The Fifth Beatle is en route to the high mountains with a comfortable lead and a thorough stopping of defending Tour champion Cadel Evans. Team Sky’s slender champion is raging through the French countryside with all of the GC men thought capable of challenging him slipping by the wayside. Evans nearly got caught by Wiggins on the course, ending up handing over 1:47 to Wiggo and staving him off in the final meters. Wiggins now has few men in a position to challenge him in the mountain stages this weekend, and he still has both Mick Rogers and Richie Porte in reserve as trusty companions. He may have this Dauphine all but wrapped up, but the bigger test remains. Will Evans, the Schlecks and the other GC men revive solid form, or is the British national champion finally ready for the top step?