Bonjour et bienvenue to the Tour de France 2022! Yes, it’s that time of the year again, time for the biggest cycling race on the planet. 21 days of exciting racing, with riders fighting for glory and some of the most prestigious wins there are. Before we get to those riders, let’s have a look at the roads that they will take on their way to Paris.
Week One
For the fourth time in five years, the Grand Départ happens outside of France. After Prague in 2018, Bruxelles in 2019 and Utrecht in 2020, we find ourselves in Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance for stage one of the 2022 Tour de France. The race starts off with a true prologue of just under 5 kilometers, one for the specialists.
We remain in Germany, more specifically in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, for three more days. Sprint finishes are to be expected in the beautiful university cities of Konstanz and Freiburg, but the Black Forrest serves us our first significant climbs on day four. Could this already be the first breakaway stage, with an opportunity to slip into yellow, even?
Speaking of, the yellow jersey contenders will be even more in focus on stage five, our first full day in France. A 35 kilometers long team time trial could open up some significant gaps. This, of course, is equally true for the first mountain stage in the Vosges, where the Champ du Feu climb is the main attraction. Week 1 concludes with another sprint stage to Commercy.
Week Two
Stage 8 is a deceptive one: it’s classified as flat, but look closely and you’ll see a pretty steep final couple of kilometers. Pure sprinters will get their chance a day later though as we make our way towards the center of France, heading to Contres. A hilly transition stage then brings us to the third largest city of the country, Lyon. This one has breakaway written all over it. For the GC contenders, it’s but a prelude.
Because then, it’s time for the Alps! First, we move up to the small town of Réallon. The stage is strangely labeled as a hilly one, but the final ascent looks more like a classic mountain top finish. Stages 12 and 13, to Valberg and the city-state of Monaco, give us our first HC climbs, but the long descents might limit time gaps. Still - have a bad day here, perhaps get distanced early, and your whole race might be in shambles. The week comes to a close in Avignon, another one for the sprinters.
Week Three
We get a hilly stage to begin week 3, one for the puncheurs or the breakaway, but likely without big GC implications. Following the second-to-last sprint stage of the race in Carcassone, though, the GC race is on. These next four days is when everything will be decided.
The town of Mirepoix is the site for the second ITT of the race, though both combine for less than 30 kilometers. The better time trialists among the contenders still have this day circled in red on their calendars. Then, we enter the Pyrenees. It’s just three days, but what a three days they are. The ski station of Nistos - Cap Nestès, the Col de Bagargui and Luz Ardiden serve as destinations of back-to-back-to-back mountain top finishes. With the queen stage on day 20, and being as tough as it is, the GC will likely be entirely open until the very end.
Well, almost. The actual very end is, as it is always, in Paris, where the sprinters will battle it out for a win on the Champs Elysees.
Before we head over to the team presentations, let’s remind ourselves of the history of this race …
Year
1st
2nd
3rd
2021
Lecuisinier
Sicard
Hirt
2020
Herklotz
Madrazo
Sicard
2019
Madrazo
Dombrowski
Morton
2018
Taaramäe
Spilak
Gesink
2017
Spilak
Phinney
Gesink
2016
A.Schleck
Taaramäe
Spilak
2015
Pluchkin
Taaramäe
Amador
2014
A.Schleck
Pluchkin
Spilak
2013
Madrazo
Cunego
A.Schleck
2012
Cunego
Madrazo
Pluchkin
2011
Spilak
Dekker
Popovych
2010
Fothen
Devolder
Spilak
2009
Devolder
F.Schleck
Gadret
2008
F.Schleck
Di Luca
Valverde
2007
Moreau
Vinokourov
Leipheimer
… and last year’s Top 10:
1
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
Festina - OAKA
90h17'34
2
Romain Sicard
Generali
+ 2'33
3
Jan Hirt
Moser - Sygic
+ 3'42
4
Ryan Eastman
Zwift Pro Cycling
+ 4'06
5
Aleksandr Pluchkin
Team Popo4Ever p/b Nemiroff
+ 4'55
6
Primoz Roglic
King Power
+ 5'07
7
Ki Ho Choi
MOL
+ 5'28
8
William Chiarello
Evonik - ELKO
+ 6'14
9
Daan Olivier
Aegon - Peroni
+ 7'02
10
Warren Barguil
Mapei
+ 7'06
If you’re not looking for a team-by-team preview and just want an overview of the contenders in the various disciplines, click here. Otherwise, enjoy this team presentation. Thank you to all managers who took the time to answer the questions. For teams whose managers could not be reached, AbhishekLFC and baseballlover312 provided analysis, so thank you for that, too! The order of teams is decided by the ingame startlist (the back numbers on the pics don’t always match, which does annoy me a bit, but we’ll both have to live with that).
Team Puma - SAP
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Silvio Herklotz
72
84
81
74
79
80
78
67
68
76
80
76
78
Valentin Madouas
74
75
77
69
76
73
76
60
73
73
66
68
70
Remi Cavagna
77
64
74
76
75
74
71
73
73
71
60
63
76
Florian Stork
69
75
71
75
74
73
76
58
61
70
62
68
76
Stefan Bissegger
73
66
68
76
71
75
70
60
72
72
64
71
75
Nils Politt
73
63
66
78
70
73
72
60
59
65
69
66
76
Alexys Brunel
74
65
70
76
70
76
71
66
61
64
69
66
76
Domenic Weinstein
71
70
70
75
72
70
76
67
68
70
65
69
76
Manager cio93 on their team:
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
We've kept a close eye on both the Giro and Vuelta to see who to expect as Silvio's closest competitors here, and were happy to see riders like Lecuisinier, Kudus and Dombrowski target those GTs instead. There should be no doubt to anyone in the team that we arrive at the Grand Depart with the top GC favorite, and I hope the entire team will be prepared for that role. It certainly has its downsides!
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
The easy answer would be "every mountain stage", but this Tour de France is different from any other Grand Tour we've raced so far. This TdF starts around Lake Constance with four stage finishes on home soil, among them one in Konstanz itself, a beautiful town I have lived and studied in for several years.
This has undoubtedly been one of the major factors in our decision to prioritize this Grand Tour over the others. The combination of the prologue and the tough hilly stage around Freiburg on day 4 suits Herklotz' skillset perfectly. It would be one of the defining moments in this team's history if we were to see Silvio wear the maillot jaune on the stage 4 podium on German soil!
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Obviously, a Herklotz GT has to be a sponsor goal! Due to solid budgeting in the off-season, we were able to take the very edge off our sponsor goals this season to gain some leeway in case of bad luck or tough startlists, therefore we have set a Top 3 goal for this Tour de France.
cycleYorkshire
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Lachlan Morton
70
84
76
73
79
78
78
54
57
67
68
68
73
Omar Fraile
69
76
72
79
74
76
72
58
60
66
79
65
79
Stephen Williams
68
78
74
66
72
76
76
63
65
74
75
72
66
Ivo Oliveira
70
70
72
79
76
72
67
61
70
72
68
68
79
Thomas Pidcock
73
73
74
70
72
75
70
72
72
78
70
81
70
Ethan Hayter
76
66
69
76
74
76
72
60
73
73
70
63
77
Elia Viviani
77
59
65
78
69
75
72
59
70
68
72
63
78
Tim Kennaugh
74
77
70
74
71
70
70
54
66
63
72
59
72
Manager ryant on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
To win! Morton will be one of the favourites for sure and with a strong accompanying team, we should look to improve on his performances in Paris - Nice and Tour de Suisse. I still would look to target a stage win in the mountains in the third week.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
The mountains will be our best chance of success I suspect with both Williams and Kennaugh to support Morton well. Other than that I hope our team will do well in the TTT as that went into our consideration when planning our team for the race
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Our goal for the race pre season was a Top 5 which we should easily meet expectations for. Given we bring one of the premier stage racers in the world and with the knowledge the likes of PHL, Kudus and Dombrowski will all not be here; a podium should be the minimum expectation. Especially given how well we've seen Morton do in his two other races this year.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
The coverage! The TDF brings the most eyes watching cycling and this brings the most intrigue and press coverage. With cameras following every move and hopefully the racing to match. This should be an amazing race to follow.
MOL Cycling Team
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Justo Tenorio
67
83
75
79
77
75
78
58
58
66
83
67
78
Adrien Petit
76
52
65
61
76
72
78
72
80
78
65
68
66
Brandon McNulty
71
78
72
75
73
75
75
61
64
67
70
67
73
Piotr Brozyna
69
78
69
72
76
73
73
54
64
69
63
67
72
Marton Dina
69
75
74
69
71
70
74
57
62
76
74
65
69
Karol Domagalski
67
74
70
73
68
67
73
53
61
63
64
61
70
Sulkhan Akhmaevi
67
69
67
75
67
68
69
60
61
65
63
63
71
Jake Marryatt
69
61
67
75
66
72
65
57
60
58
66
63
75
Manager jaxika on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
Before any information about the GTs I hoped for a sure Top 3 place, but seeing how the races went and riders rode, I think a Top 5 now is more realistic.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Justo Tenorio: Top 5 GC, some nice stage points too. Brandon McNulty: Stay with Tenorio as long as possible and in the meantime earn a Top 5 place in youth ranking. Adrien Petit: Show some good sprinting performaces.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Hmmm, maybe Marton Dina. Mostly he will be doing work for the leader, but he can go in surprise attacks.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Yep, Top 3. As I said, a Top 5 is realistic, with good teamwork maybe the Top 3 too.
De Stijl Cycling
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Salem Kemboi
78
62
64
63
74
77
81
50
80
80
61
68
81
Adam Yates
71
80
76
71
79
80
76
56
67
76
71
71
71
Alexandor Cataford
74
72
70
79
75
75
73
67
60
69
67
71
79
Alberto Bettiol
72
71
77
68
78
75
74
66
71
77
75
68
67
Ruben Guerreiro
71
76
77
62
73
73
77
63
72
72
61
67
62
James Knox
70
73
72
71
74
76
75
54
63
67
65
61
71
Enzo Wouters
73
66
68
59
73
74
79
64
75
77
56
60
59
Edoardo Affini
72
66
67
75
75
77
71
64
64
70
72
68
76
AbhishekLFC on the team:
What would a successful Tour look like for this team?
De Stijl will be hoping to get a GC Top 10 and a couple of stage wins at the Tour. Overall, their team is not the strongest but they do have some useful stage hunters. They are probably the top favorites for the green jersey.
What do you expect from the team leader(s)?
They will be expecting Yates to keep himself inside the GC Top 10 when they reach Paris. They will also hope that he can get a couple of podium places on the stages, if not an odd stage win. Kemboi should be challenging to win the Green Jersey, anything less would be very disappointing. Cataford could spring a surprise in the ITT if he is on a good day.
Who's an under the radar rider from the team to keep an eye on?
Both Bettiol and Guerreiro are very well equipped to go for stage wins as well as the win in the KOM classification.
Do you think there’s a particular stage or set of stages that they’re targetting?
In short, they should be targeting every flat stage with Kemboi and the mountain stages breakaway from the second week onwards with Guerreiro and Bettiol.
Polar
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Pierre Latour
69
81
75
70
80
78
80
52
64
74
80
73
74
Ryan Mullen
75
62
70
81
75
74
72
62
60
70
61
64
78
Robin Carpenter
67
76
76
68
72
71
73
52
66
72
72
69
68
Emilien Viennet
72
54
67
80
75
75
72
59
55
64
73
65
80
Stef Krul
76
63
66
78
70
73
70
60
61
66
75
63
78
Lukas Postlberger
73
58
68
77
75
72
69
56
69
70
73
61
77
Adrian Malori
76
59
66
77
71
70
67
56
61
65
68
62
77
Carlo Noia
75
58
60
76
69
72
69
62
61
69
69
65
75
baseballlover312 on the team:
What would a successful Tour look like for this team?
Winning the TTT is obviously the top priority. It’s what they do, and doing it in the Tour de France would be extra special. That said, this is also an enormous opportunity for Latour. With Lecuisinier absent, Latour is the French hopeful and they will want to send him as high up the standings as possible.
What do you expect from the team leader(s)?
Latour is in his prime and as I said, he’s got all of France’s support behind him. Top 5 is a real possibility and the TTT advantage will help him. With only Carpenter for help, Pierre wil need to be a lone wolf in the mountains, but I think he can overcome that. His aggression often means he doesn’t need protection anyway.
Who's an under the radar rider from the team to keep an eye on?
The team comes with a formula and it’s a highly calculated machine, so it’s hard to say any one rider is really a wildcard. But how about Viennet? Ryan Mullen gets all the hype but Viennet has a better chance in the prologue, and in a pan flat TT, he could punch well above his five-figure wage.
Do you think there’s a particular stage or set of stages that the team will be targetting?
It’s stage 5, the TTT. They will have reconned the route countless times. The competition shouldn’t be surprised, but they should be scared.
Tinkoff - La Datcha Team
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Pavel Sivakov
69
80
72
76
79
77
82
58
66
69
66
74
75
Alexander Vlasov
72
75
72
77
76
71
78
55
64
69
70
74
77
Kiril Yatsevich
70
55
68
80
76
81
67
64
60
63
66
68
80
Aydar Zakarin
74
66
66
79
75
70
75
55
65
70
74
65
79
Rigoberto Uran
68
78
70
74
69
75
68
51
51
65
63
58
74
Anton Vorobev
75
63
65
79
73
71
67
50
58
72
81
56
78
Andrea Dal Col
71
58
64
79
70
72
68
54
62
70
65
62
78
Roy Goldstein
74
55
61
79
70
72
72
52
58
61
61
56
79
Manager OlegTinkov on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
Winning the team time trial and/or Top 5 for Sivakov.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Pavel Sivakov is our leader and after his 3rd place at the Giro d'Italia and 4th place at the Criterium du Dauphine Libere expectations are high. He has less support this race - because we went all in for the team time trial - and I expect a crazy strong startlist so ... Top 5 would be amazing.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
The Team Time Trial.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Top 10, will be hard (depending on the startlist of course) but I think realistic.
Aegon - Peroni
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Tim Wellens
72
82
75
72
79
80
76
62
63
68
64
70
72
Nathan Van Hooydonck
73
63
71
72
75
74
69
80
61
72
64
67
72
Marc Goos
71
77
74
76
78
75
76
56
67
73
70
68
76
Giulio Ciccone
67
77
73
71
70
70
73
50
51
69
59
59
79
Thomas Koep
68
75
73
72
74
75
75
53
52
57
54
65
72
Jesse Sergent
76
62
66
77
64
69
66
50
58
50
67
56
77
Cristian Munoz
64
75
72
70
66
68
69
65
57
70
64
65
67
Lucas Schädlich
67
51
61
77
65
66
68
59
67
71
61
64
77
Manager roturn on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
More attacking than in the first two GTs or actually all season. Wellens continuing his good season, carrying the whole team alone so far.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Top 5 best, Top 10 minimum.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Goos might work as last helper, but in theory could go for many attacks, KoM and Top 10-20.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Just some attacks and active riding from backups, and steady following from Wellens.
Moser - Sygic
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Jan Hirt
70
81
74
73
77
79
79
52
65
76
74
67
73
Bartosz Warchol
70
80
74
67
76
77
73
59
61
70
66
68
67
Josef Cerny
71
70
76
68
75
67
66
61
75
79
74
66
71
Michal Kukrle
72
68
66
78
74
74
70
58
65
71
58
63
79
Matala Seboka
61
80
62
53
63
70
73
50
52
67
75
84
53
Ben Swift
70
57
64
66
67
64
73
65
80
76
60
57
66
Josef Hosek
71
75
74
64
74
74
74
52
64
70
67
64
64
Daniel Turek
73
64
68
77
72
73
71
58
61
68
71
60
76
Manager Roman on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
It was almost a dream result to achieve a GT podium with Jan Hirt last year and it would be a similar type of a surprise this year. My hope is Hirt can at the very least be competitive and hopefully get another nice Top 10 result overall - ideally Top 5. All other riders should hopefully hunt for good stage results.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Has to be Ben Swift - after years of battling versus Bewley he is here for his likely last GT of his MG career. A lucky win would be a great end of his career.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Yes, Top 5 overall. Hirt can do it depending on both startlist and luck.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Will be nicely suprised in case Warchol will have a positive moment - he had none this year.
Aker - MOT
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Georg Preidler
68
80
78
58
71
77
76
50
50
69
73
81
58
Takeaki Amezawa
68
77
77
64
76
78
80
60
68
75
72
69
60
Tobias Foss
69
78
72
76
77
79
79
66
60
69
68
66
72
Alberto Dainese
74
62
68
60
73
75
77
63
79
80
64
70
63
Steven Lammertink
74
64
69
80
70
76
70
65
63
68
74
68
79
Soren Kragh Andersen
81
62
65
70
77
78
72
65
76
74
72
71
83
Daniel Eaton
75
62
69
77
74
76
74
67
62
68
70
66
77
Brent Van Moer
74
61
69
77
74
76
68
69
58
65
67
68
77
Manager ember on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
To rate it a successful Tour, I think we'll need a stage win in the mountains and a Top 15 in the GC from Preidler.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Dainese for the sprint stages could be one to look out for. He proved in the Giro that he could be able to take a win with very limited support from the team, being able to surf the wheels well on his own.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
Stage 12 and 13 together with stage 19 and 20 must be our goals. We need to be present in breakaways there with at least one of Preidler and Amezawa, as those four stages look to be our best chance for a stage win in the mountains. Of course we hope for glory in the opening prologue from Kragh as well, but as we know, prologues are a wild guess.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Just to get it rolling. The Tour is always something special, the most prestigous race there is, but also the most points on offer in the whole season, adding even more intensity to every stage and the fight for GC positions and other jerseys.
Los Pollos Hermanos
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Matti Manninen
74
65
66
69
71
75
77
58
81
80
70
71
76
Daniel Munoz
66
79
73
66
72
72
74
55
56
71
70
61
58
Jasha Sütterlin
71
59
65
80
73
77
67
56
59
60
76
73
80
Jose Gerardo Ulloa
71
66
70
63
71
71
70
75
67
68
68
64
64
Alejandro Osorio
68
75
71
70
71
70
72
55
56
67
62
64
66
Luis Enrique Lopez Nolasco
64
75
68
69
69
68
71
52
59
69
73
68
67
Robinson Steven Ruiz
77
67
67
63
72
70
67
65
72
74
65
70
65
Beka Nareklishvili
68
61
65
71
69
70
69
72
64
70
67
61
72
Manager Nemolito on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
Winning two stages would be very nice. Munoz to actually be better than his terrible other grand tours would be very welcome as well. Hope he can prove me and the other haters wrong.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Manninen to continue with his constant and strong results on the highest level, and Munoz going crazy with a stage win. Sütterlin should have the freedom to take enough rest days and still be on the highest level for the ITT in the third week, and get a nice result there.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Jose Gerardo Ulloa. Favourite youngster, first talent signing ever, would be great to see him in a breakaway in a transition stage.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
I've heard Pogacar will be here. He got some great results so far this season, and I really look forward to what he will be able to do on the highest MG level.
Zwift Pro Cycling
FL
MO
HI
TT
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RC
CO
SP
AC
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Neilson Powless
72
77
72
78
76
74
76
59
65
71
64
65
78
Pascal Ackermann
72
65
77
61
75
71
79
61
77
80
66
63
68
Jack Burke
69
77
76
69
75
74
80
55
60
71
77
71
69
Alexandr Ovsyannikov
72
61
68
64
74
72
79
74
77
76
71
73
64
Bram Welten
74
64
68
58
70
69
81
71
77
75
56
67
59
Harold Tejada
67
75
72
69
70
74
70
57
59
69
66
64
69
Eric Young
73
57
68
54
72
68
77
74
77
75
65
65
54
Matteo Jorgenson
71
74
72
72
75
74
67
68
65
69
64
68
71
Manager Mresuperstar on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
No crashes... Maybe Top 10 overall and a stage win would be cool.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Gain some valuable experience and make bold moves. We know we don't have the most talented riders, but we can still be tactical in our decisions.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
We are really excited to see what youngster Matteo Jorgenson is capable of. Hopefully he can find the BOTD's and maybe contend for the KoM jersey.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Honestly, any time we getting mentioned is a highlight for us. It's been a rough season here at Zwift and who knows the next time we will be able to race in the biggest event of the season. We can't take this moment for granted. I hope we can show some heart and not just ride around in the peloton.
Duolingo
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
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Ryan Eastman
70
82
71
77
76
75
76
56
62
69
73
66
73
Joao Almeida
69
78
70
71
75
77
76
53
63
71
67
71
71
Damien Howson
71
59
65
80
73
74
72
58
64
68
72
63
80
Nikita Razumov
74
63
70
79
75
72
73
56
64
66
70
65
79
Choon Huat Goh
69
74
76
70
74
74
74
62
62
68
79
65
69
Elias Abou Rachid
70
75
70
74
73
73
76
58
62
68
69
66
73
Zoltan Sipos
69
68
70
76
75
73
70
55
61
64
70
67
77
Mark Christian
73
63
69
77
72
71
70
59
68
72
76
71
75
Manager Gustavovsky on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
Success means podium for us here. I know it's a tall order, but I think if we play our cards right we could really go for it. A Top 5 would be pleasing nonetheless. Would love to see us take a stage win and eventually get a stint in yellow.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Well Almeida as had some results to his name in the Giro and Suisse. Rachid and Goh could be interesting as well, although they probably won't. But the actual dark horse in the team is Mark Christian. Given his exploits in the Tour of America last year he could get some air time if our GC position does not demand his commitment elsewhere.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
We're obviously looking forward to the TTT. That's the one thing we know we're very good at. When our opponents think of Duolingo they know that's our forte. Especially as we're so bad at everything else.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Well our sponsors wanted us to go for the win here. We're going to do our best buf it definitely depends on the competition. With guys like Herklotz probably lining up I don't think there's much to be done really.
Cedevita
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
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AC
FT
DH
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Eduard Alexander Beltran
69
79
81
66
73
72
72
59
66
76
78
74
66
Tadej Pogacar
69
78
75
74
77
78
78
51
63
71
69
66
73
Andres Camilo Ardila
65
76
75
67
67
68
70
62
62
71
71
65
67
Ivan Siric
76
63
70
65
75
78
65
74
75
71
60
75
65
Nur Aiman Zariff
68
58
60
60
70
65
76
60
78
78
60
67
70
Santiago Buitrago
66
73
71
65
68
72
72
60
65
76
71
66
65
Fred Wright
68
67
68
67
68
70
67
66
69
69
72
65
67
Kees Duyvesteyn
67
65
70
64
65
68
65
60
63
70
69
66
64
Manager redordead on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
I would say any TV time we get will be a success. A stage victory or wearing any of the distinctive jerseys for any period of time would definitely be special and I have some history of that with Lahcen Saber at the 2020 Tour de France. That fact we are here is already a big success.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
I wouldn't say I have a proper leader for a race of this caliber. Pogacar and Beltran are the obvious stand outs in the team. This will be their first race together so I have no idea how the AI will use them. Early on I would expect Pogacar to be more GC oriented and Beltran considered a leader for any of the hilly stages. By the 3rd week both should have the freedom to go in the breakaway.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
I'll pick two riders here both for the flat stages. Nur Aiman Zariff could get involved in bunch sprints, while Ivan Siric could be a dangerous breakaway rider, if the peloton lets the breakaway win a flat stage.
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
A stage win. We don't have any GC ambitions so a stage win will be our goal. Danny Van Poppel will be contesting the sprints for us, but we also have some riders capable of delivering stage wins from breakaways, like Antwan Tolhoek did in the Ax 3 Domaines stage last year.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Rafel Majka. Not in the way that you should keep an eye on him for some surprising results, but keep an eye on him as this will most likely be the last Grand Tour of his career. Majka, 33 now, is at the dawn of his career and this will be his last season with the team as agreed at the start of the year. Even though we will be parting ways at the end of the season, we appreciate very much the time Rafel has spent with the team. He has been with us for 10 years and while most of the time he was a mountain domestique for our leaders, he also enjoyed individual success winning 3 stages in 3 consecutive years in Il Giro (2015, 2016, 2017).
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
The Champs Elysees stage. Danny has won it in the past and we strongly believe he has what it takes to do it again.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
If anyone will be able to actually put up a fight against Herklotz. Dombrowski showed in Giro last year that the German does have some cracks in his game, but beating him over the course of three weeks is a whole different story.
Grieg-Maersk
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
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Aurelien Paret-Peintre
72
76
77
72
73
75
73
63
72
74
72
70
72
Sigurd Nesset
69
78
73
69
77
76
74
54
64
69
60
68
69
Jonas Vingegaard
67
78
70
71
76
77
77
60
61
66
68
69
71
Andreas Kron
72
69
77
66
73
74
70
64
65
71
73
70
65
Niklas Larsen
77
60
68
74
74
73
78
64
77
76
65
66
80
Trond Hakon Trondsen
75
65
72
64
72
73
83
66
76
76
66
67
65
Joey Rosskopf
72
72
74
75
71
69
68
56
60
68
67
66
76
Truls Engen Korsaeth
73
56
60
77
71
71
70
59
66
72
65
64
78
Manager tastasol on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
A successful Tour de France would be a stage win. We have a couple of riders who can do a decent GC, like Sigurd Nesset who was 14th in the Giro and 13th in the Vuelta. He is riding the triple this season and hopefully we can see him in the Top 20 and also hunting stage wins in the last part of the race. But while there's some points to score for a 13th-14th place in GC, we want to get that winning feeling!
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
I expect, and I demand, aggressive racing. I'd rather have plenty of attempts than a 8th place in GC by just riding on the wheels. Nesset and Aurélien Paret-Peintre will be our leaders in the race and especially with APP we are not quite sure what to expect, since it's his first season with the team. He did a great race in Tirreno-Adriatico, where he challenged for stage wins on several occasions and ended up 5th in GC. I hope to see some of that spirit from him in this race.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
I always hope for a good start, so we'll be doing a thorough recon of the prologue! Other than that we will be looking for the stages where the break could have a good opportunity for riders like APP, like the stages to Lyon, Monaco and Severac-le-Chateau.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
We have a Top 10 GC goal. It's not very realistic, but it also won't be the biggest shock ever if it should happen.
EA Vesuvio
FL
MO
HI
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RC
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Caio Godoy
68
81
76
67
75
76
77
54
59
75
71
68
67
Alex Kirsch
70
79
74
71
75
73
75
67
68
67
62
62
71
Moreno Moser
72
53
67
70
73
69
76
62
80
79
63
54
72
Keagan Girdlestone
71
77
72
74
77
73
75
55
61
68
68
65
74
Ziga Rucigaj
69
76
72
73
73
74
73
61
63
64
69
66
76
Nicolas Alejandro Cabrera
69
73
71
74
70
72
75
61
68
65
63
71
72
Anders Halland Johannessen
68
73
70
64
67
75
69
63
67
74
73
78
65
Kristofer Gunnlaugsson
75
67
65
74
72
77
65
66
74
71
60
60
73
baseballlover312 on the team:
What would a successful Tour look like for this team?
They don’t have a top favorite, but they still have a lot to offer over 3 weeks. Godoy is still one of the younger favorites so this is an opportunity for him to really come of age and supersede some of the old guard. If the sprinter field isn’t too strong, a stage win from Moreno Moser would be very welcome. And they surely want to be active and show up in a few classifications.
What do you expect from the team’s leader(s)?
The TTT squad is far from the best, but I think its inclusion suits Godoy better than another flat ITT. I think a GC Top 10 is in their sights with this route. Don’t count Godoy out for an epic stage win in the high mountains either. He could even mount a secondary KOM challenge in the third week, though GC remains a priority.
Who's an under the radar rider from the team to keep an eye on?
Girdlestone isn’t the flashiest white jersey contender and I don’t think he has much of a shot winning it, but hes very consistent and poised for a 25-year-old. Look for him to perform better than some of the bigger star talents in the peloton.
Do you think there’s a particular stage or set of stages that they might be targetting?
Stage 11 suits Godoy pretty well. The organizers rate it as a hilly stage, but the final mountain is still quite grueling. This could be a chance to catch the top favorites marking each other, take advantage of the sharp inclines and gain something of a buffer heading into the high mountains.
ISA - Hexacta
FL
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Thibaut Pinot
72
80
74
65
76
79
75
58
62
69
72
67
65
Sam Harrison
72
62
67
72
73
70
76
73
78
81
60
62
72
Heiner Rodrigo Parra Bustamente
69
77
74
67
73
74
77
51
51
71
75
65
66
Daniel Felipe Martinez
66
77
72
73
72
73
73
53
64
69
65
69
72
Getachew Sendeku
71
76
72
74
72
73
74
58
62
68
54
63
73
Juan Osorio
67
76
72
73
73
71
75
61
70
69
68
64
71
Jefferson Cepeda Hernandez
70
73
75
65
70
69
69
61
66
72
71
68
63
Ahmad Arissol
74
66
71
72
70
73
71
72
62
68
76
70
71
AbhishekLFC on the team:
What would a successful Tour look like for the team?
ISA - Hexacta will be looking towards the mountains for most of their gains in the TDF, with a Top 10 GC goal the realistic best case scenario. One of their riders going for the KOM could be an added bonus but that depends on how they play their cards with regards to protecting their leader.
What do you expect from the team leader(s)?
ISA is pretty much all in on Pinot for this one. If he fails, it’s going to be a long hard race for them.
Who's an under the radar rider from the team to keep an eye on?
Harrison has always been a rider to spring a surprise in any sprint. Watch out for a couple of surprise results from him.
Do you think the team have a particular stage or set of stages that they’re targetting?
ISA would probably do well to let Pinot do his own thing and allow their climbers (at least a couple of them) to ride for the KOM jersey. Even with all the support, Pinot might not be strong enough to stay with the top favourites, so it would make sense for them to hedge their bets with a second scoring avenue.
King Power
FL
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Hsuan Ping Hsu
75
65
67
69
75
70
73
72
80
79
67
71
69
Primoz Roglic
70
79
75
71
73
74
73
65
68
72
71
70
69
Dion Smith
69
78
75
68
72
74
75
59
66
74
75
71
65
Ricardo Ferreira
73
57
68
63
74
70
69
79
71
69
71
71
63
Varsham Darbinyan
72
58
66
62
72
71
71
76
76
74
64
68
65
Chun Wing Leung
73
57
64
78
65
77
69
50
69
71
66
63
82
Michael Vanthourenhout
75
66
68
72
68
73
68
74
68
68
70
73
70
Sakchai Phodingam
68
75
72
61
69
70
71
60
64
71
74
70
61
Manager Bikex on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
2 stage wins, a GC Top 10 and for the team to be visible.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Not sure if he still qualifies as under the radar, but I would keep an eye on Dion Smith, winner of the 2020 polka jersey and the best climber in this year's Giro.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
The flat stages with Hsu, the more challenging ones with Roglic and Smith and especially the prologue with Leung Chun Wing.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Roglic wore the yellow jersey for some days last year. After a first decline, he hasn't really performed this season so far. I hope he can show himself in some stages and fight for a lower top 10 placing.
ELCO - ABEA
FL
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William Chiarello
71
79
75
73
73
74
77
53
63
72
73
69
71
Miltiadis Giannoutsos
68
78
72
72
76
78
75
57
64
68
75
67
77
Georgios Bouglas
72
64
70
58
72
67
76
53
78
78
62
67
58
Emmanuel Morin
70
64
76
63
74
72
67
63
69
75
66
67
65
Andreas Miltiadis
68
75
75
67
70
71
66
68
61
75
67
68
67
Victor Lafay
66
73
75
63
72
71
71
62
63
72
76
67
61
Lorenzo Delco
71
71
72
69
74
73
74
66
63
71
66
76
70
Jean Bosco Nsengimana
65
72
71
72
71
70
72
53
66
72
74
66
74
Manager SotD on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
A successful Tour de France will require a lot of activity from our riders. We don't bring any top leaders to the race, and while Chiarello recently showed that he can in fact be a Top 10 rider, we don't necessarily expect something similar to happen. We would like to get away with some stage succes, hopefully a win, and a handful of Top 5 results. If we could fight for the KOM either throughout or towards the end it would be a great achievement.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
We bring Chiarello and Giannoutsos as shared leaders. We expect both to be better towards the end of the race, than during the first period. The expectations is that one of the two can land a stage win in the final half of the race, and progress towards the Top 20. For Chiarello we would like to see him in the mix for a GC Top 10, but it's not important for us whether he makes it or not, as long as he rides with progression and attitude on the stages with a comfortable fit.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
I think Bouglas could be a rider to watch. He has a tendency to find a stage or two where he can sprint with the best. We hope to see him maneuvre the first 10 days with some succes. Lafay and Morin are on home soil so we hope that they bring their best to the early stage breakaways.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
I always look forward to the Tour de France. It's the biggest scene on earth, and if your riders can perform here it's worth a lot for the sponsors. With Delco and Nsengimana in the startlist we also try to expose our project to the outside, that you don't have to be Greek to have a shot at making the biggest scene possible in our setup. From a neutral point of view we look forward to see if Silvio Herklotz is as strong as he usually is. This could be a demonstration of shear force if he is every bit as strong as usual.
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
FL
MO
HI
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RC
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Timofey Kritskiy
71
80
71
76
72
70
69
54
64
61
64
58
75
Jaime Roson
67
78
76
61
67
70
77
53
54
74
73
66
58
Sindre Skjostad Lunke
69
78
72
73
76
74
78
58
60
64
68
69
76
David De la Cruz
68
77
74
73
70
74
73
55
59
71
64
72
73
Adomaitis Rojus
73
59
67
67
65
72
74
57
77
76
60
64
73
Thymen Arensman
71
73
70
70
68
73
69
67
63
66
72
69
70
Iver Johan Knotten
70
62
62
76
70
69
70
58
59
60
66
66
72
Dinmukhammed Ulysbayev
68
71
69
68
68
68
68
60
62
64
67
63
67
Manager hillis91 on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
A strong breakaway presence throughout the race or maybe a stage win.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
A Top 25 in the GC.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
All of us are considered an underdog at this point!
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Our GT debut as a team. It's a mountain top we have been trying to reach for years now. And we are super excited!
Isostar - Specialized
FL
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TT
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Tao Geoghegan Hart
70
79
74
76
76
74
75
62
62
69
70
70
76
Juan Ernesto Chamorro
66
78
75
65
72
76
70
51
66
74
78
74
64
Davide Villella
72
65
77
61
72
74
67
63
65
80
74
70
61
Daniel Alexander Jaramillo
66
77
75
60
70
69
69
60
67
76
76
66
62
Barnabas Peak
78
64
69
67
72
75
76
61
76
76
64
68
72
Viktor Verschaeve
66
74
72
69
74
73
73
62
62
70
68
65
68
Vadim Pronskiy
64
75
71
63
72
71
75
58
61
71
71
70
63
Hasani Hennis
67
67
70
74
70
70
69
69
74
75
69
68
74
Manager Croatia14 on their team:
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Tao is our GC-man. It’s tough to predict the startlist, I’d guess that he’ll either fight for a Top 10 or fall down the order and attack in the third week. Potentially, the latter may be the best scenario point-wise, but we have Chamorro who is brought in as a mountain attacker. He needs to fight for the polka-dot jersey and hunt stages. Apart from that it’s a team fully aiming at attacking the stages that are not straight-forward (clear sprint or mountain stages) by bombarding those with attacks.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Juan Chamorro has been absolutely awful this year, and this is the race to step up. The more “under the radar” option is Barnabas Peak, his engine makes him a fantastic option for sprints where the classic sprinters went too early and trains have too many sprinters included.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
Any stage that is hilly rate but a climbers one. But particularly we have our eyes on stage 4: We intentionally brought no sprinters to not prevent us from attacking, and brought our prime attackers for such stages: Villella (who won a similar GT stage before iirc) and Chamorro could both have scenarios where we could win the stage and potentially take yellow. Stage 10 (recently inspected the finish myself) and 15 look like perfect Villella-stages as well, where climbs shouldn’t be tough enough to drop him (from a break) and he could make use of his monstrous acceleration to finish off the stage.
Anything else that you're looking forward to in this race?
Lots of breakaways, smart team tactics and aggressive #meninlime
Team UBS
FL
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Patrick Schelling
71
80
75
72
75
76
73
54
58
70
67
72
71
Pedro Sequera
69
76
73
71
78
75
72
55
58
68
70
73
71
Antonio Barbio
68
74
72
76
72
73
68
59
63
67
76
71
75
Thery Schir
67
77
72
72
73
72
74
50
59
65
69
68
72
Silvan Dillier
70
51
64
80
74
77
67
68
61
62
74
63
79
Phan Age Haugard
72
57
60
79
74
77
70
56
57
67
73
65
79
Jose Goncalves
69
72
70
77
74
70
72
52
56
63
58
73
65
Jorge Abreu
73
73
73
75
75
71
73
54
52
73
79
67
75
Manager Bushwackers on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
I'd consider the Tour a success if we either won a stage or finished with Schelling in the Top 10 of the GC.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
I expect Schelling to have a strong first 1-2 weeks, then slowly crumble and slip out of the Top 15 in the last week of the race
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
We have a solid line-up for the TTT, so I'd be happy to get a nice result there (though expectations are low given our performance in TTTs this year).
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Yeah I set a goal to win the Tour. Obviously no chance of that happening
Gazelle
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Denys Karnulin
69
78
74
70
76
75
77
58
60
70
54
73
70
Julien Bernard
72
76
75
66
72
73
71
61
69
73
75
67
64
Louis Vervaeke
73
76
73
70
76
77
78
56
60
69
58
69
70
Frederico Figueiredo
73
76
73
72
77
75
77
55
59
68
67
69
72
Dorian Godon
74
69
75
68
75
77
71
70
70
73
66
68
72
Patrick Konrad
72
75
76
71
76
73
72
53
62
69
69
58
71
Andreas Leknessund
72
73
71
74
74
78
73
69
65
68
74
69
74
Tim Dees
69
73
70
75
71
73
67
52
58
61
64
60
74
Manager DubbelDekker on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
Featuring in many breakaways and winning at least one stage from that. Would also love to go for the KoM.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Karnulin is our best GC rider and a Top 20 would already be massive for him. We're all-in on breakaways.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Dorian Godon is a French attacker similar to Malecki and I hope riding at home will inspire him.
Do you have a particular stage or set of stages that you're targetting?
Transition stages.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Yes and we are definitely failing it.
Evonik - ELKO
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CO
SP
AC
FT
DH
PL
Andris Vosekalns
66
78
75
62
69
73
72
51
67
71
81
68
62
Krists Neilands
77
56
69
63
74
73
70
78
71
67
63
71
67
Gerben Thijssen
73
61
62
60
72
69
76
64
77
79
65
64
60
Kaspars Sergis
68
75
76
58
69
73
73
58
58
70
76
66
58
Farzad Khodayari
66
75
73
62
71
72
72
52
64
72
72
80
62
Sakari Lehtinen
67
75
73
65
72
69
70
60
65
67
67
70
60
Piotr Havik
75
62
69
64
73
72
63
71
69
68
73
69
63
Fredrik Dversnes
71
65
67
64
71
72
68
67
65
71
72
65
66
Manager knockout on their team:
What would a successful Tour look like for your team?
For the Tour to be a success, Evonik would have to be aggressive in joining the early breakaway and get tv time, stage results and possibly a stint in the KoM jersey jersey from it.
What do you expect from your leader(s)?
Andris Vosekalns is our sole leader for this year's Tour and we expect him to continue his stage hunting prowess he has shown countless times and be smart about when to spend his energy.
Who's an under the radar rider from your team to keep an eye on?
Farzad Khodayari has proven his attacking instincts with a Vuelta stage victory this year and without a leader going for the GC, he will get a lot of freedom for himself too. He is an under the radar option for the two tougher stages in the first week.
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Actually, we did not do so this year. But if the organizers dont include a TTT next year, odds are that we will see a french legend return next year with big goals.
To give you an additional perspective on the pre-race favorites, I've asked an expert panel of Eden95, ivaneurope, jandal7, Luis Leon Sanchez and Ollfardh for their Top 10 guesses as well as their picks for the green, polkadots and white jerseys.
By awarding 10 points to their presumptive first place, 9 to the second and so on, we arrive at the following consensus Top 10 ranking. You'll also find their highest and lowest rank on the experts' lists and the riders named for the jerseys.
Highest
Lowest
1.
Herklotz
1.
1.
2.
Morton
2.
3.
3.
Tenorio
2.
7.
4.
Wellens
4.
6.
5.
Eastman
4.
5.
6.
Latour
4.
7.
7.
Hirt
3.
9.
8.
Yates
6.
8.
9.
Godoy
8.
n.r.
10.
Sivakov
9.
n.r.
n.r. = not ranked; also named: Beltran, Pogacar.
Herklotz (2)
Manninen (2)
Kemboi
-
Herklotz (3)
Beltran (2)
Smith (2)
Vosekalns (2)
Burke (2)
Karnulin
Chamorro
Latour
Chiarello
-
Sivakov (3)
Pogacar (2)
Our experts have also provided us with some analysis on ...
... the GC battle:
"I think Herklotz is by far the best overall package. What sets him apart is that he has far superior acceleration which could be very decisive on mountain stages. An eventhough Tenorio has a bit better TT stat, I don't think he can create enough gap to Herklotz. Imo, his opponents will have to pray that he has a bad day on an important stage or two - otherwise I can't see anyone else but Herklotz win." - ivaneurope
"Simply put, Herklotz is just the most complete rider here. The TT kilometres will only hurt him a little bit. I don’t like his support though." - Ollfardh
“It looks like a difficult tour and so I don't see anybody else but the best rider here being able to win - no surprises here. Morton has terrific TTT support and should be the closest to Herklotz in the mountains with Tenorio just behind. I think Wellens has enoguh support and will ride himself into 4th just off the podium and may get close to Tenorio.” - Eden95
... the Green Jersey:
"With the low amount of sprint stages, especially for Le Tour, it could very well be a GC rider taking the green. It will depend on the amount of breakaways taking away the points. If all goes well, it could be Herklotz here as well." - Ollfardh
“Salem Kemboi should start the race for green on the front foot by winning the prologue (PCM TT gods forbid). I think he and Manninen will duke it out on the flat stages where Kemboi will manage to get the better of him. Herklotz dominating the uphill terrain will lead to a substantial point tally for him and he will go very close to beating Kemboi here, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did.” - Eden95
... the Mountain Jersey:
“Again I’m going to put Herklotz forward as the biggest candidate to win. Other than him, I can see someone like Vosekalns give it a try if he’s not too focused on getting a Top 25 GC. Or it could just go to a Dall’Oste type rider.” - Ollfardh
“Dion Smith is the GT breakaway extraordinaire and it feels wrong to back someone else over him, but I have this inkling that Chamorro will find the right moves and will be able to navigate himself into being at the right place at the right time. Burke is a bit of a wildcard - I think Zwift will try to ride an aggressive race and will want to feature in as many breaks as they can and Burke fits the bill in the stages where the road goes up. Special mention to Karnulin from Gazelle too, I think he's certainly in the conversation here, too.” - Eden95
TMM's Fun Alternative Preview
Ask The Manx Missile for a Top 10 prediction and they'll tell you that's a boring task. Luckily, they'll instead give you a bunch of unique other story lines that you should pay attention to. So here goes an entirely different look at the race:
The Battle of the Islands
Which riders from an Island nation will have the best race? Adam Yates (UK) should be the highest GC rider, contending for the Top5/10 and an outside bet for KoM. Speaking of KoM, Takeaki Amezawa (JPN) has a shout if he races on the front foot. Tao Geoghegan-Hart (UK) is just behind these two, and a few breakaways could vault him to the top Island spot.
Ryan Mullen (IRL) will be amongst the best in the TT's, so on a stage ranking basis he might well claim best Islander. Chun Wing Leung (HK) is a Prologue star, and a stage win is certainly possible. Don't overlook Dion Smith (NZL) for a KoM charge as a strong breakaway option. Then we have Ben Smith (UK) and Sam Harrison (IRL) for sprinting, and whilst a clear step down from the best in attendance a stage win is in touch for both riders.
The Battle for Paradise
Which rider from a true beach resort island will be best? In the rainbow corner we have Ahmad Arissol (SEY), and in the blue corner we have Hennis Hasani. Both have all round rouler skills, and this fight could be very close and intense. Advantage rests with Arissol due to being that bit more experience and developed, but the Caribbeans have had good GT's so far ...
The Best U23 Rider
All these U23's are out of the battle for White, but worth watching the next stable of superstars in their debuts. Thomas Pidcock vs Andres Ardila is the headline. The all-rounder has a battle to overcome the climber, but in this TDF that's very much possible, especially if he makes a break or two and good TT gains. Andreas Leknessund & Matteo Jorgenson are also challengers to the White White Jersey.
I'm Too Old For This Sh*t
Flipping the scale, we have aging veterans of course! Timofey Kritskiy & Rigoberto Uran are still going, and both could definitely steal some stage glory. You know what they say about old men lasting longer... it gets them up the GC to a Top15/20 by the end...
Lantern Rouge
A total crap shoot of a contest, but we have to give some love to those riders who won't contest stages, and battle each day just to survive the brutal three weeks in July. Of course you can't just sort this to the worst climbers, you have to find the riders who are lacking in skill but have just enough to reach Paris.
Dinmukhammed Ulysbayev is my primary choice, hopefully just getting over the hills and mountains. Fred Wright has the all-round lack of talent to win this, boy was that a backhanded non-compliment! Watch out for how Kees Duyvesteyn & Frederik Dversnes race, as the Belgians best shot at winning something this TDF. Emil Dima and Beka Nareklishvili are also solid picks to finish last and fly the flag for the smaller nations.
MGUCI Era Stats
To wrap this up, let’s take a look at the all-time stats for Le Tour. A big record is under threat: Silvio Herklotz is 12 days away from tying Aleksandr Pluchkin for the most days in yellow. Given that he could take the GC lead as early as day 4 or 6, that is certainly in the cards. With Rigoberto Uran, Thibaut Pinot and Dion Smith, there are also a few riders who could climb the all-time polkadots standings and Smith has a chance to become the first two-time mountain classification winner in the race’s history. And while it may be a long shot, Ben Swift has a chance to move into the Top 5 or even Top 3 of the most days in green. He’s currently the rider with the most days in that jersey without actually winning it, though it would be an upset for the ages if he changes the latter part of that fact.
It also feels noteworthy that just 5 riders on the startlist have more than one stage win, a rather small number. Swift stands head and shoulders above the others with 8, then it’s Herklotz, Pinot (both 3), Smith and William Chiarello (2). Nine other riders in the field have one stage win to their name. Of those without a stage win, sprinters Salem Kemboi and Matti Manninen are probably the favorites to add one or even multiple to their palmares.
Here are the complete record lists. Emboldened names denote riders who have won the competition, riders in italic compete this year.
Putting together this preview has been a really fun project and I hope it's a fun read as well. Almost 30 people contributed, which I find pretty amazing, so another thank you to every one of them. Reports begin on Wednesday!
What an insane preview! Thank you very much, it was very nice to read.
Can't wait for the reports. Not that many places I know, but that should be a nice race.
“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably."
A. Roy
Massive preview and of course I'm loving it! Thanks cunego and all the guys contributing!
Obviously cheering for Morton, even though I don't think he stands a chance against Herklotz. So I'm rather cheering for him to achieve his best TdF result after his 3rd place in our colours back then.
Incredible preview. One of the best ive ever seen.
Herklotz the obvious man to beat. Wouldnt mind a close race though.
Evonik with little expectations, sendin a weak squad reminding of the first years of our squad with Vosekalns and a bunch of misfits leading us here. Break success is necessary for us to impress.
Proud on my TTT team here. Enjoyed the deserved -* a lot ;D
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Actually, we did not do so this year. But if the organizers dont include a TTT next year, odds are that we will see a french legend return next year with big goals.
This could've been me, if next year finally is an ITT Tour I think it's finally time for Phinney to win it.
Instead, this year we just try not to loose too many points to Gazelle, bikex and especially Puma. Hart and the guys need to deliver for that!
Do you have a preseason team goal set for the race and do you think it's realistic?
Actually, we did not do so this year. But if the organizers dont include a TTT next year, odds are that we will see a french legend return next year with big goals.
This could've been me, if next year finally is an ITT Tour I think it's finally time for Phinney to win it.
Lecuisinier vs Phinney next season. Lets bring it on!
Croatia14 wrote:
This could've been me, if next year finally is an ITT Tour I think it's finally time for Phinney to win it.
Lecuisinier vs Phinney next season. Lets bring it on!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
What does the "bolds" mean in the MGUCI stats part btw? Seems a little random? At first I thought it had to do with riders active or not, but doesn't seem right.
SotD wrote:
What does the "bolds" mean in the MGUCI stats part btw? Seems a little random? At first I thought it had to do with riders active or not, but doesn't seem right.
Emboldened names denote riders who have won the competition, riders in italic compete this year.
Wonderful preview, great read! Early contender for Thread of the year
If there is one thing this preview has shown, is that Ivan Siric has the best looking NC jersey at the Tour. Yes, that matters!!
Someone thought Beltran/Pogacar can make the top 10?! Thanks, I guess
Looks like I lost to Evonik for the worst TTT again
Another thanks to Cunego and everyone else contributing to the preview. I had a lot of fun reading everything and I'm looking forward to enjoying the race, even if there is nothing on the line for me
Tour de France 
Hirt
Herklotz
Madrazo
Dombrowski
Morton
Taaramäe
Spilak
Gesink
A.Schleck
Pluchkin
Amador
Cunego
Popovych
Devolder
Vinokourov
oh well, I'll back myself, go Tadej!
