Cycling-Froome sends Tour warning with Dauphine win

MODANE VALFREJUS, France, June 14 (Reuters) - Although not yet at his peak, Chris Froome sent a deafening warning to his Tour de France rivals by winning the Criterium du Dauphine with a trademark late attack to claim the final stage on Sunday. The 2013 Tour champion, who will feature among the top favourites for the July 4-26 race, made his move 2.5 km from the finish in the final climb to Valfrejus and never looked back. He quickly swallowed fellow Briton Stephen Cummings (MTN Qhubeka), who had spent the day in the breakaway, and distanced yellow jersey holder Tejay van Garderen. Team Sky rider Froome, who also prevailed in Saturday's uphill finish in St Gervais, beat another Briton, Simon Yates (Orica GreenEDGE), to take the day's laurels. Overall, Froome beat Van Garderen (BMC) by 10 seconds with Portugal's Rui Costa (Lampre) in third place one minute 16 seconds off the pace. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Alan Baldwin)