Five riders to watch at the Tour de France

Chris Froome: On his best days, the 2013 winner is untouchable on steep mountain climbs, where he’ll be looking again this year to open up decisive time gaps on his rivals. But before imposing himself in the Pyrenees and Alps, the 30-year-old Briton must survive the Tour’s opening nine-day swing from the Low Countries across northern France. That’s not a given: Battered in crashes, Froome dropped out five stages into last year’s Tour. Still, Froome will be the man to beat this year. Vincenzo Nibali: The 2014 champion struggled for form ahead of his title defence, notably finishing 12th at the Ctritérium du Dauphiné warm-up race for the Tour. But the mountainous profile of this year’s route should favour strong climbers like him. With only three weeks of racing under his belt this season, the 30-year-old Italian may also be physically fresher than competitors who’ve had more gruelling schedules. Nairo Quintana: Light, lithe and accustomed to intense physical effort at high altitude, the Colombian could steal everyone’s thunder on winding, grinding climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees where this Tour will almost certainly be decided. On his first and so far only Tour, Quintana made an immediate impact, finishing runner-up to winner Froome in 2013. At 25, Quintana is the youngest of the main contenders. Alberto Contador: With Tour victories in 2007 and 2009, the punchy, gritty Spaniard seemed destined to dominate cycling. But a failed doping test at the 2010 race for the fatburning, muscle-building drug clenbuterol punctured his progression. Stripped of his first-place finish that year, the 32-year-old Contador has not won the Tour again. He was fourth in 2013 and dropped out last year after a high-speed crash. Joaquim Rodriguez: A three-time winner of cycling’s World Tour rankings, Rodriguez is enjoying another consistent season and is aiming for a podium finish in Paris. The 36-yearold Spanish veteran, who won the Vuelta al Pais Vasco earlier this year and secured third place at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, is confident he can compete with the Big Four — Contador, Froome, Nibali and Quintana — after a good showing in the Ctritérium du Dauphiné’s biggest stage.