![]() He left the Giro after stage 13 due to sickness, giving him plenty of time to get ready for the Tour, and will likely to be a threat on all kinds of stages. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) fits into an interesting category - like Van Aert - where he can sprint, and win, but is also effective on punchy finishes. The former will likely be a fixture on GC too, but the Pûy de Dome stage has his name all over it, while Pinot will want to go out with a bang in his final time at the Tour. The two old French stagers of Romain Bardet (DSM) and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) might never have quite succeeded in winning Grand Tours, but they are still more than capable of winning stages. It will be interesting to see how Ineos deploys him. Any kind of uphill finish suits him, and as he showed at Alpe d'Huez last year, he is ready to perform on the biggest stage. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) might not have the palmarès of the former two, but is just as exciting a rider. Van der Poel has won just one stage at the Tour, in 2021, but has focused his whole season around this year's race, so will hope to start with a bang. He might be a little hampered by the amount of work he is expected to do for his team leader Vingegaard, but he will always get an opportunity, whether that's in a sprint, an uphill finish or a time trial. Van der Poel has had the better 2023, with two Monument wins, but Van Aert always turns up at the Tour de France, where he has won three stages in both of the last two editions. The two are the best Classics riders in the world, the two best cyclo-crossers in the world, and will surely battle on the roads of Spain and France for stage wins. Two of the biggest names on the start list - away from Pogačar and Vinegaard, of course - are Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). It very much is not just all about the general classification at a 21-stage race like the Tour de France, and there will be many riders who are dreaming of winning on the opening stage and pulling on the yellow jersey, or springing a surprise and winning from a solo move or the breakaway deeper in to the race. The promising Spaniard has had a stop-start 2023, largely thanks to injury, but impressed at last year's Vuelta a España and so might be able to turn in a similar top ten finish in July. Ineos Grenadiers, once dominant at the Tour, will have a mixed approach to this year's race, with Carlos Rodriguez probably the team's best bet to finish high up on GC. The 22-year-old bested Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) over the week, and this might well be his breakthrough race. ![]() The Tour de Suisse was muted due to the tragic death of Gino Mäder, but Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) emerged with his reputation burnished. However, he has improved his Tour result every year, and definitely has the capability to finish third overall. How they hang onto the big two in the high mountains will be the big game.ĭavid Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) takes on the mantle as the great French GC hope, but after a promising start to 2023 - including second at Paris-Nice - the Breton rider has drifted a little, with a disappointing Dauphiné hardly the best run into the Tour. This will be Hindley's first attempt at the Tour, so it will be fascinating to see how the 2022 Giro d'Italia winner shapes up in the pressure cooker environment of the French Grand Tour, while O'Connor finished a creditable but distant fourth behind Pogačar in 2021. O'Connor finished third overall - although this was 2-56 back on Vingegaard - with Hindley a further 20 seconds back. If not, these riders will likely battle it out for the third step on the podium.įirst, there are the Australians, Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), both of whom impressed at the recent Dauphiné. However, bad luck does strike in cycling, so it is well worth going through those pretenders to the throne, those who are waiting to step in should a void open. ![]() With what is expected of both Pogačar and Vingegaard, is it almost impossible to look past them as favourites for the top of general classification.
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