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24-08-20

Tour de France's 1x1

For the second consecutive year we bring you a special preview for the Tour de France, with a personalized review of all the teams that will be in the French grand tour. Let’s go!

INEOS GRENADIERS

After the last minute casualties of Chris Froome (600) and Geraint Thomas (800), Egan Bernal (1200) is emerging as the undisputed leader of the team, although the reigning champion left doubts in a Critérium du Dauphiné where he retired for caution with back pain.

The last minute call to Richard Carapaz (800) places him as the second man in the shadows in case Bernal fails. For his part, Pavel Sivakov (600) has been very strong in the mountains in Dauphiné and will certainly be the last domestique uphill, in a team that will undoubtedly be focused on helping its leader. Michael Kwiatkowski (800) Dylan Van Baarle (400), Andrey Amador (200), Jonathan Castroviejo (200) and Luke Rowe (200) will form the Ineos Grenadiers train.

AG2R LA MONDIALE

Romain Bardet (600) has been in good shape at Dauphiné, but being considered a Tour candidate has weighed on him in the past. He is likely to seek some stage victory or to revalidate the KOM jersey he achieved in 2019. Benoit Cosnefroy (200) is a good finisher, as Oliver Naesen (1000) is likely to play the sprints, especially in small group arrivals. Nans Peters (400) is a usual suspect on the break, while Pierre Latour (400) usually gives some showtime on the mountain. The team is completed by Alexis Vuillermoz (200) Tony Gallopin (400) and Mikaek Cherel (200).

ASTANA PRO TEAM

Miguel Angel López (1200) starts as one of the main favorites to victory in Paris, and his level in Dauphiné seemed to go sharper day after day. The team will be at his service, with the brothers Gorka Izagirre (400) and Ion Izagirre (800), Omar Fraile (200) and Harold Tejada (200) for the mountain stages. It is possible that Luis León Sánchez (600) and Alexey Lutsenko (800) have the freedom to play their cards in the breakouts. The team is completed with Fabio Felline (400).

BAHRAIN -MCLAREN

It seems that Mikel Landa (600) has the team at his command that he has been looking for for years and is finally running as one of the main candidates for the final victory. Pello Bilbao (600) should be his last man in the mountain stages, where the collaboration of Rafael Valls (200), Matej Mohoric (400), Damiano Caruso (400) and Wout Poels (600) is also expected. Sonny Colbrelli (600) will have to look for sprint opportunities on his own. Marco Haller (200) completes the team.

BORA - HANSGROHE

Although far from his best version, Peter Sagan (1200) starts as the main favorite for the green jersey, since he already has seven under his belt. Emanuel Buchmann (1000) was fourth overall last year, and at Dauphiné he looked very fit and more aggressive than ever, until a crash forced him to quit. Fellix Grossschartner (800) is used to making good GC places in week-long races, but the grand tours are often too long for him. Lennard Kämna (200) is a youngster on the rise who surprised many with his stage win at Dauphiné. Sagan's squire Daniel Oss (200), along with Lukas Pöstlberger (200) and Gregor Mühlberger (200), complete the team, that still has one rider to be confirmed.

CCC TEAM

Greg Van Avermaet (800) usually stands out the first week, and he already wore yellow in 2016 and in 2018. Matteo Trentin (1000) will undoubtedly look for some stage victory. Michael Scär (200), Jonas Koch (400) and Simon Geschke (400) are breakaway specialists, while Alessandro De Marchi (400), Jan Hirt (400) and Ilnur Zakarin (600) tend to do well in the mountains.

COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CRÉDITS

Guillaume Martin (600) showed great form and a big suffering capacity at the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he finished on the podium. Jesús Herrada (400) is a combative rider who can be seen in the mountains, although the team is aware that its main options for victory pass by Elia Viviani (1200) launcher Fabio Sabatini (200), Simone Consonni (600) and Christophe Laporte (200). The team is completed by the last Paris-Nice’s KOM Nicolas Edet (400) and Anthony Perez (200).

DECEUNINCK - QUICK STEP

After his exhibition last year, Julian Alaphilippe (1200) will start as main leader, although it is unknown if he will fight for GC or look for stages or a secondary jersey. The classics riders Kasper Asgreen (800), Bob Jungels (400) and Zdeněk Štybar (600) can go for a stage, while Dries Devenyns (400) and especially Tim Declerq (200) will surely perform breakaway control functions in the flat stages, as it seems that the team will give everything to keep Sam Bennet (1200)’s options on the sprints. Michael Mørkøv (400) will surely be the Irishman's last man**.**

EF EDUCATION FIRST

Daniel Felipe Martínez Poveda (600) took Critérium du Dauphiné’s GC against all odds, and he did so with a lesson of cold blood and race management, while showing that he could be with the best in the mountains. To attempt the assault on the Tour, he will be accompanied by a very powerful team of climbers with Rigoberto Urán (600), Hugh John Carthy (400), Tejay Van Garderen (600) and Sergio Higuita (800). Alberto Bettiol (400) is likely to focus his efforts on getting a stage win. The team is completed by Jens Keukeleire (400) and Neilson Powless (200).

GROUPAMA -FDJ

Thibault Pinot (1000) starts for the umpteenth time as the French top contender for victory on the Tour, and it seems that this year he is better than ever. In addition, the few kilometers of time trial that are in the route of this edition favor him. David Gaudu (800), Rudy Molard (600), Valentin Madouas (400) and Sébastien Reichenbach (200) will presumably be with Pinot in the mountains, as this is a team 100% at the service of their leader. The team is completed with William Bonnet (200), Matthieu Ladagnous (200) and rouleur Stefan Küng (600).

LOTTO SOUDAL

Last year Caleb Ewan (1200) was the best of the sprinters on the Tour, with 3 stage wins. Roger Kluge (200) is his trusted last man, and John Degenkolb (600) will also be in the train. For the mid-mountain stages, the team has three top-level Belgians who usually give lots of spectacular moments: Philippe Gilbert (600), Tim Wellens (600) and especially Thomas Degendt (800) are going to be on the breakaways, yes or yes. Jasper de Buyst (200) and Steff Cras (200) complete the team.

MITCHELTON SCOTT

Adam Yates (1000) starts as team leader although in the last races he disputed he has gone unnoticed. Daryl Impey (800) is used to showing himself in the first week, and he already knows what it is like to wear the yellow jersey. Luka Mezgec (600) is the fast man for volatas, while Mikel Nieve (400) and Esteban Chaves (400) can look for some breakaway in mountain stages. The team is completed by Sam Bewley (200), Jack Bauer (200) and Christopher Juul Jensen (200).

MOVISTAR TEAM

The Spanish team has undergone great changes this year and is in full reconstruction. After the departures of Landa, Carapaz and Quintana, the Blues arrive at the Tour without a powerful leader, as Enric Mas (1000) is far from the form that led him to the podium of the Vuelta a España two years ago, and Alejandro Valverde ( 1200) seems to begin to show his 40 years of age. The rest of the team will act as pure domestiques. They are Nelson Oliveira (400), Imanol Erviti (200), Carlos Verona (200), José Rojas (200), Antonio Pedrero (200) and Luis Guillermo Mas (200).

NTT PRO CYCLING

This 2020 Giacomo Nizzolo (800) has made an impressive leap in quality and already has to be considered as a serious option in the volatas. Max Walscheid (600) is a good sprinter too, although it is presumed that he will be in the treno. Michael Valgren (400), Domenico Pozzovivo (400), Ryan Gibbons (400), Edvald Boason Hagen (600), Michael Gogl (200) and Roman Kreuziger (200) are likely to be breakout regulars, as the team has no man with options to GC.

TEAM JUMBO VISMA

Primož Roglič (1200) was the strongest in the Critérium du Dauphiné until the crash he suffered in stage 4 led him to abandon as a precaution, and starts as a great favorite in the General Classification. Tom Dumoulin (800) showed rising form at Dauphiné and in recent statements has claimed to be close to his best form, and will undoubtedly be the bullet in the breech for the Dutch team in case Roglic suffers a mishap. Sepp Kuss (400), Robert Gesink (400) and George Bennett (800) will be the team’s treno in the mountains, with Tony Martin (400), Amund Grondhal Jansen (200) and Wout Van Aert (1000) to control on the flat. Van Aert is also in the best shape of his life, and it is possible that he will compete in sprints and may want to fight the green jersey to Peter Sagan (1200).

TEAM SUNWEB (800)

Tiesj Benoot (800) proved last year that he is not simply a cobblestones specialist, but that he is capable of climbing with the best in high mountain stages. Nicolas Roche (600) will be the route captain, as he is the veteran in a team of talented but inexperienced young people made up of Joris Nieuwenhuis (200), Cees Bol (200), Soren Kragh Andersen (400), Casper Phillip Pedersen (200), Marc Hirschi (400) and Nikias Arndt (400).

TREK SEGAFREDO

It seems that Richie Porte (600) comes to the Tour better than the last few years, and the King of Willunga Hill is very dangerous when he is in shape. In the mountain stages, the presence of Bauke Mollema (800) is also expected. Together with them, the World Champion Mads Pedersen (600) will try to achieve some stage triumph by wearing the rainbow. As he demonstrated at the Tour de Pologne, the Dane can even win in a massive sprint. Edward Theuns (400) is the other card to sprint. Tom Skujins (200), Jasper Stuyven (600) and Kenny Elissonde (200) will look for their options in the brakaways. The young climber Niklas Eg (200) completes the team.

UAE TEAM EMIRATES

Tadej Pogačar (1200) will make his Tour de France, and he will do so directly on the list of favorites, and the young Slovenian's talent is overwhelming. On the mountain, he should be accompanied by Fabio Aru (200), Jan Polanc (600), Davide Formolo (800) and David De la Cruz (400), although it is likely that with the strength of Ineos and Jumbo Visma, Pogačar will find himself isolated in the key moments of the race. Alexander Kristoff (600) will contest the sprints. The team is completed with Marco Marcato (200) and Vegard Stake Laengen (200).

TEAM TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE

Niccolò Bonifazio (400) will have to look for himself in the sprints, while the rest of the team will try to be seen on every day’s breakaway. Lilian Calmejane (200), Rein Taaramäe (200) and Anthony Turgis (400) are the most talented men of an 8 completed by Jerome Cousin (200), Dries Van Gestel (200), Romain Sicard (200) and Geoffrey Soupe (200).

B&B VITAL CONCEPT P / B KTM

It seems that Pierre Rolland (200) is in better shape than other years, and he will surely want to bring joy to the French fans on some mountain stage. Bryan Coquard (200) is the sprinter of a team whose intention is to be seen in the more breakaways the better. For this mission they have Cyril Barthe (200), Jens Debusschere (400), Cyril Gautier (200), Quentin Pacher (200), Maxime Chevalier (200) and Kevin Reza (200).

TEAM ARKÉA SAMSIC

Nairo Quintana (1000) starts as the undisputed leader of a team that will be entirely at his service. Warren Barguil (400) will presumably be the last man in the decisive stages of a team where Quintana has managed to surround himself with men he fully trusts like his brother Dayer Quintana (200) or Winner Andrew Anacona (200). Diego Rosa (400) is a rider who likes to be seen and it would not be surprising if he constantly ran into leaks looking for stage victories. The team is completed by Maxime Bouet (200), Clément Russo (200) and young Connor Swift (200).

ISRAEL START-UP NATION

Dan Martin (600) is the man for the general classification of a team that has André Greipel (400) for the volatas. Nils Politt (400) is a regular from the first week, where he is often seen on the breakaway. The rest of the team is made up of Guy Niv (200), Hugo Hofstetter (200), Ben Hermans (200), Tom Van Asbroeck (200) and Krists Neilands (200).