The Tour is always a major high point in the cycling calendar, a glorious month-long circus on two wheels packed with excitement, controversy and even sometimes, a little bit of running.
The world’s largest annual sporting event returns to the roads of France – and to our TV screens for those of us not lucky enough to be going to see it live – in July, but we are already super, super excited.
Here are four reasons why…
1) It’s wide open for the yellow jersey
Chris Froome is not in nearly as good form as he has been before his previous Tour de France wins. The Kenyan-British Team Sky rider typically states his intentions for ‘le Grand Boucle’ by winning the Criterium du Dauphiné, but not this year, only managing fourth place.
Of course, Froome is still a superb athlete, even when he’s not at his peak, and he has indubitably got the strongest team around him. He’s still most bookies’ favourite for the win, but things could be a little more interesting this year, especially if the likes of Nairo Quintana, Richie Porte and Jakob Fuglsang can exploit any cracks that start to show.
2) Who will be the sprint king?
While we’d never call Peter Sagan boring, his dominance of the green jersey competition in the last five years has meant it’s basically a foregone conclusion. However, Sagan usually wins the jersey by consistently hoovering up intermediate sprint points and placing highly in the flatter stages. That leaves the actual stage wins still very much up for grabs for the likes of Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel, Alexander Kristoff and Sacha Modolo.
And, dare we mention his name before he’s officially confirmed, Mark Cavendish is also on the road back to fitness.
Of course, there have long been murmurings that Greg van Avermaet might be the man to eventually wrest the green jersey from Sagan’s shoulders after half a decade. The Belgian has been in superb form this season, but will probably not get too much team support because of Richie Porte’s GC ambitions.
3) La belle France!
For many casual Tour watchers, the scenery is the best bit of the whole show. With a route that passes through spectacular mountain passes, gorgeous rolling hills, and the obligatory sunflower fields, we are sure to be treated to some stunning vistas as the race crawls towards Paris.
And as it’s the Tour, you may as well tuck into some French-themed delicacies as you catch up on the day’s highlights. Slab of brie and some vin rouge, anyone?
4) British hopes
While Froome is the obvious big hope for British success, there are other riders too who could thrive at this year’s Tour.
Orica-Scott will ride for Simon Yates after their other GC big gun, Esteban Chaves, tanked in the Dauphiné. Team Dimension Data’s Steve Cummings, if selected, will certainly do his best to magic another stage win out of thin air – as he is proving incredibly adept at doing. And then there is the always intriguing Daniel McLay, a British sprinter riding for a second-tier Italian team who, on his day, can magic a win out of a bunch sprint with a ferocious turn of pace. Ben Swift, too, is looking likely after making a switch of teams to UAE Abu Dhabi.
