This is the fight that all bike fans are waiting for. Both men have been clearly above the pack for several years and continue to assert themselves. On the one hand, Jonas Vingegaard brilliantly won the last edition in 2022 while Tadej Pogacar has already won the race twice (2020 and 2021). Both riders are probably the best climbers in the world and this year’s demanding course should suit them. If Pogacar sent a hell of a message to his rival on the Paris-Nice last March, the Dane Vingegaard seems to have found his legs on the Critérium du Dauphiné. The quality of their traveling companions could decide between them, at UAE we brought out the heavy artillery with the presence of good climbers including Adam Yates (9th in 2022) and that of the rider Mikkel Bjerg in great shape. On the side of the Jumbo-Visma we take almost the same team which allowed the Dane to triumph last year.
Without having the tricolor jersey on his shoulders, won by his teammate Valentin Madouas, Thibaut Pinot will leave an entire public orphan at the end of the season. The 33-year-old climber announced last January that he would end his career at the end of the year. He had made the Giro (his favorite race) his ultimate goal this season, but given his good form (best climber’s jersey and two second place finishes), the Franc-Comtois offers himself one last dance on the race which he had been forced to abandon in 2019. On the Tour, Thibaut Pinot’s ambitions are clear, to afford one last prestigious success. If he had passed very close in 2022, the Groupama FDJ rider hopes to win the Grande Boucle for a fourth time this year. Capable of the best as well as the worst, if he has ideas and his legs respond, Pinot could fight for a final podium in Paris with the polka dot jersey.
Publicly criticized by his manager Patrick Lefevere at the start of the season for his lack of results, Julian Alaphilippe signed a winning comeback by winning the Critérium du Dauphiné. Less in legs during the French championships, the former double world champion will make his return to the Tour de France. Wearer of the yellow jersey in 2019 (14 days), 2020 (3 days) and 2021 (1 day) and winner of 6 stages, the native of Saint-Amand-Montrond could dynamite the first days of the race. As in 2021, he will have the opportunity to win the first yellow jersey of the Tour with a nice bump about ten terminals from the finish of the first stage in Bilbao. One thing is certain, Alaphilippe will have to do a good Tour de France to hope to stay at the best level at the Soudal Quick-Step or elsewhere.
Like every year, the public will be afraid of experiencing a shortage of tricolors. Saved last year by Christophe Laporte on the gong, since 1999 there has always been at least one Frenchman who raised his arms at the finish of a stage. This year again, beyond Julian Alaphilippe and Thibaut Pinot, many of them are claiming great stage victories. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Romain Bardet (Team DSM) and David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) will mainly play in the general standings but will not deprive themselves of a success if they have the opportunity. Conversely, Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama FDJ) will hunt for stages. The first could run to win a new polka dot jersey after that of 2017, and the second, new French champion will want to honor his beautiful tricolor jersey and has already announced that he would like to win the Tour. On the sprint side, although he is Wout Van Aert’s pilot fish, like last year and like in every race, Christophe Laporte will have his card to play with the Jumbo-Visma. The former Cofidis could afford a second victory in the Grande Boucle this year.
The 17th and penultimate mountain stage of this Tour de France will take the riders from Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc to Courchevel via the Col de la Loze classified as out of category, the Toit du Tour (2304 m). The summit appeared on the Tour map in 2020 and immediately won over with its turns, percentages and unique layout. “We are going to go up by Courchevel, cross La Tania and we go to the altiport. The altiport (at 2000 m) is Peyragudes, 18% rather than 16”, underlined the director of the Tour Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the route. One of the last major explanations for the leaders who can create big gaps on this climb.
Crushing all the competition last year with three stage wins and a green jersey finish, Belgian Wout van Aert is the big favorite to bring the green jersey back to Paris this year. With an excellent burst of speed, a good punch and an ability to pass the bumps, it is hard to see the 28-year-old rider not winning the points classification again. To stop it, veterans Peter Sagan (Total Direct Energie) and Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) want to show that they are still there for their last Tour de France. In addition to a final victory, the two men would like to conclude with their favorite jersey on their shoulders. Among the outsiders, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunink), second in the points classification last year, notably won two good sprint stages or Biniam Girmay who hopes to be the first African rider in history to win on the tour of France.
Given the course, the favorites Pogacar and Vingegaard could once again do a double blow by postponing the yellow and the polka dot jersey. Good odds also for Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) who comes out of a beautiful Dauphiné with a stage victory and a best climber’s jersey, the Italian also finished third in the mountain classification during the last Tour de France. Warren Barguil (Arkéa Samsic) hopes to wear his legendary 2017 jersey again until Paris. Last year, the Breton was well placed in the classification of climbers before giving up. Simon Geschke (Cofidis) very close last year and wearing the polka dot jersey for 9 days could create the surprise of this Grande Boucle by winning his first distinctive jersey on a Grand Tour.
Let’s reassure our tricolors who are not very comfortable with the times, this one is quite late, without being the last meeting of the Tour, and is not very long (22km). Even if gaps can be created, the less comfortable runners should limit the breakage. Fatigue will be important and victory could go to a pure rider, a fighter or a leader capable of distinguishing himself with a nice final bump. With its 650 m drop, this 22.4 km individual time trial between Passy and Combloux will not be easy.
This year, they are three major absentees. First Remco Evenepoel, the world champion, is finally not fielded by his team after a very good start to the Giro. Affected by the Covid, the Belgian had to give up prematurely after the first day of rest when he was the leader of the race. With his main objective falling through, the Belgian’s season for the coming months has been subject to all speculation. But Patrick Lefevere, general manager of Soudal Quick-Step, put an end to the suspense on May 17: “No, Remco Evenepoel will not go to the Tour de France. That wouldn’t be very smart.” Christopher Froome will also not start the Grande Boucle. The quadruple winner (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) will not celebrate the tenth anniversary of his first victory on the roads of the Tour, his Israel Premier Tech team preferred more competitive riders to him according to Kjell Carlström, the training boss. Froome won’t be the only former winner missing from the starting line. Winner in 2018, Geraint Thomas will not participate in the Tour de France 2023 either. Beaten on the wire during the last Giro, and at the foot of the podium last year, the Welshman should rather align himself with the Vuelta at the end of the summer.
Co-holder of the record for the number of stage victories in the Tour de France with 34 successes like Eddy Merckx, British sprinter Mark Cavendish will have the opportunity to beat this legendary performance in the coming weeks. Although he assured that breaking Merckx’s record would “definitely not change his life”, the 38-year-old runner hopes to come out on top in one of his favorite races. The Astana sprinter will inevitably have opportunities with six sprint finishes, he could impose himself for the return of a finish in Bordeaux as a symbol 13 years later.