If nothing happens to Tadej Pogacar, he will win the Tour for the third time. The experts agree on that. But the tour lasts three weeks and a lot can happen.
Tadej Pogacar is favorite again to win the Tour de France. But there are far more drivers among the favorites than the young Slovenian.
Tadej Pogacar:
In winter, Ralph Denk still had hope. “So I thought, let’s see how it does on cobblestones and in wind crests. Maybe he’s vulnerable there, »said the boss of the German team Bora-hansgrohe of the dpa. Then the Slovenian overdriver Tadej Pogacar almost won the Tour of Flanders and Denk knew he could do it too. Pogacar has competed in three tours so far this year and won them all. The 23-year-old also won the Strade Bianche gravel race as a soloist and was among the frontrunners at Milan-Sanremo and in Flanders. Pogacar can really only defeat itself.
Primoz Roglic:
The former ski jumper has been chasing the tour victory for a long time, sometimes landing rough. In 2020, Pogacar drove his compatriot out of the yellow jersey on the penultimate stage. Last year, Roglic fell early, never recovered from his numerous injuries and gave up. The 32-year-old recently won the difficult Dauphiné tour and has the strongest team. He will need them against Pogacar.
Jonas Vingegaard:
The Dane is the crown prince in Primoz Roglic’s Jumbo Visma team. When the star left last year, Vingegaard was on hand. The 25-year-old not only finished second, but briefly outperformed Tadej Pogacar with an attack on Mont Ventoux. No driver had ever managed that before. The start in his native Denmark will inspire him, but at some point the team has to decide between Roglic and Vingegaard.
Alexander Vlasov:
Ralph Denk immediately dispelled all doubts. “Alex is 100 percent fit,” said the Bora-hansgrohe boss about his captain. The 26-year-old recently had to leave the Tour de Suisse as the leader because of a positive corona test. With the Russian, the German team now wants to be on the tour podium for the first time, which they just missed out on with Emanuel Buchmann’s fourth place in 2019. Vlasov is having an outstanding season, winning the Tour de Romandie, the Tour of Valencia and almost certainly would have won the Tour de Suisse as well. He’s a little lacking in time trial prowess, but few pros can follow him in the mountains.
Geraint Thomas:
The 2018 Tour winner knows how to win the world’s greatest cycling spectacle. And he hasn’t been in such great shape for a long time. With a victory at the Tour de Suisse – where other top riders had to get out because they were corona-positive – he arrives as captain of the former dominator team Ineos-Grenadiers. Already at the opening time trial in Copenhagen, however, Thomas has to send a signal – for the competition and for his own self-confidence.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
