Are recent events at the Critérium du Dauphiné a sign of things to come in July, or are Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Tejay van Garderen keeping their cards close to their chest?

That’s the question Al Hinds, Anthony Tan and RIDE Cycling Review’s Rob Arnold, back after finishing off his twelfth official Tour de France guide, first ask themselves in this week’s Cycling Central podcast.

From what we saw in the opening time trial and first mountain top finish, it appears the defending champ Chris Froome is so confident he doth not need team-mates…

Well, not Bradley Wiggins, anyway. Or maybe he’s riding that way to tell his boss Dave Brailsford that he doesn’t need a former Tour winner by his side to repeat his feat of yesteryear.

Logic says you would absolutely want a guy like Wiggo – back to his 2012 best, says the Kid from Kilburn. Yet logic doesn’t seem to be part of the conversation at Team Sky when it comes to his selection.

We talk about that, too.

Something not on every Aussie cycling fan’s lips, however, is the National Road Series.

Sadly, unless there is nothing else on, our domestic road calendar is all but forgotten.

In a blog this week, Alex says it should be a summer thing and Rob tends to agree. But if it was, Tanny thinks it would curtail a prospective rider’s ability to score a Pro Conti or WorldTour contract since teams don’t look for new blood in March or April.