• British Dauphine stage winners 2011-2016

• – Chris Froome (six)
• – Sir Bradley Wiggins (one)
• – Peter Kennaugh (one)
• – Steve Cummings (one)

Adam Yates was also omni-present at the sharp end of the racing, and only missed out on the white jersey by six seconds from Julian Alaphilippe – the time the Frenchman accrued in bonus seconds on stage four.

It is Yates’ second Criterium du Dauphine top five, with twin brother Simon bagging one for himself in between and bodes well for the Tour de France.

After a slow start to the season, Yates has now finished fourth at the Tour de Yorkshire and seventh at the Dauphine in his last two races.

Next stop will be his second Tour de France and, after a pair of top-ten finishes in his debut race, the hope will be he can kick on and begin to target stage wins and a higher GC placing.

Of the young riders to finish ahead of Yates in the youth classification in 2015, only Warren Barguil and Bob Jungels are still eligible this year – a tilt at the white jersey is not beyond the Bury-born rider.

Orica-GreenEDGE have been guarded with their expectations of Adam and Simon Yates but there is every reason to be optimistic after another strong showing in one of the calendar’s toughest week-long stage races.

• British Dauphine jersey winners since 2011

• Yellow jersey: Bradley Wiggins (2011, 2012); Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016)
• Green jersey: Chris Froome (2014)
• White jersey: Simon Yates (2015)

Steve Cummings also proved his pre-Tour form with a third UCI WorldTour stage win of the season, adding to his previous victories at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the Basque Country.

To say Cummings has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining Dimension Data would be an understatement and his form is clearly there ahead of the Tour de France.

Since joining “Africa’s Team” in 2015, Cummings has now bagged five wins in all – including last year’s Tour de France stage win on Mandela Day.

Following that victory, and with his three WorldTour stage wins this season, the 35-year-old will definitely be one to watch in the breakaway at this year’s Tour de France.

Mark Cavendish should also be riding for Dimension Data, with the yellow jersey on stage one his big target – and Cummings likely to be an important domestique on that day.

But on the days when Cummings has the freedom to attack, you would expect the Liverpool-born rider to relish them – and a 50km, race-winning solo break is the perfect way to show your form.

Those sentiments could just as easily be applied to the other Brits showing their form ahead of the Tour de France – the Dauphine is a useful form finder for the Tour and with plenty of British success to celebrate this last week, here’s to more of the same in July!