It has become almost customary to see Team Sky hitting the front in numbers during their two Tour de France wins and beyond.

However, the presence of their blue-striped helmets at the front of the bunch has been surprisingly lacking this year, with the team down on form and fortune.

It was encouraging, therefore, to see them back to the fore – led by Vasil Kiryienka – as the peloton tackled the Alto de San Jeronimo on stage four.

Joined by Movistar, Sky’s pace was enough to reel in the day’s break in scorching hot conditions and trim the peloton to size in the process.

Julian Arredondo (Trek Factory Racing) was the highest profile victim of the pace-setting, being dropped by the bunch to fall out of the top-ten overall.

If Sky can continue in the same vein on stage six – which sees the first big summit finish of this year’s race, atop the Cumbres Verdes – it will bode very well for Chris Froome.

Froome’s stunning accelerations on stage one of the Criterium du Dauphine were matched only by Alberto Contador, after Sky had buried themselves up the climbs beforehand.

It will be a true test of Froome’s form and fitness if the same tactic is attempted on stage six – and with Sky already doing their fair share of leading the bunch, do not be surprised if it is.