Two French riders who are candidates for the final victory in the Tour de France at the start of the last week of the race: it was hoped before the departure of Brussels, on July 6th, it is now a reality. The name of Thibaut Pinot often returned (with that of Romain Bardet, now pushed back to more than 20 minutes in the general), that of Julian Alaphilippe, especially specialist races a day, much less. Yet it is the runner of the Deceuninck-Quick Step who will wear the Yellow Jersey, Tuesday, in Nimes, to attack this last straight of the Tour, six stages to the Champs-Elysees, Sunday.
But if Alaphilippe is yellow, and if Pinot (current 4th in the general 1'50 "of his compatriot) impressed during the two main stages Pyrenean (winner at Tourmalet, 2nd at Foix Prat Albi), four other riders have the hope of triumphing in Paris: the Welsh Geraint Thomas, the Colombian Egan Bernal, the Dutchman Steven Kruisjwijk and the German Emmanuel Buchmann.
Geraint THOMAS, Great Britain, 33, Ineos, 2nd at 1'35 "
Exceptional Pistard - two titles in Olympic Team Pursuit and three World Champion titles - Geraint Thomas turned out to be a possible candidate for the final victory on the Tour de France. Arrived as a team-mate of Christopher Froome last year, he was stronger than his leader, especially in the mountains (two stage wins), to seal his first success on the Tour, at 32 years. A logical favorite this year, despite disappointing results in the first part of the season, he saw his end of preparation disrupted by a crash on the Tour de Suisse on June 18th. Solid at La Planche des Belles Daughters and in the Pau standings (second behind Alaphilippe), he conceded time during both top finishes in the Pyrenees. Still very strong in the last week, he remains the favorite of many specialists, including Eddy Merckx, who always sees him as a winner.
Egan BERNAL, Colombia, 22 years old, Ineos, 5th at 2'02 "
The young Colombian prodigy, winner of the Tour de l'Avenir 2017, was before the start of this Great Loop the second card in the sleeve of the team Ineos (ex-Sky). He still is. And more than ever. The Colombian, the youngest rider still on this Tour, only has a little over two minutes behind Alaphilippe (2'02 ") and only 12 seconds behind Pinot, with a convincing start to the season (victories over Paris-Nice in March and the Tour de Suisse in June), he showed on this occasion that he was able to go all the way in a race in stages and the high altitudes approaching in the Alps - six passes at more than 2,000 m, whose "roof" of the Tour, the Iseran, which rises to 2,770 m - should suit him, he who was one of the only ones to be able to support the comparison with Pinot in the Pyrenees (+8 "to Tourmalet, +18 "at Foix Prat d'Albi) After Nairo Quintana (2nd of the Tour in 2013 and 2015) and Rigoberto Uran (2nd in 2017), Colombia has a new hope to win the Tour ...
Steven KRUIJSWIJK, The Netherlands, 32, Jumbo-Visma, 3rd at 1'47 "
If the Ineos are in a strong position in the Top 5, maybe Steven Kruisjwijk has the strongest team. An extra sign of the Jumbo-Visma's strength in the Tour de France (already four stage victories), the broad-shouldered Dutchman could count on the support of his team-mates George Bennett and Laurens de Plus until very late in the Pyrenean climbs. We saw the two runners ensure a very sustained tempo in the Tourmalet for their leader and it could be very useful in the tactical battle that is coming in the Alps. After having resisted Saturday, Kruisjwijk nevertheless conceded time, Sunday, to Foix, finishing in the wheel of Thomas. Rider unknown to the French public, he does not count much success on his record, but several places of honor on the great Tours (5th of the Tour and 4th of the Vuelta last year, 4th of the Giro 2016). And if it was his year?
Emmanuel BUCHMANN, Germany, 26, Bora-Hansgrohe, 6th at 2'14 "
He is with Julian Alaphilippe the big surprise of the Top 10 of the Tour. We knew the qualities of the lanky German in the mountains, but from there to see him in the candidates for the final victory in the Tour to a week of the arrival ... And yet, 4th at the Tourmalet then at Foix Prat d'Albi, the rider Team Bora-Hansgrohe, who has never done better than 12th on a grand Tour (Vuelta 2018), has shown a good consistency in the series of passes, which will necessarily be an asset during the alpine stages. He can also count on a very solid team, with the Austrians Patrick Konrad or Gregor Mühlberger. The Bora team in green (Peter Sagan) but also in yellow on the Champs-Elysees, it's worth a huge odds, but this Tour is so crazy ...