Starring a pair of dueling champions, the 2023 Tour de France is gearing up to be one of the most intense cycling battles in the race's 120-year history. On July 1, 176 riders will set off from Bilbao, Spain, on a 2,215-mile route across all five of France's mountain ranges. The 21-stage race includes four grueling summit stage finishes and an ascent of the volcano, Puy de Dôme, before eventually rolling to a finish on Paris's Champs-Elysées on July 23.
With some top contenders out of this year’s competition, a short list of the most buzz-worthy cyclists raises the usual debated forecasts about who will ultimately take it. Yes, it's anyone's race as always, but here are five favorites and up-and-comers in the 2023 Tour de France to zero in on.
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1. Jonas Vingegaard
Last year's Tour de France winner, Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, shocked crowds with his ferocious attack during the final climb of the Col de Granon, proving that elite cyclists from flat-as-a-board countries like Denmark aren't timid on hills. The 26-year-old racer for Jumbo-Visma is expected to dominate during this year's mountain stages—having just won the Criterium du Dauphiné, a road race in Southeastern France that's often considered a preview of the Tour de France. Vingegaard's victory last year ended the Tour's two-year reign of Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar (see #2), while also igniting cycling's biggest new rivalry.
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2. Tadej Pogacar
In 2020, Tadej Pogacar became the second youngest winner in Tour de France history, taking his first of two consecutive yellow jerseys at age 21. A favorite alongside Vingegaard, the UAE Team Emirates member was involved in a high-speed crash at Belgium’s Liège–Bastogne–Liège in April which led to wrist surgery. Training in the Sierra Nevada mountains to prepare for this year’s climb-focused route, the Pogacar will be racing with a wrist brace.
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3. Enric Mas
Could this be Enric Mas’ year? In 2022, the Spanish pro riding for Movistar had to drop out a few days early of the Tour de France after testing positive for COVID-19.
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From the island of Mallorca—a favorite training destination for cyclists—Mas is considered one of the world’s best climbers and is known for his attacks. He’s proven himself in Basque Country competitions and won the Giro dell'Emilia, held in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in 2022. More recently, he was dominated by Vingegaard in the Criterium du Dauphiné, considered a mini Tour de France.
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4. Jai Hindley
Australian racer Jai Hindley makes his debut this year at the famed July race after becoming the first Aussie to win road cycling’s Giro d’Italia in 2022. While the shortage of timed trials this year has some racers snubbing the Tour de France, Hindley says the 2023 course appeals to him. “The climbing and the fact that there’s one time trial—and a pretty hilly one—is a big attraction, and I think the team also sees that as well,” Hindley recently told Cycling News.
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5. Matteo Jorgenson
Looking for an up-and-comer American cyclist to root for in this year’s Tour de France? Keep a close watch on Matteo Jorgenson, who races on the Movistar Team. The racer didn’t notch any stage wins last year, but had a promising debut in 2022 with a few winning breakaways and some fourth and fifth place stage finishes. Born in Walnut Creek, CA, Jorgenson just won the Tour of Oman, a six-stage road race, in February. He’ll be turning 24 on July 1, day one of the race.
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Vegas Odds* for the 2023 Tour de France?
- Jonas Vingegaard +105
- Tadej Pogacar +145
- Enric Mas Nicolau +1,400
- Jai Hindley +2,000
- Ricard Carapaz +2,800
- Tao Geogheagan Hart +3,000
- David Gaudu +3,000
- Daniel Martinez +3,000
- Tom Pidcock +3,500
- Mikel Landa +5,000
- Simon Yates +6,500
- Egan Bernal +6,500
- Wout Van Aert +6,500
- Ben O'Connor +6,500
- Romaine Barder +6,500
- Matteo Jorgenson +15,000
* According to DraftKings Sportsbook. Odds are subject to change.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/6SOsRUY
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