Tourde France 2024
There are 176 riders at this year’s Tour – here are the ones that are most likely to grab your attention...
JONAS VINGEGAARD
VISMA-LEASE A BIKE | 27 | 2024 WINS: 7 | TOUR TARGET: GC WIN It was all going so well for the Dane before a horrific crash in early April. Two stage races, two GC wins and stage wins along the way showed he would once again be the man to beat in July. The crash in the Itzulia Basque race then left him with a fractured collarbone and ribs, a pulmonary contusion and a pneumothorax. A long time off the bike sadly means he’ll be short of form come July and seriously below his usual top condition.
CW RATING★★
TADEJ POGAČAR
UAE EMIRATES | 24 | 2024 WINS: 14 | TOUR TARGET: GC WIN There is only one rider who can beat Tadej Pogačar this year, and that’s himself. And he’ll do it by over-extending himself early in the race and letting the fatigue from the Giro d’Italia catch up with him. He cruised to the Giro win in May and was near unbeatable before that, but the Giro-Tour double is a rare feat for good reason. But if he bides his time and rides sensibly, a third Tour de France win should be his for the taking.
CW RATING ★★★★★
REMCO EVENEPOEL
SOUDAL-QUICK STEP | 24 | 2024 WINS: 4 | TOUR TARGET: GC WIN The Belgian wunderkind started 2024 as he finished 2023a bit meh. Not bad, but not up to his usual high standards. He won the Volta ao Algarve, but was beaten by Matteo Jorgenson at Paris-Nice and was then taken out in the same crash as Vingegaard in Spain. Evenepoel fractured his collarbone and scapula but was soon back in training. Such a major injury will unavoidably see him in a race against time for form in July.
CW RATING ★★★
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With so many of the favourites coming back from serious injury, this year could be time for another breakthrough ride. Last year Felix Gall made his name on the Alpine roads to the altiport at Courchevel, – on the stage that cracked Pogačar – and finished eighth on GC. His results so far this year are not too encouraging, but his team, Decathlon-Ag2r, had 23 wins by the end of May. Lidl-Trek’s Tao Geoghegan Hart has been building back steadily from his 2023 Giro crash while Sepp Kuss could profit if team leader Vingegaard falters.
PRIMOŽ ROGLIČ
BORA-HANSGROHE | 32 | 2024 WINS: 1 | TOUR TARGET: GC WIN The standout stage racer of 2023, Roglič was another rider affected by that April crash in Spain. He avoided serious injury but had to sit out the Spring Classics. Before that he notched up just one win (a TT) with his new team. But the German team are full of confidence thanks to big investment from Red Bull (which will take title sponsorship at the Tour) and Roglič will be highly motivated to make this year count.
CW RATING ★★★��
