It is always said that al Tour de France the best riders go and it's probably true. But there may be some exceptions. The teams get all dressed up for the Grande Boucle. From the buses that change livery, like the one for the Jumbo-Visma, to the shirts redone for the occasion, as several teams have opted for, including Bahrain-Victorious e Movistar, beautiful by the way.
But apart from the colours, in the true sense of the word, it remains the substance of the formations presented. Who's here, who's not? Who's stronger and why? An analysis we do with Moreno Moser. The Trentino native not only reviewed the teams, but also told us a little more about some of the riders. Now let's hear from Moreno.
Moreno, who's in, who's missing: what teams do you see?
The level is very high, as in Tour of Italy after all, what makes the difference in the Tour, and consequently in the progress of the race, are the men who complete the teams. Men who are on average stronger, even to be domestiques. At the Giro there's the captain and then a big difference between him and the others. In France, not so. In France, the breakaway is more interesting, more difficult to catch, because the attackers are often the men of the classics. And this makes the race less predictable.
Of course, the average level is rising…
And they make the difference in a great Giro. There are not only those two or three men in the general classification, Since they started to put the stages in motion the quality has increased. Before Petaks He won nine stages, because there were 12 for sprinters. With other routes, other protagonists come into play.
They say the strongest team always goes to the Tour, but Ineos Grenadiers doesn't seem that way. We think the Giro team was stronger. Do you agree?
Absolutely yes. Ineos has to come up with something. They're not coming to the Tour for the yellow jersey unless something incredible happens. Maybe they can take home a couple of stages. Of course, a Bernal, an Martinez They'll try to rank higher, but without the support of their teammates. They can also be more dangerous when they run like this. I'm thinking of Kwiatkowski runs with one eye forward and one back, even when he has to control the team. He's playing an important role in this Tour, and maybe he'll find his feet starting today. A guy like him can win even if he's not just on his legs. Or at least not just on his legs.
Let's move on to the main course: the challenge between UAE Emirates and Jumbo-Visma…
Both are good teams. UAE He has Majka, who is an excellent rider, as well as Yates, who in theory is a captain. Soler, Grosschartner... Then it's obvious: Jumbo remains a battleship that always causes fear. However at team level I think that the UAE be stronger when climbing.
The Dutch are missing Roglic and Kruijswijk, but they have Kelderman and Kuss, who if he were the one at the Giro…
Exactly, then They also have Van Aert who can do anything, but I don't think he has the numbers for certain climbs. I think they thought they'd have Kruijswijk, and in some ways this lineup is an adjustment. However, I also think they built the team based on their path.
That?
It's not like the Giro where there were so many climbs: here there's no shortage of climbs, but there are more moving stages than big ones and so they built their team around these needs, knowing they'd pay something up the climb. And so Van Aert, who isn't a pure climber, is excellent. While the UAE Emirates it has the pure rouleurs or climbers.
Then there are other good teams, like Bora-Hansgrohe and Bahrain-Victorious. What do you think?
Good teams, but we're way down. This Tour, barring unforeseen circumstances, is a two-way conversation. Vingegaard and Pogacar They are from another planet, they play another sport. This year, wherever they raced, they dominated, and Pogacar even beat them, with a certain competitive nastiness, as if to say: "I'm the king!" Ironically, The incident in Liège could rebalance things and add narrative to the race. They say Vingegaard could take advantage of the fact that Tadej is less fit from the first half…
And Pogacar said he's fine, but he's not at his best…
In my opinion at home UAE They're playing strategy, saying that miracles can't be performed, that they're not the favorites. That Adam Yates is ready to be captain... Ultimately, Tadej might be fresher than Vingegaard and could be out in week three. I just hope he didn't rush things too much. He won the national titles by huge margins, anyway. I hope he didn't make that mistake. Overall, I think this is a great duel. And it's nice that it has been renewed for two or three years now: sport thrives on these prolonged challenges..
Moreno, let's move on to other teams or other riders: who do you like?
I like the young man of the Lidl Trek, Mattias SkjelmoseHe did well for Switzerland, he has good legs. Then there's Landa, but I don't know what to say about him. It's hard to talk about. It's strong, very strong going uphill. If races were held like those held among students, with the flat plate and the final climb, he would be the strongest climber in the world, or almost. Instead, he's always missing something. Then there are many others, starting with Hindley. They should also be considered O'Connor, Gaudu, Bardet, Mas… but all of them do not give certainties.
Among these, perhaps Mas has something more, but he pays something in terms of team…
But it's also true that someone like him "just sits there." He doesn't have to make plays. He has to run in response. But let's get back to the point: barring unforeseen circumstances, falls, or illness, no one can stop those two from fighting for the win.
A strong team, but one we think is worth considering, is EF Education-Easy Post. They have Carapaz, who has proven himself capable of competing at the highest levels in recent seasons, but then they bring in Bettiol, Powless, and Cort... who are all looking to make the cut.
With Pogacar and Vingegaard, almost all teams know they can't win, so they adjust their approach by bringing a team that can win the stages. Because the placing is okay, but A fourth or fifth place without even a stage win leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. A podium without stages is already different. At the end, you get the photo that counts, but without it, you're "invisible." Without a stage win, we insiders appreciate fourth place, but the public doesn't. Sponsors like the finish line photo with that bike, those shoes, those glasses… especially at the Tour. I understand EF, though.
Other teams?
There are many that can entertain us. The ones that come to mind are: Intermarché-Circus with Girmay , Alpecin-Deceuninck with Van der Poel, but of course Let's not expect a fun Tour like last year's because there would be a high risk of being disappointed! Then if it happens, all the better. But now that I think about it, there's a team I really like overall.
What?
Lidl-Trek because it has so many good men. ciccone he's going really strong and can win one or more stages and can really think about taking home the polka-dotted jersey. Then there are riders like Pedersen, Simmons, Juan Pedro Lopez and this Skjelmose, as I said before.
Chapter on sprinters. The Tour used to be a godsend for them, but now they have fewer chances. Who do you see as the favorite, even considering the team they have behind them?
My all time favorite is Jasper Phillipsen and for me he will dominate the sprints. Then there's the usual Jacobsen (Soudal-Quick Step). And there is Ewan who worked well with the new train of his Lotto-Dstny. Not to mention Van Aert, who will dive in if needed, even if he doesn't seem to have the same energy as last year. And then there's the dream...
Shoot!
Peter Sagan. It would be wonderful for him, even taking into account the recent vicissitudes, and for the entire movement if it were able to close his career with a triumph at the Tour, but I see it as difficult.
