Cycling: The yellow jersey is the most valuable trophy in cycling. Numerous teams and riders will also compete in the 2020 Tour de France to make this dream come true. We look at those teams that can have realistic hopes.
Here is the first part of the team introduction!
Ineos: All for Bernal and the title defense
The biggest surprise in the 2020 Tour de France team lineup undoubtedly came from Great Britain. Team Ineos will start in Nice without Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. They are essentially voluntarily foregoing five of the last seven Tour winners. As crazy as that sounds, it's understandable. Now the entire team can concentrate on Egan Bernal defending his title . And of course, despite the two missing superstars, he has a strong team at his side. With Richard Carapaz, he has the reigning Giro d'Italia winner as a key support rider. Pavel Sivakov could probably easily finish in the top ten. In addition, there are four true all-rounders : Michal Kwiatkowski, Dylan van Baarle, Andrey Amador, and Jonathan Castroviejo . In recent years, they have shown that they have no problems on hilly terrain and can at least guide their captain into the climbs in the high mountains. Luke Rowe will primarily be there to protect Egan Bernal on the flat sections.
Jumbo - Visma: The yellow train wants to shock Ineos
In recent years, we've become accustomed to a familiar pattern at the Tour de France : Ineos leads the peloton for 21 stages, neutralizing every dangerous attack. The race was often described as boring. Now, however, a truly formidable opponent has emerged. Team Jumbo-Visma is fielding a genuinely top-class squad and will give Ineos a run for their money. Primož Roglič will be their clear captain . The Slovenian dominated after the COVID-19 break, sweeping the competition. He dominated the Tour de l'Ain and the Critérium du Dauphiné before a crash forced him to abandon the race. If he rides as strongly at the Tour de France, he will be virtually unbeatable. Add to that his incredibly strong team. Tom Dumoulin could step in as a general classification contender if Roglič's crash injuries cause him further problems. George Bennett and Sepp Kuss are in the form of their lives and would start the Tour as team leaders for most other teams. Robert Gesink brings the necessary experience. Moreover, he himself finished fifth and sixth in the Tour de France during his prime. And as if that weren't enough, Wout van Aert also wears the yellow and black jersey. The Belgian is THE rider of the moment. He can secure stage wins on flat stages and even support his leaders on hilly terrain. On the flat sections, Amund Jansen and Tony Martin are primarily responsible for the work .
Groupama – FDJ: Pinot finally wants to bring the tour victory home
It was heartbreaking, sad, and tragic. Images of a weeping Thibaut Pinot went around the world. The Frenchman had never been so strong. Along with him, countless fans shed tears. After all, the French have been dreaming of a homegrown Tour de France winner since 1985. This year, it's supposed to happen. The strong climber will be supported by his compatriot David Gaudu. Together with the Swiss rider Sebastien Reichenbach , he will be the one who has to stand by Thibaut Pinot for long periods in the high mountains. Valentin Madouas and Rudy Molard can also be expected to do so, at least on hilly terrain. William Bonnet, Matthieu Ladagnous , and the Swiss rider Stefan Küng are more likely to be responsible for the work on flatter terrain .
Bora – hansgrohe: Buchmann & Sagan should fix it again
German fans are particularly excited about the Bora-Hansgrohe team at the 2020 Tour de France. Thanks to Emanuel Buchmann, we can finally cheer on a general classification contender from Germany again after many years. Having finished fourth last year, he's aiming for the podium this time. He'll be supported by Maximilian Schachmann, who also recently crashed. The reigning German champion has proven this season that he can keep up with the best not only on hills but also in the mountains when in top form. The same applies to Lennard Kämna, who has taken the next step after his team change and could become a true super-domestique in the high mountains – and all this at just 23 years old. The two Austrians, Gregor Mühlberger and Felix Großschartner, are also a great asset in the mountains. This focus on the climbing roster is only possible because Peter Sagan is a sprinter who hardly needs any support. The Slovakian is aiming for his eighth green jersey and, of course, at least one stage win. Lukas Pöstlberger and Daniel Oss are responsible for him ; they can really put the pressure on in the flat.
UAE: Pogacar could become the star of the tour
When discussing the favorites for the Tour de France victory, Tadej Pogacar's name is only mentioned late in the race. This is precisely what UAE Team Emirates could count on. The Slovenian is definitely more than just an outsider. At last year's Vuelta a España – his very first Grand Tour – he finished third overall and won three stages. Now, at the 2020 Tour de France, he shares the captaincy with Fabio Aru. Both are capable of a good overall finish, even though recent results clearly favor Pogacar. UAE Team Emirates is also well-equipped for the mountains. David de la Cruz, Davide Formolo, and Jan Polanc will be involved both as domestiques and as breakaway riders in the high mountains. On flat stages, UAE Team Emirates will rely on Alexander Kristoff, who can count on support from his fellow Norwegian, Vegard Stake Laengen , and Marco Marcato .
Trek – Segafredo: Porte & Mollema as dual leaders
Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema have combined for eight top-10 finishes in Grand Tours. But they have one thing in common: they've never made it onto the podium. It's questionable whether that will change at the highly competitive 2020 Tour de France. Either way, Trek-Segafredo will be aiming for stage wins in addition to the yellow jersey. Kenny Elissonde is perfectly suited for a strong breakaway in the high mountains. Toms Skujins has repeatedly proven himself a capable breakaway rider. World Champion Mads Pedersen has even recently demonstrated his sprinting prowess. On the flat stages, Jasper Stuyven, Edward Theuns, and Niklas Eg are expected to make their mark. It's quite possible, then, that we'll see one rider in the breakaway on the flat stages, and later a small train in the mass sprint.
Arkéa – Samsic: Quintana is suddenly almost the same again
Surprise: Nairo Quintana hasn't just aged, he's also almost back to his old self. After two lackluster years, the Colombian seems to be rediscovering his best form. The fact that there's no flat time trial suits him perfectly. So, could he finally achieve that ultimate Tour de France victory? There are certainly question marks surrounding the strength of his new team. While he has three strong climbers at his side – Warren Barguil, Winner Anacona, and Diego Rosa – none of them have been in truly top form recently. Mentally, his brother Dayer Quintana is definitely a support. On flat terrain, we'll be watching Kevin Ledanois, Clement Russo, and Connor Swift in action during the mass sprints or breakaways.
AG2R La Mondiale: Bardet & Latour on farewell tour
AG2R La Mondiale will see some changes for the upcoming season. Among other things, climbers Romain Bardet and Pierre Latour will be leaving the team. However, they are expected to pull the team out of the fire one last time at this Tour de France. The clear goal is a podium finish. Bardet is likely to be the team captain on paper, but Latour has been hardly weaker in recent months. If they don't manage to win the general classification, the team will have to rely heavily on breakaways, as they haven't nominated a truly strong sprinter. Classics specialist Oliver Naesen will find it difficult to win a stage, as groups are unlikely to be successful on flat sections. The same probably applies to Benoît Cosnefroy, who has finally made his breakthrough this season and definitely poses a threat from a small group. Alexis Vuillermoz, on the other hand, has the advantage of being comfortable in hilly terrain, where a successful breakaway is much more likely. AG2R La Mondiale's lineup is completed by three other French riders : Mikaël Cherel, Nans Peters, and Clément Venturini . They are considered reliable support riders and can hope to be given the go-ahead for a stage.
Astana: Uncertain objective with strong troops
Astana's objectives this year aren't quite as clear as with other teams. While we can expect Miguel Angel Lopez to focus on the general classification, what happens if he loses contact with the peloton early on? The Colombian hasn't been performing particularly well lately. The brothers Gorka and Ion Izagirre could potentially fill the gap for him. However, even they have never achieved a truly outstanding overall result in a Grand Tour. The team management is well aware of this, which is why we expect Astana to ride extremely aggressively – as usual. Omar Fraile, for example, will certainly be part of the breakaway group several times in the mountains. Luis Leon Sanchez and Alexey Lutsenko will likely choose undulating sections and push hard there. These three are perfectly suited for solo stage wins, but they can also support their leaders in the battle for a top-ten finish in the mountains. Hugo Houle and Harold Tejada complete the Astana lineup for the 2020 Tour de France. They will play a rather defensive role as typical domestiques.
Bahrain – McLaren: Lots of experience, little return?
Bahrain-McLaren will arrive in Nice with a highly experienced squad. Seven riders are 29 or older. Only Matej Mohoric brings the average age down slightly. The Slovenian is also a strong contender for a stage win. Together with Austrian Marco Haller , he will also be tasked with positioning Sonny Colbrelli for mass sprints. When the terrain turns mountainous, Wouter Poels and Mikel Landa will enter the fray. Formerly domestiques, they now want to finally achieve success themselves. They will pursue the general classification as long as there is a chance of a top finish. If that hope fades, a switch to stage wins or the polka dot jersey is conceivable. The rest of the squad is also capable of joining a breakaway in the mountains. Pello Bilbao, Damiano Caruso, and Rafael Valls are perfectly suited for a long escape in the mountains of a Grand Tour.
EF: stage hunt or look at the overall ranking
It's not just their jerseys that will make Team EF an interesting splash of color again this year. The team has always impressed with its unconventional and almost revolutionary riding style. Always active, always aggressive, EF tries to give every rider on the team a chance. We'll see that again at the 2020 Tour de France, even though the team has nominated two general classification contenders in Rigoberto Uran and Daniel Martinez . Hugh Carthy, Neilson Powless, Sergio Higuita, and Tejay van Garderen are known as strong climbers and will accompany their captains as much as possible in the high mountains. Of course, we'll also see them in breakaways, where they should have a realistic chance of stage wins. Alberto Bettiol and Jens Keukeleire feel more at home on flat or gently rolling terrain. These two classics specialists are strong sprinters, but they can only cross the finish line with a small group of riders.
Movistar: Mas, Soler or Valverde again?
Last year, Team Movistar made some tactical errors at the Tour de France. Instead of committing to one leader, they opted for three: Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, and Mikel Landa. This led to a major overhaul. However, it seems we can expect another three-pronged attack this year. Besides veteran Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas and Marc Soler are also vying for the top spot. The former world champion simply wasn't strong enough recently. Knowing Movistar, though, they won't commit to a single rider for a very long time – and might squander their chances once again. The rest of the team plays a secondary role. Nevertheless, we'll see them not only as support riders but also in various breakaway groups. While Imanol Erviti and Joaquin Rojas are more at home on the flats, Dario Cataldo, Nelson Oliveira, and Carlos Verona will have the opportunity to shine in the mountains.
