The cycling world is abuzz with anticipation over Saturday’s start to the 111st Tour de France. What looked to be a mouthwatering battle royale back in March was slightly tainted by the huge crash at April’s Itzulia Basque Country that hurt two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel–and caused race leader Primož Roglič to withdraw, but along with Tadej Pogačar, they’re still the quartet to beat.
However, there’s a lot more to play for than the final yellow jersey in Nice, and not just out of bunch sprints and successful breakaways either. The Tour GC top-10 is a special accomplishment, and this year there is an abundance of superdomestiques who aspire not only to help their team’s protected rider finish as high up the general classification as possible, but to also make their own splash and make the top-10, an accomplishment that occurs in Tours more often then not.
Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick Step). Team Leader: Remco Evenepoel. Landa came runner-up to Pogačar in the Volta a Catalunya and 10th in the Critérium du Dauphiné. He’s been in the Tour top-7 four times and placed fifth in last year’s Vuelta a España.
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike). Team Leader: Jonas Vingegaard. Until very recently, this entry was an American duo of Sepp Kuss and Jorgenson, but Vuelta a España champion Kuss hasn’t recovered enough from COVID-19 to go to show. Jorgenson has a 2024 Paris-Nice title and strong Critérium du Dauphiné runner-up result under his belt and has been one of the bright spots in Visma-LAB’s gloomy 2024.
Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe). Team Leader: Primož Roglič. Here’s all you need to know about the Russian’s season: in five stage races, four of them WorldTour, he hasn’t finished below sixth. In his last Tour de France he came fifth.
Ineos Grenadiers duo Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas. Team leaders: Carlos Rodriguez and Egan Bernal. How would you like to have a Tour de France winner and recent Giro d’Italia podium achiever as your superdomestique/Plan B? Thomas’ experience and form will be important for Rodriguez and Bernal if they want to mount the podium in Nice. After three Grand Tours, Pidcock has yet to crack a top-10, but he brings in good legs after coming sixth in the Dauphiné and claiming a round of…
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