Team Sky’s Chris Froome is by the far the favourite to take home the title for an awesome third time.
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The 31-year-old was part of three Tour-winning teams in four years at Sky, but that counts for nothing now. Almost 200 riders will cover over 2,200 miles in what is considered the world’s biggest annual sporting event.
Froome, who also won in 2013, is strong both on climbs and in individual time trials, making him an early favorite for 2016.
Quintana finished second to Froome the two years he won the Tour – in 2013 and last year – and with the reigning champion branding this year’s edition “a climber’s Tour”, much is expected of the Colombian.
For the Spaniard, who won the Tour in 2007 and 2009, there will also be the small matter of beating Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar), the best pure climber in the world. Having four consecutive tough mountain stages right at the end will give him the chance to play his favourite cards to perfection.
A twice former victor and seven-time Grand Tour champion, Contador has been there and done it before.
The 27-year-old Van Garderen was in third place when he had to abandon last year’s race in tears due to illness during Stage 17.
The Team Sky rider is aiming to be the first man to win back-to-back tours since Miguel Indurain in 1995.
Cavendish has made crossing the line first at Utah Beach after 188km from Mont Saint-Michel his major goal and with it the honor of donning the yellow jersey of overall race leader for the first time.
At 33, this could be Alberto Contador’s last chance to take a third Tour victory. “He finished second overall but will be hoping to go one better this year with a course that suits his strengths”. Pinot finished third in 2014 and a year ago won a stage for the first time.
Strong support is needed, and he is blessed to be assisted by his superb Movistar team-mate Alejandro Valverde, who also finished on the podium previous year. He was second at the Tour de Romandie, fourth at the Tour of the Basque Country and fifth in Tirreno-Adriatico, but he cracked badly in June’s Dauphine.
Should Aru lose time but Nibali remain in the mix, Astana could face a similar situation as in 2009, when eventual victor Contador found himself in effect isolated from the rest of the team as Lance Armstrong, who would later be stripped of his third place overall, also challenged for the win. “FDJ are not at the level of Sky or Astana, and you certainly won’t see them putting five riders at the front of the peloton before the first mountain-top finish”, says the Guardian.
It’s a tough ask to challenge for the Giro and Tour in the same season and Nibali will likely fall back into a support role, unless Aru proves out of his depth.
Vincenzo Nibali is said to be now stronger what he was at the Giro when he won in dramatic fashion at the last minute. Pierre Rolland is an experienced stage victor, and has a string of top 10 finishes to his name, and is definitely another one to consider should the big guns hit any difficulties.
Fresh off a dramatic Giro win where he took the pink jersey on the penultimate stage, Nibali is meant to use the Tour as preparation for the Olympics.
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Thomas knows there will be further dark days ahead over the next three weeks but it is a race he approaches with both excitement and trepidation. The “Little Angel” could provide fireworks.
