The first reckoning for the overall contenders of the 2023 Critérium du Dauphiné comes on Wednesday during the stage 4 individual time trial - a challenging 31.1 kilometre test from Cours to Belmont-de-la-Loire.
After three sprint finishes, the majority of the general classification contenders are lying just 23 seconds behind race leader Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma). The Frenchman is not a terrible time trialist but will most likely be surpassed by riders like teammate Jonas Vingegaard.
The action starts at 1:41 p.m. CEDT with Donavan Grondin (Arkéa-Samsic) - the current leader of the mountains classification - the first man down the ramp in Cours.
Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) starts the wave of riders containing the GC men at 3:18 p.m. with Enric Mas (Movistar) starting four minutes later.
Both riders have lost time in the frantic opening stages and are 22 and 16 seconds behind the main contenders' group in the standings.
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) start back to back at 3:31 p.m and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) ten minutes later.
The 2022 Tour de France champion Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) heads out at 3:45 p.m. to show the world where his form lies ahead of his title defence in July. Behind, we'll see how Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) is faring as he tries to come back from the devastating injuries suffered in his collision with a bus in 2022.
In the final block of riders, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) will make his bid at the overall starting third to last at 3:58 p.m. before Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quickstep) and Laporte round out the start list.
Organisers are estimating times to be in the 39 minute range and the overall standings to be decided by 4:39 p.m.
