2022 TOUR DE FRANCE: FIVE RIDERS TO WATCH

Filled with so  many great riders with so much potential, picking any one rider as the most logical winner is a tough chore. Year after year  the prognosticators weigh -in with their expert analysis, and year after year, some hit the mark while others wildly miss. So, here are the five we figure will be the most impactful.

TADEJ POGACAR

Primed for a three-peat, Tadej Pogacar has shown his fitness throughout the season. Pogacar bookended his victory at Strade Bianche with overall wins at the UAE Tour and Tirreno Adriatico. The spry 23-year-old continued his spring campaign with solid results. Race after race, Pogacar continues to tactfully ride, making another win seem inevitable.

PRIMOZ ROGLIC

Back-to-back bad luck in July for Primoz Roglic has the three-time Grand Tour champion and Olympic time-trial winner seeking ultimate glory. Roglic has continued to sharpen his toolset following an upset loss on the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour and an early exit following a fall during the first week last year. This year Roglic must stay healthy to be a serious contender. He has already secured victory at Paris-Nice ahead of Adam Yates and other Tour hopefuls.

MIKEL LANDA

With four top-10 results at the Tour in five appearances, Mikel Landa is one of the most consistent finishers without a podium result. Since jumping from Team Sky to Movistar, the 32-year-old Spaniard may have finally found a team to support him at the Tour with Bahrain Victorious. Landa’s biggest challenge will be the 30-plus miles of time-trialing this year. Look to Landa’s results at the Giro as a precursor for his Tour abilities.     

ADAM YATES

Adam Yates appears to be the leader of a strong Ineos roster that is still reeling from the loss of Egan Bernal. The days of the Team Sky/Ineos train are over, which has forced the British team to search for a new approach to race on cycling’s biggest stage. A hearty core of support riders should be able to protect Yates, but he will need to step up to go head-to-head with Pogacar and Roglic.

 

JONAS VINGEGAARD

After making the most of his opportunity to contest the overall competition in 2021 with a second-place finish, Jonas Vingegaard will get another chance to take on Tadej Pogacar. Vingegaard is set to start the Tour as part of the 1-2 Jumbo-Visma punch to attack the race. Vingegaard matched Pogacar’s efforts in the mountains, but, like many, must become more well-rounded to keep up during the time trials.

 

Photo: Bettini/Sprint Cycling