. The Cycling Podcast is supported by Science in Sport. Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it’s after 11am). Science in Sport The Cycling Podcast has been supported since 2016 by Science In Sport. World leading experts in endurance nutrition. Go to scienceinsport.com to see the whole range. MAAP The Cycling Podcast x MAAP collection is available now. Go to maap.cc to see the full MAAP range. D Vine Cellars Celebrate the 2023 Giro with the Girovagando Selection from our friends at dvinecellars.com Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to more than 60 exclusive episodes. The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.