Who Will Win The Tour De France? | The Big GCN Preview Show!

The 2024 Tour de France is just around the corner! Join Dan and Si as they preview the biggest bike race of the year, covering the route, the key riders to watch, and their predictions!

00:00 Welcome to the TDF Preview show!
00:34 The Route and Stage-by-Stage Breakdown
17:06 Check out our French Racing Collection!
17:53 Riders To Watch – GC Contenders
28:22 Riders To Watch – Sprinters
34:56 Predictions

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it’s that time of year again the biggest race of the season is almost upon us the Tour of France kicks off in Florence Italy this coming Saturday the 29th of June the 111th edition of the race totals 3,498 km with two time trials seven Mountain stages with four Summit finishes four hilly days and eight flat stages for the sprinters indeed there’s a plot twist at the start and another at the end and some gravel in the middle right we will start as we always do by taking a detailed look at the rout for this year’s race there’s a plot twist at the start and that is that the race starts in Italy for the first time ever I can’t believe that that is the first time but anyway the race will actually go through four countries in total so we got Italy San Marino yeah France of course and Monaco as well State one is the first of three on Italian soil and like last year it’s quite the rude awakening for the Riders so last year there were 3,418 M of climbing to be dealt with around Bill BAU on the opening day of the race this year’s Trek around Florence has 300 M more than that wow so it goes from Florence in Tuscany over to riny on the Adriatic Coast Via San Marino so there are seven classified climbs over the 206 km so whilst the start and the Finish are flat this is not not one for the pure sprinters no the last climb peaks with 26 K to go though so in terms of a GC battle I reckon it could be kg it would definitely be nervous yeah chance for a breakaway win you think perhaps good question um if it was in the middle of the race I’d say nailed on Breakaway but coming on stage one it makes it really hard to predict doesn’t it I’m not sure who’s going to want to take responsibility to control such a long and tough stage at the very start start of a grand tour well yeah unpredictability is kind of exactly what we want isn’t it basically um so happy days there is a lot on the line though isn’t there because it’s not just the first yellow jersey for the stage winner but also the green jersey and the polka dot and white jerseys to all be handed out as well stage two has much less climbing overall but that doesn’t mean it’s good news for the sprinters cuz 200 km from ches attico to bologo with six short Punchy CLI along the way the last two of those climbs are both the Basilica D San Luca 1.9 k at 10.6% average and used at the jro de Amia each year so Primos Rog won there last September and also when the climb was used at the finish of the opening time Trail at the start of the J Italia in 2019 on this occasion though the race doesn’t finish at the top but rather 13 km later after a plateau a short uncategorized climb and then a descent down to the finish in Bologna I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to that stage in particular in fact the whole opening weekend if I’m honest well it does sound like a cracker isn’t it yeah I think it’s a cracking course design overall particularly at the start of the race the third and final stage in Italy is another long one the longest of the entire Tour of France actually this year at 231 K so it heads westwards out of Penza into the pier mon region and then to a finish in tyin which played host to the finish of stage one at the jro back in May there are three classified climbs but this one looks like it will be the first opportunity for the sprinters to have some Glory it does the race then stays in Italy for the opening part of stage four which starts in pinolo like last year the big mountains come very early in this addition of the race first they head to the ski resort of cestria over 2,000 m above sea level before taking on the cold monev which is where they’ll cross into France and then the cier oh what a monster they will ride to over 2,600 M of altitude here after the Gia they’ll just send it into Vala so whil it’s not a summit finish it’s still a big day for the GC Riders very early on yeah and I love that it’s such a short stage as well only 140k with 3,600 M of climbing 66k of that stage is above, 1500 m above CA level as well wow plus that descent to the Finish you know it well was the one where Tom pit Co went on the attack wasn’t it the other year oh yes you know where he overtook that guy on the outside of a Bend with like a 400 met drop on the other side yeah it’s that one make sure you’ve got the day off work on Tuesday then because you don’t really want to miss any of that no it’s only a brief visit to the Alps at that point of the race though is then head to the Flatland and this is the section of the race which will appeal to the sprinters will yeah stage five finishes in s vulat which is regularly used at the tour DEA and occasionally at the doofan as well with only 1,100 MERS of climbing over 177 km it is about as flat as it gets at the tour isn’t it and it’s a similar story in terms of terrain on stage six which concludes indon a city that regularly hosted tour stages in the 70s and ‘ 80s but it’s actually the first time it’s been used as an arrival town since 1997 Mario travison won there because Bart Vos camp and Yen Hepner who were up the road both disqualified in their two up Sprint well there we go M that’s no all I know is about about Dijon is it’s cool as mustard very good man thank you man not really right on to Stage seven then which is the first of the two individual time trials of this year’s race 25.3 km long there is a short 1 and2 km climb around the halfway mark but it is predominantly flat so the best chance for the pure time trial specialist yeah I’m expecting some seriously quick speeds and times that day not just because of the flat route but also because of the two fairly easy days I guess that they come before it in the absence of gner and Tarling I’d say aapol is going to be the big favorite that day the Aero bullet himself you might say uh big day for the GC Riders as well You’ think definitely definitely the sprinters could have another chance on stage eight but I’m earing more on the side of a breaka away day I think uh well it’s deceptively tough it is yeah over 2 and a half thousand meters of Cl Tim in over 183 K but it’s one of the eight flat stages according to the Tour of France website also some really exposed roads near the end of that stage which could make things very interesting if the wind is blowing in the right direction things crossed now leadle Trek are the key to this stage I think in my opinion um it’s the sort of day in which M pson will Thrive if he’s on four I have no doubt he’s already got this one marked down as a big goal no probably right particularly as isn’t Hill drag towards the Finish Line Aro Dee actually is one to watch there as well so maybe Lotto Destiny will help Leal Tre control we’ll see on to the final stage before the first rest end the 200k stage starts and finishes in Tu and this is where we see the Riders hit the gravel roads around the local Vineyard sounds idilic doesn’t it 32ks of gravel to be precise split into 14 sectors so there’s more than enough potential for Carnage two of those sectors were used at the tour France fam of xft last year but the rest are unknown to most of us interestingly uh this stage is described as hilly even though there’s less climbing than the day before go figure anyway another way to describe it I would say is a very very stressful stage and to add to the stress those 14 gravel sectors they’re basically littered pretty much from start to finish so the first one comes after 47 km and the last with just 10ks to go which means there’s hardly anywhere to relax basically um the other thing is that although hilly as D mentioned it’s not that hilly like it’s not got anything like the Strada Bianca climbs which means that the pelaton may not be thinned down all that much at all plus there will be loads of Classics Riders looking to get a win there so it’s not just a GC battle is it far from it which will make it even more chaotic won’t it I’ve got a horrible feeling that somebody’s chances of Tour of France Glory are going to go out of the window on that stage unfortunately through bad luck rather than bad legs but here’s hoping I’m wrong yeah either way it is another day that you don’t want to miss so Sunday the 7th of July for your daries um now following a well- earned rest day it is then onto stage 10 from oron to Santa man Monon and is a very flat stage as well but we do have potential for Crosswinds y here don’t we uh especially near the end of the stage yeah for those of you that don’t know that’s the area that normally plays host of the opening stages of Parry n whether the wind blows or not on the day it’s another chance for the sprins isn’t it either way Mark Cavendish won one of his 34 tour to France stages there in 2013 so maybe this is where he will break the record that both he and Eddie Ms currently hold yeah if he hasn’t already by that point but uh that would be like fairy tale ending of the fairy tale wouldn’t it given that he’s w34 stages there there’s quite a few towns around France where he’s previously won yeah fair enough right more on Mark later on I think um stage 11 is uh challenging to say the very least 211 km with 4,350 M of altitude gained the most difficult climbs come in the final 50 km with the Pu Marie and the C Peru on paper uh none of the individual climbs are enough to cause serious damage to the GC but this looks like one of those days where it could all just kick off in the last 40ks isn’t it where tally paga could kick off in the last 40ks yeah quite possibly yeah anyway stage 12 runs from orak to V solo it is another long one at 24 km but that looks to be a sprinter’s day and then the tour makes its almost annual visit to PO on stage 13 now this will be the 63rd time it’s been used as an arrival City at the race no mountains on this occasion though so another day for the fast men there although it’s a very different story the following day which starts in po uh where the rise will then tackle the C Tay from the western side uh that’s 19 km long to remind you all at 7.4% average gradient then it’s the O Don and the pl yeah which is a climb upon which ran pulidor achieved his final Tour stage victory in 1974 another bit trivia for you there um 3,900 met of total altitude gain that day uh but that is nothing compared to the whopping 4,9 900 of Stage 15 there a pyan and feast this featuring the coda peras from the gun sprinter’s nightmare that then Nico Deonte CTE dasp then Nicole Dan before finishing up the plateau de Bay 16k at 8% it’s a real brute that one I actually rode it a few times myself in the past cuz I used to stay at the bottom of it for training camps back in the day right there you go did you get the K up that one the stra well this was actually before bike GPS head unit were even invented so no and I wouldn’t have been close to it anyway well see as it was before they’re invented you could have just claimed it who’s to disagree down out the km before stra I very much doubt it well anyway this is the hardest stage of the race this year if you go purely on elevation again anyway and it’s certainly the toughest Summit finish to that point and it’s another one not to miss isn’t it so Sunday the 14th of July for your Diaries and then after ascending close to 9,000 m in just two days I think the Riders are going to be looking forward to their second and final rest day aren’t they the GC Riders will get another slightly easier day when they resume with Stage 16 and the route to neem is pretty flat with just over 1200 met of climbing over 189 K Neil’s pollet and Caleb euan are two of the most recent winners there bit more trivia for you um and then that is the final opportunity for the sprinters at this year’s race well that’s harsh isn’t it it is isn’t it um now it’s all about the final 40ks on stage 17 within that there is the cold B the C which is 72 km at more than 8% and then there’s a summit finish on the super I was looking forward to you saying that definitely a good chance of the Breakaway that one isn’t it that final climb incident was used at the CR doof back in 2016 one by Steve Cummings I think it’s the first time it’s been used on the tour to France I’m not familiar with it I’ve never heard of it before uh Gap hosts the start of stage 18 another hilly one with five class speci ified CLI but they’re all third cat so no big mountains there definitely a breakaway yeah okay definitely and then come the final three stages which will all be GC days that’s mouthwatering isn’t it after setting off from Empire on stage 19 the Riders will head over 2,000 M of altitude on three occasions first with the civa and then the mighty seam de la Bonet which stands at a whopping 2,8 100 m above sea level I’m almost short of breath just thinking about that that road was actually built in the early 1960s with the goal of going higher than the cold liaran and in 1962 it was included in the Tor of France route for the first time anyway the climate itself averages 6.9% for 23 km you’ve done it haven’t you I have done it yeah it was honestly it was the the longest 23 km of my entire life and then that last bit where they they built it to go higher it’s literally just like a little track that they’ve tarmacked that goes up and around so you can you can cut the corner if you like but if you can go all the way around was great but following it is the best descent I ever ridden in my entire life oh one for the bucket list then absolutely just The Descent Part yeah one for the descenders uh right the 145 km stage with 4,400 M of altitude gained finishes on the Isola 2000 uh would be called D I guess wouldn’t it where Tony rominger ahead of Miguel inder all the way back in 1993 it’s a big day in the saddle is it and it is followed by another big day in the saddle stage 20 is when we arrive in nice first time the city has hosted the finale of the tour to France and it’s the first of two stages there is the brutal one only 133 K but with 45,000 M of climbing no other stage comes close to that in terms of meters gained per kilometer ridden wow so there are four mountains to tackle the C the brous the C the torini the co de la colen and finally the co De La kol Tan paga will have pleasant memories of that final climb having beaten David gudo and yonas vinar on those slopes at parin e in 2023 yep now you’d be forgiven for assuming that would be the final day that we’d see any changes on the general classification because for decades the final Stags of Paris has been A procession for the most part hasn’t it then with a an exhilarating Sprint on the shs at the end this year is different though due to the Olympics organizers ASO were forced to change the location of that final stage and that location as we mentioned is n yeah so for the first time since the famous 1989 Edition the race will conclude with a time trial a mountain time trial at that starting in Monaco they’ll first climb latel be and then head to the infamous CZ before swooping down into n where the 2024 tour to France will conclude on the promad Des fantastic so at 35k this is a really tough time trial isn’t it we just need to hope that the time gaps amongst the top Riders on GC are small enough that there there’s the potential for a big upset on the final day that would be cracking be interested to see how many of the pure sprinters make it to that day they because as you pointed out uh one opportunity at the start of last week for them if there’s a hunt for the green jersey I guess that’s a reason for them to get over the mountains and through to e on the final day but if they’re not well it’s a tough ask isn’t it really just to say they finished I guess well yeah presuming that means the green jersey competition will effectively be sewn up by well baring intermediate Sprints if they can get into them in the breakway I me m it’s going to be interesting is it very interesting indeed those are the 21 stages and I think it’s got the makings of being an absolutely cracking Roots this year isn’t it when you die into it but as always it is the riders that make the race and we’re going to get on to them shortly we will firstly though a quick plug for the gcn shop now as many of you will have seen last week we are now independent again here at gcn so no longer owned by Warner rub Discovery and so your support through likes and shares of our videos and sales of our merch are more important than ever yeah so we have got a huge line of t-shirts for you this year to celebrate the biggest bike race on Earth and you can find all of them over at shop. Global cycling network.com where you’ll also find a special edition gcn Camelback bottle oh yeah as well as a yellow themed mug there’s a couple of hoodies I think over on the shop there as well French themed so make sure you go and check it out we’ll put a link in the description just below this video but it’s shop. Global cycling network.com yeah right let us get on to the Riders shall we and we will start with a man who has won this race for the last two years is yonas vinar uh this is exactly what we know about vineer he’s going to be at the start isn’t he that’s all we know beyond that we’ve got absolutely no idea because as almost every single one of you will know he suffered an horrific crash at zulia tour in April one that left him with a punctured lung and several broken bones yeah that he is going to start is incredible in itself most of us would still be off the bike let alone riding a grand tour but he hasn’t raced at all since that crash all we know is that he’s been training hard firstly at home in Denmark then in newor and more recently at altitude in teen originally you’ll remember this but his team said that he wouldn’t race the Tour of France this year unless he was 100% but then last week they changed that basically saying that the injuries at other Riders changed their plans so vineo will now be on the start line to be competitive rather than necessarily fighting for the Yow Jersey again this year yeah now it is impossible for us to know what shape he’s in and whilst he and his coaches will have an idea they won’t know how he’s going to react to the accumulated fatigue basically of a grand tour because he’s missed out on an awful lot of training he did yeah so I guess we can only hope that he’s close to his best but his selection I would say is a good sign isn’t it and with a few tough test in the opening four stages it won’t take too long to find out how F go going but he has got a strong team we know that Mato Jorgenson is a great plan B isn’t he winner at Parry and close to beating rogl at the doof he’s been on fire this year isn’t he he has indeed yeah W vanart is there as well the Tour of France hadn’t originally been on his schedule this year he was of course supposed to do the jro but his own nasty crash in March changed that he raced in Norway at the end of May and already looked pretty good there didn’t he and over a month on from that I think we can expect van art to do van art type things again we certainly keep our fingers crossed for that can’t yeah we can Kerman benut leaport and tratnik round out their squad strong I would say strong Squad let’s move on to uat memores then Pacha won this race in 2020 and 21 but he’s played second fiddle to Y the last two years I think most of us thought it was a terrible decision to do the jro this year if he wanted to win the tour again but in hindsight now he’s done the jro with no crashes and the crashes of his serious rivals well it’s not looking too bad for him is it well quite the opposite really it’s looking absolutely great he has had 14 wins this year he’s not had any serious crashes or illnesses touch W and he won the jro at caner didn’t he so you can assume that he will be firing on all cylinders for the tour he’s the big favorite isn’t he however you look at it particularly when you see how strong his team is as well so Adam Yates jel MAA juano pav COV Mark Solair Tim wellin and Neils po and you might say that it’s a case of too many chefs in the kitchen but when paga is on the team we don’t normally see any intermal rivalries do we no I mean whilst at least three of them could lead teams in their own right they are all well aware that pagach is a level above any of them when he’s at 100% And I think they will all happily sacrifice themselves for him too and just hope he get sick as well so they’ got an opportunity for themselves only joking of course but yeah what a team one two at the recent tour of Swiss with Yates and Alia Alia should I say there’s a decent chance they could get two rides on the podium again this year like they did last year with Yates and pagat yeah but hopefully for them with one on the top step this year right next up Primo’s rogl now normally if you win the doet you’d be Mega confident ahead of the tour but there are some doubts over rogl aren’t they because he appeared to crack on the final he did yeah exactly he held on but only just I really hope that R glit is consistently good at this tour and more importantly than that that he stays upright and out of trouble that’s what really concerns me all this time of Rog glitch he’s crashed a lot in the past he’s crashed a lot already this year I have to say and time’s kind of running out for him isn’t it he’s 34 now that’s right crashes take longer to recover from when you get older don’t they broken ankles definitely do yeah that’s true yeah yeah well I mean his new team for start which you talk about they’ll be renamed ahead of the tour to Red Bull Bor hand grower and he’ll have decent support as well so vlasov was great at the Doan and if ji hindley gets back to his best he too will offer fantastic support jungles Hala and Nik Den would be really important for him though basically to keep him out of trouble on the flatter stages I would love to see Primos rogl win the Tour of France but unfortunately I cannot see that happening if pagat and or Vore are in top shape and make it through no but a lot can happen can’t it U fourth favorite uh with The Bookies anyway is Remco Evo of sudal quickstep so he too crashed out in the bass country in that Infamous pile up breaking his collarbone and scapula so he has had a very disrupted preparation as well yeah the do he said that he wasn’t going for GC I still ended up in seventh overall and he did put a lot of time into his Rivals at the individual time trial there I’m going to say it though I’m going to be very surprised if he finishes on the podium I know he’s the Welter but I’ve just not seen enough that suggests he can compete with patcha and vinegar in a 3-we race like the toour of France no I do know what you mean he tends to have a bad day yeah doesn’t he h and even sometimes he has a bad day in one week races so uh yeah also I was looking the other day PIAA had already won the Tour to France twice by the age that a is now making his debut at the tour he is still young but a little less so by Modern Standard again I hope I’m wrong because there’s nothing quite like even ad his very best disrupting everything is there uh sud Quick Step have Mikel Lander as backup but it appears they are sticking to the plan of not bringing a sprinter which is a great shame for Tim Malia he’s been the best Sprinter of the year so far that’s it absolutely fifth favorite for the race is Yates who we’ve already mentioned and then after him it’s Carlos Rodriguez of inos well amazing we got this far through a a preview show again without mentioning any us really isn’t it I’m actually quite confident in caros Rodriguez though not for the win necessarily but for a Podium I mean he’s not able to do those incredible attacks that a and vinon Patu do but he’s a diesel that is always there yeah he is the really high mountains should suit him as well from that respect shouldn’t they not high octane effort just well a SLO basically definitely yeah uh inos also have aegan burnau edging closer and closer to his best again plus Tom pitot he’s an interesting one isn’t he he’s clearly a winner but as yet unproven in tour GC riding decent at the tour of Swiss but no match for Yates now made of there so again I’m struggling to see him on the on the final Podium yes I mean the bookmakers would also agree with that uh he’s 100 to one in some places yeah garant Thomas will also be there but it remains to be seen as to whether that’s as a helper or to ride GC from I’d say helper yeah Lawrence Delo is someone that I could see finishing in the top 10 I was thinking that as well yeah I mean perhaps even better if he was team leader I mean he was fantastic at the do wasn’t he but he’s so selfless I don’t think he’ll have any ambition for himself at the tour but he should believe we believe in you lence do we know who else is on the inos squad by way uh yeah it was ree this morning we’re recording this on Monday so kovsky Turner and the ever Dependable Caster of the echo round out that Squad there were rumors that Josh taring could be riding but he’s not that’s a shame isn’t it CU he would have up would wouldn’t he right next up enrik mass of marar fifth in Catalonia sixth in Roman D seventh in Swiss his results would suggest he could come eighth Poss I knew you’re going to say that I mean you may just s but that sounds about right to eight I me m he’s an incredibly gifted Rider isn’t he but just doesn’t have that last percent that the big dogs have no that said seven top six placings in 11 grand Tours is bloody impressive that isn’t bad is it next up a man who has won a Grand Tour Richard carapaz started the season well didn’t he was second in the tour of Columbia but since then it’s been a tough few months for EF Marquee signing now you remember that he was forced to abandon after stage one of the race last year due to a crash he’ll be hoping for better this time around so yes other rid is worth mentioning in the GC battle uh there’s the other consistent P Bill bout of barin Victorious his main ambition is to win another stage this year but he’s also got an eye on GC that team’s also got Jack ha and Santiago Bago too who could both potentially be in the top 10 if all goes to plan then we’ve got David godu of groupa fdj who’s had a season to forget so far I’d say Judo tone of Le Trek who unfortunately got ill after the doof and then Lou mes Anto marhe wanty Gober who’s almost guaranteed to finish around 10 yeah um I think you’ll find you’ve missed one of the big favorites there they down who that Derek g wow yeah I mean he’s basically the outright favorite isn’t he forget T patcha and yonas vinar it’s all about Derek G well joking aside that ride he did at the doofan I mean how impressive was that third overall great in the mountains great in the time trial can he string together three consistent weeks I guess he kind of already has last last year’s J albeit with a non-gc aims there I’m actually genuinely excited to see how Derek G gets on anyway sticking with Israel Premier Tech no Chris R not really a big surprise that is it no Matthew Riello either so he was fifth overall in the test Swiss leading many fans to wonder whether his program would change but they’re sticking to the original plan which was for him to do love Welter yeah I think that’s all the GC Riders covered probably missed somebody but there you go yeah but let us move on to the sprinters uh and we have to start with the man who won most of the Sprints last year yasper Phillipson is that a great season overall hasn’t he one Sano of course and then second for the second year in Ru but in recent Bunch Sprints he’s been beaten quite a lot Malia beat him twice in the tour of Belgium whilst the Lee beat him at the national champs on Sunday so I wonder whether that might get into his head well he has got his 18 with him for the Tour of France hasn’t he um they were incredible in delivering him to the line last year but his confidence might have taken a little bit of a knock you’re right yeah plus he’s signed a really good long-term contract so relax a bit can’t he Vanderpool haast Rickard and Arabic will be his main lead out riders that is one formidable team in the Sprints one Rider who will head into the tour with great confidence is Dylan koven so he out sprinted Olaf Koy to win the Dutch Nationals on Sunday that’s his fourth win of the year so far been a couple of years though since he’s won a stage of a grand tour it has yeah now his positioning can let him down can’t it and with his team split between between Sprint GC and Stage winning Ambitions it means he doesn’t have a full team do it dedicated to his own um but with that Dutch national champs win he should be able to have white shorts shouldn’t he for the race if he so wishes so so that might yeah that might liberate him slightly and we should probably talk about Mark Cavendish Sir Mark Cavendish sirk yes we should he’s had two wins this year one came very early in the season at the tour of Colombia and one much more recently in hung hungry so not prolific like he used to be but as we all know this is his big goal of the Season can he take win number 35 and hold the stage winning record on his own as opposed to sharing it with Merks it’s one of those ones where on paper you would say no wouldn’t you because there are younger faster sprinters around now but this is Mark cadish that we’re talking about and you write him off at your peril D and we’ve all done it in the past and frankly we’ve all eaten our words it’ll be the story if he did it wouldn’t it yeah absolutely I’d imagine Netflix are keeping their fingers crossed that he does for that story like I suspect Netflix probably already written into the script haven’t they right a there is a lot resting on Cav’s shoulders from that team’s point of I was looking earlier uh Cav is the third always rider in the race the two that are older than him are his teammates Michael MCO part of the lead out Squad they’ve got ballerini there as well y fool sang is the oldest guy in the race you go Bennett is back at the tour to France for the first time since he won the green jersey in 2020 already four years ago KY here had a slow start to the season but he’s come quite good recently and with the caston’s win rate this year that whole team is going to be buzzing on the start line of the tour absolutely Phil bow housee is another Sprinter on the start line he bowed out of the jro early in order to recover and prepare for the tour and Alexander Kristoff will be sprinting for Uno X right I was looking actually four years since he last won a stage of the tour but he’s had a blooming good year so far in 2024 so you never know the Sprint I’m most looking forward to watching though is Arno Dee I mean I’ve always been a big fan he’s just he’s just so strong his win at the Belgian Nationals was absolutely incredible so Philips Malia mayor vanard all sat on his wheel but when he started to Sprint none of them could come around him held it all the way to the line that is impressive yeah isn’t it genuinely um he could also be the thorn in Mass pson side isn’t it we know the Dane loves a long hard day in the saddle before a final Sprint and it feels like dele is similar doesn’t it like we said earlier stage eight could be really interesting for pson and for Sim qualities you’re right yeah Fabio yakobson is another Rider who’s had a difficult year so he joined team DSM from suda quickstep but he’s only had the one win so far this year and that was at the tour of turkey yeah it’s amazing that it was only two years ago that he was the big favorite tour Sprint stages he’ll be back he’ll be back I’m sure but uh I’m not sure it will be this year’s tour to France unfortunately for him and his team other sprinters worth noting H we got bam gay he’s been good recently his teammate Anto Mar W herin ton plus Arnold dear he’s still trying to come back after taking some time off due to fatigue during the classic season there’s Pascal aaman Israel Premier Tech as well remember um but he’s also not quite the Sprinter he used to be is he not really uh overall I’d say it’s a weaker Sprint field than the jured Italia had this year there’s a real shame in particular that malier isn’t racing but Jonathan Milan too did the jur but not the tour and a few others how open that leaves things in terms of tour Sprints very much depends on yasper Philipson’s legs I would say and that of his team yeah is there anyone else we should mention uh not from a sprinter’s point of view but I’d say keep your eyes out for Paul laera he’s just been crowned French national champion Kevin V of ARA Sam because we another exciting young Frenchman he makes his debut at the tour for ARA Roman greguar yeah uh who rides for group fdj so the French could have a lot to shout about in terms of stage hunting that’s cool isn’t it Ben Healey and Nelson Palace of EF both capable of taking a stage win as well we should point out as his newly crowned Italian champ Alberto Beal he will be keen on day one I would imagine on Italian saw too what I’d love to see is a Time win for Stefan cook but with aapo there that may remain elusive for him again this year yeah Aaron buru and Lano are two more stage hunters and then there’s Steph crash actually of totel energies he crashed with vineel a Nal at Al at the bass country earlier this year but he’s made a really good recovery so he might be eyeing a top 10 on the general classification yeah Magnus court for Uno X he was good at the do wasn’t he though he has been ill I believe since then oh I missed that yeah I think so um and there’s also Brian cochard of cofidis um so near and yet so far in Tor of France stages maybe this will be his year right I think we’ve just about covered everything I think so Haven we a remind you can watch the whole race live and On Demand over on Discovery plus where you’ll also find a full season of live racing I think it’s time for our predictions now should do all the jerseys D four jerseys go on then right yellow Pacha same I know it’s boring but I’m going for patar as well yeah uh young Rider I’m going Mato Jens I’m going AO very good even though he’s been on green yep uh philipson I’m going for dele big F you do like I do like dele yes uh mountains oh that’s always a tough one isn’t it I’ll go Richard carap as of e for the mountains I’m for Pacha yeah it’s not a Bad Bet really is it not really no right green jersey Pacha time to wrap things up then going to be a hell of a 3 weeks of racing again isn’t it let us know in the comments who your favorite is for the win paga vineer or somebody else entirely I’m going to be out personally actually in Florence from uh today as you watch this Wednesday through to Saturday so if you see me please feel free to say hello yeah thank you very much for watching everyone enjoy the racing and we will see you soon