Airdate: Dauphine Libere 2013

In the lead-up to Tour de France, Eurosport will screen 16 hours of the Dauphine Libere Live next week, with Aussie contenders Richie Porte and Michael Rogers.

The race kicks off in Switzerland.

Australia has not tasted success at the Dauphine Libere since Phil Anderson in 1985. And while the drought looks set to continue in 2013 with Chris Froome and Alberto Contador holding sway at the top of the market, two Aussies will be front and centre when the Dauphine begins Live on Eurosport on Sunday.

Rewind 12 months and Richie Porte and Michael Rogers were teammates on the all-conquering Team Sky. The pair were instrumental in Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France triumph, and Rogers was enjoying his best season in years.

Now, just days out from the most important lead up ahead of the Tour of France, the two will be fierce rivals as the main domestiques for Froome and Contador respectively.

Porte, whose 2013 efforts have seen him ride to victory at the Paris-Nice and finish runner-up at the Criterium International and Tour of the Basque, will no doubt form a major part of Team Sky’s attack. Should Froome falter, Porte will assume the reins as team leader.

But for Rogers, the Dauphine is just another step in his comeback. Since leaving Team Sky in the off season to take up a position at Team Saxo-Tinkoff, the 33-year-old has endured more health concerns – firstly with the Epstein Barr virus, before repeated bouts of tonsillitis.

After making his return with a second place finish at the Tour of California a fortnight ago, the three-time time trial world champion is now confident of a full recovery, but concedes there is a long road still ahead.

“Over the last couple of years my health has been a real sore point for me, and it’s starting to hopefully turn things around, physically. I feel like I am anyway,” Rogers told cyclingnews.com

“But it’s a tough road back. You have three or four months out the sport and you’re so far behind. When you start off already on the wrong foot at the start of the year, it’s hard to progress and to catch up again. I’m slowly getting there. Hopefully for the Tour I’ll be back to my usual self.”

Porte and Rogers are expected to receive a big work out during the Dauphine with the peloton set to soar 2000m above sea level including a pass over the famous Alpe d’Huez on stage seven.

Joining the duo on the arduous eight day stage race will be Orica-GreenEdge’s Simon Clarke, Simon Gerrans, Wesley Sulzberger, Michael Matthews, Mitchell Docker and Travis Meyers, Blanco Pro Cycling’s David Tanner, Garmin-Sharp’s Rohan Dennis and Team Argos-Shimano’s William Clarke.

Stage 1 Live starting at 9.15pm on Sunday 2/6 and Stages 2-8 Live at 9pm on Monday 3/6, Tuesday 4/6, Wednesday 5/6, Thursday 6/6, Friday 7/6, Saturday 8/6 and Sunday 9/6.