The consensus of the world of cycling is overwhelming: the Tower of France it will be a duel between Jonas Vingegaard y Tadej Pogacar. But the fan also knows that in this sport the factor of logic can end up succumbing to different imponderables. The Danish, winner last year, and the Slovenian, winner of the two previous editions, are the best riders at the moment. And much more. Because they are already outlined as two runners called to mark an era. But when leaving Bilbao there will be other candidates lurking, among them also the Spanish cycling aspirantswhich has one of the best performances in recent years.
These are the favorites of the Tour:
Jonas Vingegaard
Vingegaar arrives at the Tour maybe as the main candidate, once the doubts that he was able to leave last year after winning the race were cleared up, when he momentarily withdrew from the competition. With perhaps the exception of Paris-Nice, where he was outclassed by Pogacar, the Danish cyclist has hit where he has chosen to hit this year. At the beginning of the season he showed it in the Tour, a terrain that will revive in the first three days of the Tour. In the Basque test he climbed to the top of the podium and scored three stages. And this same month he once again left his winning mark on the Criterium del Dauphinéprelude to the Tour, where he also won the general classification and scored two partial victories.
With the Jumbo as a guarantee, under normal conditions only Pogacar can threaten his candidacy.
Tadej Pogacar
Pogacar, dethroned from the top of world cycling last year, faces in this edition of the Tour al challenge of demonstrating that it is capable of regaining primacy against a rival like Vingegaard, a challenge that he might not have expected when he won his second Tour in 2021 at just 22 years old. However, the wrist injury that stopped him dead in Liège-Bastogne-Liège has conditioned its preparation.
Although he reappeared last week with a double win at the Slovenian national championships, its ability to reach its maximum performance is still unknown. His record before the fall, despite everything, is still scary: Tour of Andalusia, Paris-Nice –ahead of Vingegaaard–, Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and Flecha Valona.
Jai Hindley
At 27, the Australian Jai Hindley has set his sights on the Tour de France this year. The winner of the 2022 Giro d’Italia has chosen to avoid defending that scepter to directly challenge Vingegaard and Pogacar. His fourth place in the Dauphiné Criterium makes it clear that his preparation has been on the right track, although he will have to make a leap in quality if he wants to challenge the big favourites.
Richard Carapaz
The Ecuadorian carapacewho already knows what it is to get on the podium in the Tour de France -he was third in 2021- faces one of his best opportunities to shine in the French round. The route fits perfectly with the characteristics of a cyclist who has also won a big one –the 2019 Giro– and who has second places in the 2020 Tour and last year’s Giro to his credit. In it Education First, In addition, he will start as the undisputed leader of the ranks.
David Gaudu
The French Gaudu, fourth last year in Paris, is emerging as the ‘covered’ of the race. The handicap of the weight of responsibility that traditionally hangs over local riders in the Tour plays against him. His third place overall in Paris-Nice, behind only Pogacar and Vingegaard, reveals the potential of a cyclist with room to progress. He comes from winning a stage in the Dauphiné Criterium.
Enrique Mas
In the prime of his career, Enric Mas has before him what is perhaps his great opportunity to shine in the French round. With terrain like this year, without the long time trials that keep him from fighting for the podium almost from the start, the Movistar rider from the Balearic Islands is called to shine, backed by a solid and experienced team. Along with him, the aspirations of the Spanish cycling go through the assets of Mikel Landa, with a similar profile to the Mallorcan, but also those of Juan Ayuso, whose options may be weighed down by the shadow of Pogacar in the UAE, and Carlos Rodríguez.
2023-06-27 12:57:21
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