TOUR DE FRANCE 2019 TEAMS
Ag2rLa Mondiale
All for one’ sums up the French team’s strategy. It will put everything behind Romain Bardet’s quest to become the Tour’s first home winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985. Second and third in recent years, the super-slender Frenchman has much in his favour, not least a route that’s heavy on mountains, especially in the final week, and light on time trialling, a long-time weakness. His support crew, which includes Pierre Letour, is stronger than ever, and there’s even a stage into his home town of Brioude.
Team Astana
Serial winners all season, the Kazakh team has been the dominant stage race force. Jakob Fuglsang, now 34 but enjoying the best form of his career, will be their leader. Victor at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring, the Dane is a diesel who should thrive on this high route. The decision on whether Miguel Angel López will partner Fuglsang was set to be taken following the Colombian’s attempt to win the Giro, but Astana won’t be short of talented climbers to support their leader if he misses out.
BahrainMerida
One week less between the Giro and Tour means Vincenzo Nibali, not so fresh from a tilt at a third win at his home tour, may be eyeing stage wins rather than the yellow jersey. This will suit several of his teammates who will heading into July with ambitions of personal glory. In sprinter/puncheur Sonny Colbrelli, time triallist Rohan Dennis and all-round talent Matej Mohoric, this well-backed team (with former Sky coach Rod Ellingworth on board) has the talent to bounce back from a lacklustre spring campaign.
BoraHansgrohe
Peter Sagan’s below par performances this season has allowed his teammates to emerge from his shadow and grab a series of headline victories. With his sights set on a record-breaking seventh points title, Sagan will return to centre stage and, form permitting, should make the green jersey his once again. But keep an eye on climber Emanuel Buchmann and, particularly, 25-year-old puncheur Max Schachmann, who has been arguably the break-out performer of the season so far.
CCC Team
The team formerly known as BMC is now being financed by Polish shoe company CCC, on a much smaller budget, with aspirations on stage wins rather than the yellow jersey this season. Leader Greg Van Avermaet is their prime hope for success. The Belgian failed to score a big win in the Classics, but victory on the final day of the Tour de Yorkshire was a reminder of the threat he presents in undulating terrain. Breakaway specialist Alessandro De Marchi is due a stage win.
Team Cofidis
The oldest team in the pro ranks hasn’t won a Tour stage since 2008, and there’s scant evidence from the first half of the season to suggest that drought will end soon. Shaken up last year following the arrival of former yellow jersey Cédric Vasseur as manager, the French squad’s leaders are sprinters Nacer Bouhanni and Christophe Laporte. Bouhanni is quicker, but has been beset by illness and is likely to miss out. Laporte’s strength is his endurance. By Paris, he might be the fastest man in the race.
DeceuninckQuickStep
Averaging more than two stage wins per Tour over the last decade and a half and the form team of the current season, the Belgian outfit is odds on to continue that run of success and could contend for all four jerseys. Bob Jungels is a solid top 10 prospect. For sprints they’ll look to the prolific Elia Viviani, while debutant Enric Mas should be among the best young riders. The star is Julian Alaphilippe. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to emulate his two-stage and polka-dot jersey haul of last year.
EF-Education First
Rigoberto Uran, runner-up in 2017, is one of the many Colombians who should thrive on the mountainous route, particularly in the final week. There are, though, several other riders who could easily make a mark, starting with Alberto Bettiol, the surprise winner of the Tour of Flanders, and Dani Martínez, victor on the ‘queen’ stage of Paris-Nice that finished atop the Col de Turini. Canadian climber Michael ‘Rusty’ Woods will also look to the GC, but will be relishing each of the summit finishes.
GroupamaFDJ
Thibaut Pinot has turned his attention back to his national tour thanks to a route that offers him a huge opportunity to repeat his podium finish of 2014. In support, Groupama will pack their line-up with climbers and leave out sprinter Arnaud Démare, winners of stages in each of the last two years. It’s a risky strategy given Pinot’s occasional flakiness in July. David Gaudu, a first-time WorldTour stage winner at Romandie in May, should contend for the white jersey as he gives his all for his leader.
TLottoSoudal
he Belgian team usually has a sprint focus and this continues as new arrival Caleb Ewan seeks to rekindle the glory days Lotto enjoyed with Robbie McEwen and André Greipel. The small but power-packed Aussie has had a solid start as the squad’s main hitter and won at the Giro d’Italia before what will be a Tour debut. The route doesn’t favour sprinters, so Lotto will also field some attack-minded riders in the shape of breakaway king Thomas De Gendt and puncheurs Tim Wellens and Tiesj Benoot.
MitcheltonScott
Adam Yates’ GC challenge ended early last year, but buoyed by twin brother Simon’s win at the Vuelta and his own impressive spring campaign that included a string of victories and high GC finishes, Mitchelton are throwing their weight behind him again. The experience Yates gained last year and the route support this strategy. Backed by a strong line-up including Daryl Impey, Matteo Trentin, Mikel Nieve and some powerful rouleurs, he might be in yellow following the second-day TTT.
Movistar Team
Nairo Quintana’s efforts to complete a full set of Grand Tour victories have been hampered by his and his team’s reserved approach at the Tour. This July, the Spanish squad have reverted to an all-for-Nairo strategy with Landa given a free role. The Colombian’s 2019 record has given reason for optimism, especially as Quintana has raced more aggressively. Backed by a powerful cohort of climbers on a route ideally suited to his qualities, Quintana has his best chance so far to clinch yellow.
ArkéaSamsic
Tthe Breton team has performed so poorly over the past season and a half that manager Emmanuel Hubert has stated that there will be a major reworking of the roster before the 2020 season. The principal disappointment has been the form of 2017 Tour King of the Mountains Warren Barguil, who hasn’t won a single race since then. Hit by bad luck and fractured vertebrae at ParisNice, the Breton should at least be fresh at the Tour. Veteran sprinter André Greipel is also overdue a big win.
Dimension Data
While Mark Cavendish has spent much of the past two seasons undermined by illness and crashes, his teammates on the South African squad have also struggled with a persistent malaise. They’ve made some useful signings, but they have failed to provide the turnaround. At 34, Cavendish is being written off but should still start, even if sprint wins look increasingly improbable. More likely, however, is a return to winning form for Michael Valgren and Edvald Boasson Hagen.
Team Ineos
The question of how Sky’s successors might accommodate the ambitions of Chris Froome and defending champion Geraint Thomas became even more intriguing when Colombian phenomenon Egan Bernal was forced to miss his leadership assignment at the Giro with a broken collarbone. Bernal may emerge as the strongest of the trio on a route that gives him every opportunity to display his astonishing climbing talent. All for one and one for all may be their battle cry. But who’s the one?
JumboVisma
The Dutch team’s co-leaders Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruiswijk harried Sky all of the way to Paris last year. Roglic’s focus on the Giro cleared the path to headlining status for veteran climber Kruiswijk in July, and the dogged Dutchman should be in the frame again, although a podium place may prove too big a stretch, especially with the stagewinning ambitions of sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. One of the fastest finishers in the bunch, this flying Dutchman is a good bet to win at least once.
KatushaAlpecin
With Marcel Kittel gone, it begged the question of who would take on his mantle of figurehead at the Tour. Ilnur Zakarin, ninth last year, has prioritised the Giro, but still offers a useful stage-winning threat if selected. Focusing on stages is likely to be their strategy, with aggressive riders like ParisRoubaix runner-up Nils Politt, the punchy Nathan Haas, galloper Rick Zabel, climber Ian Boswell and the opportunistic Enrico Battaglin all likely to get an unexpected opportunity on cycling’s biggest platform.
Team Sunweb
Runner-up last year, Tom Dumoulin should arrive fresher having crashed out early of the Giro. A lack of race days in 2019 may leave him short of form and race craft, but if he can add some quality week-long races, his freshness might well work in his favour in July. He’ll have a strong team behind him, including climber Wilco Kelderman, but Sunweb will have other options too, with 2017 points winner Michael Matthews, who’s in superb form. He’s exactly the kind of sprinter/puncheur who should thrive on this route.
Total Direct Energie
The French team’s most significant signing in 2019 has been new lead sponsor Total, the oil and gas giant whose immense pockets are likely to a beefed-up roster in 2020, particularly on the GC side. In the meantime, they’ll stick with their long-standing strategy of fielding attackminded riders who’ll each get opportunities to pursue the stage win this team so often captures. Leading the way will be 2017 stage-winner Lilian Calmejane, Dutch Classics star Niki Terpstra and punchy Frenchman Anthony Turgis.
TrekSegafredo
Winless for much of 2019, Trek stayed in the headlines thanks to regular citing of a mooted deal with Vincenzo Nibali. If confirmed, this should sharpen the focus of Richie Porte, signed as their GC leader just this season. So often set back by misfortune, the Australian has the talent to finish on the podium, but his team isn’t nearly as strong as his those of his key rivals, so he’ll need to race smartly to achieve this result. Sprinter John Degenkolb’s form suggests he might snatch a win.
UAETeam Emirates
The well-backed Emirati team will put their weight behind Irishman Dan Martin, who’s aiming for an elusive Tour podium finish, and the super-powered tandem of Fernando Gaviria and Alexander Kristoff targeting bunch finishes. Martin could easily improve on his Tour best sixth place in 2017, with ex-Sky climber Sergio Henao as his lieutenant. Gaviria won two stages on his debut last year and has great support in Kristoff as his lead-out man. They could bag a hatful of wins.
Wanty-Groupe Gobert
That the Belgian team were handed a wild card in preference to the French Vital Concept squad boils down to the presence of French climber Guillaume Martin. Winner of the Etna summit finish in April’s Tour of Sicily, their only victory during the spring, the cerebral Martin is making steady progress up the GC ranks. He’d probably be rising quicker on a WorldTour team, but might not have the same opportunity to lead in his national tour. The top 10 might be out of reach, but a stage win is achievable.