NED BOULTING
This Tour has felt special from a long way out. I know that we, in the media, are guilty of saying this far too often… but at the risk of being accused of crying wolf, I would humbly submit that this one is to be anticipated like few before in recent years.
Assuming that one of the 'Big Four' actually wins the race, then there is a compelling narrative whichever way you cut it. For Remco Evenepoel to win on debut would be as unexpected as it would be glorious (for Belgium at least, and for most right minded appreciators of the sport to boot). For Primož Roglič finally to get over the line, having been dethroned so spectacularly when he was within touching distance of his coronation in 2020 would be a fine thing indeed. I doubt this very much will be the case, but I would love to see it. For Tadej Pogačar to 'do the double' and add a third Tour victory to his name before his 26th birthday, as well as the Giro and his other successes would indeed add weight to the already compelling argument which suggests that he is the closest thing to Eddy Merckx that cycling has ever known since, well... Eddy Merckx.
And who would fail to be moved by the prospect of Jonas Vingegaard making it three wins in a row after suffering from injuries which might have cost him so much more than an interrupted
