For online betting sites, the Tour's favorite is neither the Colombian Bernal, defending champion, rated at 3.50, nor the Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (rated at 8) but the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (rated 2.40 ). At the head of the overpowered Jumbo-Visma armada, even deprived of Steven Kruijswijk third in Paris in 2019 and already dressed all in yellow, the world number 1 is a scarecrow of the peloton. “Primoz and I are aiming for the general classification,” confirms the Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, winner of the Giro 2017 and another protected rider of the Jumbo. We will be very close to the podium in the last week and we'll see what happens. "
"I would have preferred not to fall"
There remains one downside: the state of form of the main interested party. The winner of the Vuelta 2019 has cast doubt on his participation following a fall on the Dauphiné 15 days ago. “I would have preferred not to fall, but it's part of cycling. I'm happy to be there and I'm ready, ”he sweeps away with a wave of his hand. Bluff or temporary admission of weakness? The peloton will quickly find out.
The former ski jumper, world junior team champion in his former specialty, is sure of his strength: “The other competitors? I do not think about it. They don't forget that.