HOW THE SPRINTERS WILL FARE
MARK CAVENDISH
The Tour’s greatest-ever sprinter is still targeting an elusive four stage wins, that would put him equal with Eddy Merckx’s all time record of 34. Yet since he won four stages in 2016, Cavendish has endured a difficult two seasons dealing with EpsteinBarr virus. The positive news is that Cavendish has been racing fairly regularly again in 2019; the flip side is that third place in a sprint at the Tour of Turkey is as good as the results get. Matching the speed of his fresher, in-form rivals will likely be a big ask.
ANDRÉ GREIPEL
After a decade with Lotto Soudal, Greipel moved to Arkéa-Samsic this year and though he won in January, it was at the Tropicale Amissa Bongo and he’s struggled when on the start-line against his main rivals. In fact, speaking with Belgian press Greipel said his “instinct as a sprinter had gone”. He turns 37 during the Tour – Alessandro Petacchi is the oldest sprinter to win a Tour stage at 36. Greipel will never stop trying, but adding to his 11 wins looks challenging.
CALEB EWAN
The Australian is finally set to make his Tour debut after being left out of Mitchelton-Scott’s squad last summer. That decision was the final nail in the coffin that cemented his move to Lotto Soudal, a team with a strong track record of sprinting success. Ewan got his first win for his new team at the UAE Tour and has a string of podium spots through the spring, but gelling with his new lead-out took time. He relieved some pressure by winning stages 8 and 11 at the Giro.
PETER SAGAN
The favourite to win green again for what would be a record-breaking seventh time. Sagan ended the classics campaign without finishing on a podium and while his lack of results has brought increased scrutiny, signs are there he’s on the right trajectory after he won a morale-boosting stage at the Tour of California. His team are a well-drilled machine, and if there was a rider who can cope with the mental pressure inside the Tour bubble, it’s the threetime world champion.
FERNANDO GAVIRIA
Despite winning nine races for Quick-Step in 2018, including two Tour stages and spending a day in the yellow jersey, Gaviria left his contract a year early and switched to UAE Emirates. Illness disrupted his spring and he only won a stage at the Giro after Viviani was relegated. The Colombian later abandoned with knee pain. Though the UAE sprint lead-out is a work in progress, Gaviria can count on help from Alexander Kristoff who won on the ChampsÉlysées last year.
ELIA VIVIANI
It’s been five years since Elia Viviani’s first and only start in the Tour, in 2014 when at Liquigas. Moving to Quick-Step seemed to be the trick for the Italian to start winning prolifically and he ended 2018 as the most successful sprinter. He had four wins by the end of this March, but misfired at the Giro, blaming his head, not his legs. Quick-Step are experts at manouveuring and executing Tour bunch finishes though, and their experience, plus Viviani’s speed, means a bit of confidence should help him land a Tour win.