The first week of this tour is driven, survived, survived. Monday was a rest day in Clermont-Ferrand. Time to reflect on the first few days and keep an eye out for this week’s MVP, as they like to do in American esports, the “most valuable player”.
The Tour will initially have 176 riders from 22 teams to choose from, and if you leave aside the two superstars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, who are just busy with each other in their own competition, the choice is not difficult. Two pros come into consideration who have been rivals since their youth and compete for victories in always spectacular ways, in cross and on the road. One is Mathieu van der Poel from Team Alpecin-Deceuninck, 28 years old, Dutch. The other is Wout van Aert from Vingegaard’s Team Jumbo-Visma, also 28 years old, Belgian.
