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The general classification of the Tour de France
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Pogacar: a scarecrow with a teenager's face
Nothing seems to be able to disturb him.
Neither the imminence of the event, nor the threat that the Covid poses to the whole peloton, nor the designated rivals, nor the announced tricky first week (a fast and perilous 1st stage against the clock in the streets from Copenhagen if the rain comes, the 2nd stage crossed on an 18 km bridge open to the wind, the wind still between Dunkirk and Calais, before the cobblestones during the 5th stage).
Spared, the Slovenian would then find familiar ground towards La Super Planche des belles Filles (7th stage).
“
We have a good team, we believe in each other, there is no stress.
He could set off in pursuit of the prestigious triple winners of the Tour consecutively: Louison Bobet (1953, 1954, 1955), Jacques Anquetil (1961, 1962,1963), Eddy Merckx (1969, 1970, 1972), Miguel Indurain (1991 , 1992, 1993) and Christopher Froome (2015, 2016, 2017).
"
I don't think about the story.
There are so many things to do.
I'm just trying to take advantage of the moment, we'll see where it takes me
", assures the leader of the UAE Team Emirates team, before slipping: "
There is not much difference, but I have a little more confidence, I feel better every year.
» «
The problem with Pogacar's opponents is that he is good at everything.
He knows how to ride fast, he knows how to climb, he knows how to sprint, he's a real courier.
He is skilful on the bike, he knows how to do everything
,” Thierry Bricaud, the sporting director of the Groupama-FDJ team, told AFP.
Charly Mottet, the former yellow jersey confirms: “
Theoretically he is above the lot.
He is impressive.
Unless the Covid falls on him.
But the Tour is the Tour.
The Tour, you must not be bad at the wrong time.
For the moment, he has always had the baraka but nobody spends ten or twelve years of career being lucky all the time.
There are the adventures of life that sometimes catch up with you…
”
The Figaro rating *****
Read alsoTour de France: the six stages not to be missed this year
Roglic-Vingegaard, the Jumbo-Visma double blade
Slovenian Primoz Roglic (2nd in 2020) and Dane Jonas Vingegaard (2nd in 2021) make up a formidable duo that dominated the last Critérium du Dauphiné.
The Dutch team had, before the new tandem, already occupied a place on the podium in Paris (Steven Kruijswijk, 3rd in 2019).
Roglic-Vingegaard, for the moment one plus one is two: “
We are both strong and that brings something to all the riders in the team.
Our strategy is to survive the first week, and then we'll see
, ”says Roglic, who has finished with the curse in France (he won Paris-Nice this year then the Critérium du Dauphiné ).
Vingegaard completes:
We must combine our objectives and do our best.
The plan is good, we hope it will work.
The context is completely different from last year, when I was there to lend a hand.
I've become one of the leaders in the biggest race in the world, but that's not a problem for me, at least no stress
”.
The ambitious Jumbo-Visma team, which has the versatile Wout Van Aert in its ranks, could, in the event of the Belgian's early yellow jersey, have to reveal themselves quickly to defend him.
The multiplication of objectives, a situation that is never ideal.
The Figaro rating ***
Tour de France records
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The Ineos trio (Daniel Martinez, Adam Yates, Geraint Thomas)
Ten years ago, the Sky formation won (with Bradley Wiggins) its first Tour de France and was about to reign over the Grande Boucle.
With 7 titles in 8 years (Wiggins, 4 for Froome, Thomas and Bernal).
Before a troublemaker named Pogacar comes to redistribute the cards.
The Welshman Geraint Thomas (one of the three winners at the start with Froome and Pogacar) presents: "
Before we were the number 1 favorites at the start of the race, but with Roglic and Pogacar, the headliners are no longer with us but with our rivals.
Ultimately, it will be a man-to-man fight.
We have a very strong team, with the advantage of numbers at certain times in the race, we will have to use this advantage.
“Ineos is advancing, as in these great years, a leadership with several heads (the Colombian Daniel Martinez, the Briton Adam Yates, accompanying Geraint Thomas) brought to evolve according to the state of form and the circumstances of the race.
The Figaro rating **
Curiosity Alexandr Vlasov
3rd in the Flèche Wallonne, winner of the Tour de Romandie, the Russian (Bora-Hansgrohe) dominated the Tour de Suisse before being forced to leave the race after testing positive for Covid.
“
Pogacar is the strongest and will be tough, very tough to beat but the Tour is a long race in which anything can happen.
With Roglic and Vingegaard, the Jumbo-Visma team will also be very strong.
I'll have to run smart to beat them.
At 26, he discovered the Tour and has never been on the podium of a grand tour.
The Figaro rating **
The ambitious Ben O'Connor
He had been the surprise of the Tour de France 2021. Magnificent winner in Tignes, the Australian then finished at the foot of the podium in Paris.
The leader of the AG2R-Citroën team (3rd in the Critérium du Dauphiné) wants more: “
I'm ready.
I'm super excited.
I look forward.
Last year I was a little scared, not this year I'm ready.
Pogacar?
We can beat him but it's difficult.
Last year, he was untouchable, invincible.
I hope this year we will be closer.
To seize the chance, if there is one… But it's not just him, there's also Roglic and Vingegaard and all the guys from Ineos.
»
The Figaro rating **
The new leader David Gaudu
The Breton will ultimately be the leader of the Groupama-FDJ team with Thibaut Pinot and Michael Storer as "
guardian angels
", according to Marc Madiot, the team manager, who assures: "
The goal of the game is to be as close as possible or in contact with the Yellow Jersey.
Apart from two or three Slovenians, the rest is playable.
And maybe for once the racing conditions will be favorable to us
”.
Thibaut Pinot, for his part, assures: “
I didn't feel fit to be a leader in the Tour de France, so it happened naturally.
And then the Tour is long: there may be openings and if there are none, that means that David is in the fight for the podium.
Going for a stage would be very good, but helping David to get on the podium would be even better
”.
The Figaro rating *
Read alsoTour de France: Thibaut Pinot, the chilly climb
Metronome Romain Bardet
The Auvergnat (2nd in the 2016 Tour, 3rd in 2017), sick and forced to retire from the Giro when he was in 4th place, ensures that he will run more for a stage victory (like Thibaut Pinot).
A way to evolve with less constraints and to have more freedom once the mountain takes shape.
“
I have no certainty about my level.
In training, we did everything we could but the race is another story, that's where I'll see where I stand compared to the rest of the peloton.
I will run offensively, as we did in the Vuelta last year with the whole team (with a stage victory).
“His racing science and the DSM collective will be powerful allies that can allow him to sneak into the general classification.
Until readjusting its ambition?
The Figaro rating *
Read alsoTour de France: Romain Bardet, ambition in all discretion
