George Bennett was typically to the point when asked to sum up his seven-eighths time at the recent Criterium du Dauphiné. After the final stage," he said, "we were in the top seven eighths of a second, and that's a good thing.

But on this final stage, he turned things around and earned the few points he needed to make it to the Tour de France in the midst of a season full of setbacks.

George Bennett joined the day's main breakaway group and survived the brutal climb to the Solaison plateau longer than anyone else. Just being able to watch his former team, Jumbo Visma, battle for supremacy from the front row was enough to convince him that he could do his part for Tadej Pogacar in the next Tour.

"I really struggled here," Bennett told Cycling News, explaining that his spring, and by extension his first season with UAE Team Emirates, had been derailed by illness.

"I had a lot of time off in the spring and I've only been back on the bike for four or five weeks. I was hoping to get better, but the reality is that the level was too high and it took me a week. I really struggled to find my legs on the last day [of stage 7]. I felt really good

"I'm happy to finish the race with a bit more confidence. I was able to get back the feeling I needed for the Tour."

No one saw better than Bennett the dominance of Jumbo Visma on the final day of the Dauphiné, which saw a one-two finish by Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic for the overall one-two.

And no one could appreciate that performance better than Bennett, who spent seven years with the Dutch team and supported Roglic in numerous Grand Tours.

"I saw the whole thing; I was at the front in the 2020 Tour de l'Ain. They dominated all the races for that year's Tour and we didn't win that Tour," Bennett warned.

"They are very good, especially Primoz and Jonas, who are super level. Not only him, but the guys around him - Brandon (McNulty), Marc Soler, Marc Hirschki, and Rafa (Maja) - are extraordinary in the mountains. They are a super strong team, but we have a super strong team as well.

"It is important not to get caught up in the jumbo vs. the UAE. That is dangerous for everyone. There are a lot of good riders and teams. If it comes down to a battle between two teams, we are taking a big risk. For us, Jumbo is very good and of course we look at them, but we try not to look too far outside of what we are doing."

Bennett is currently sharpening his form for the start of the Tour de France in Copenhagen on July 1. After a few weeks of "monotonous" base training and a week of racing in the Dauphiné,

he is ready to take the next step: "I'm going to be in the top 10 in the Tour de France. That's how you reach your peak."

If he reaches his peak and Pogacar wins his third Tour title, Bennett's early season struggles will soon be forgotten.

"The spring was very frustrating, but ultimately the Tour will be the judge of my season," he concluded.