EDWARD PICKERING

Pro cycling Editor

Who will win the yellow jersey and who is going to be second and third?

It’s hard to see past Froome. Recent evidence suggests he’s better at cycling than his rivals and he’s hard to beat physically and tactically. Porte and Bardet to round out the podium.

Who else will be in the top 10?

Valverde and Quintana, probably in that order. Aru and Chaves could be wild cards if their dicky knees allow, though Simon Yates might be a better bet for Orica. Contador, of course, but I can’t see him higher than fourth or !ifth. Meintjes and Martin, possibly Talansky. Maybe Pinot, but I think he’ll go stage-hunting.

Which sprinter will dominate?

I think Kittel has a point to prove – he was outshone by Cavendish last year. Greipel will win one. A new winner? I fancy Démare to break his duck on one of the rolling stages.

Who’s going to win the other jerseys?

Green jersey: personal property of Sagan until Gaviria gives him a run for his money in 2018 or 2019. I think Simon Yates will squeeze ahead of Meintjes and Buchmann for the white. The polka dot is for the breaks this year, with the lack of summit !inishes: Stage 9, with two HC climbs before halfway, will be key. Biased pick:

Procycling columnist Thomas De Gendt.

Which rider do you tip for a break-out performance?

It’s about time Rafa¯ Majka did a good GC at the Tour. Of the young up-and-comers, watch out for Buchmann, who might break into the top 15. He was 21st last year (47:40 down, a long way from the top 10), but is still only 24.

What do you think of the route, and which stage are you most looking forward to?

Interesting – low on big summit !inishes and TTs. So where is the di!ference going to be made? Theoretically, ASO hope, in smaller increments, here and there. I’d love for the rolling stages 15 and 16, to Le Puy and Romanssur-Isère, to go the way of Formigal in last year’s Vuelta, but the Tour, as riders often remind us, is the Tour, and the defensiveminded teams are very strong. Stage 9 will be brutal, but I hope it’s not a stalemate.

What is going to be the tactical narrative of this race?

Nip and tuck through the grippy stages of the Vosges, Pyrenees and Massif Central, and I’ve got a vague theory that the uphill starts are ripe for exploitation. But the !inal reckoning will still be the two huge Alpine stages.