Cycling: After we examined the Tour de France teams for potential outliers in the first part, we look at their opponents in the second part. Because the sprinter teams and the escapees will meet on every flat stage. It's a battle like David versus Goliath, but it still happens over and over again. The Tour de France teams mentioned in this section will do the tracking work on the flat stages.
Cofidis, Solutions Credits (France)
Team Cofidis will compete in the 2016 Tour de France with six French riders. The star of the team is once again Nacer Bouhanni, who is still waiting for his first stage win of the Tour and had to sit out several times injured or had to drop out. His greatest wish is therefore to finally be able to finish the Tour de France. Knowing their captain's proneness to falls, Team Cofidis don't just focus on the bunch sprints. With Arnold Jeannesson, Luis Angel Mate and Daniel Navarro, three drivers only really feel comfortable in the high mountains. It would not come as a surprise if Cofidis went straight to three tracks. Bouhanni for the sprints, one of the three climbers for the polka dot jersey and of course the ubiquitous stage hunt. Geoffrey Soupe and Borut Bozic are Nacer Bouhanni's full-time drivers, but should he fail several times in a mass sprint, the two could also go into a group.
The squad:
Nacer Bouhanni, Borut Bozic, Jerome Cousin, Arnold Jeannesson, Christophe Laporte, Cyril Lemoine, Luis Angel Mate, Daniel Navarro, Geoffrey Soupe
Etixx Quick Step (Belgium)
Etixx-Quick Step is undoubtedly one of the best Tour de France teams this year. Stage wins are virtually guaranteed even before the start of the tour, because with the two Germans Tony Martin in the time trial and Marcel Kittel in mass sprints, you seem to be the absolute market leader in two areas. Marcel Kittel is provided with an extensive team. Alongside “The German Panzerwagen” Tony Martin, Maximiliano Richeze and Fabio Sabatini ensure that Kittel finds its top speed in the last few meters. The rest of the team is filled with helpers who are supposed to make the task as difficult as possible for the escapees. But Daniel Martin and Julian Alaphilippe should not go unmentioned. Should there be a short, steep climb at some point during the Tour de France, these two riders will be up front.
The squad:
Julian Alaphilippe, Iljo Keisse, Marcel Kittel, Daniel Martin, Tony Martin, Maximiliano Richeze, Fabio Sabatini, Petr Vakoc, Julien Vermote
Lotto Soudal (Belgium)
André Greipel can also count on the full support of his team at the 2016 Tour de France. With the exception of Thomas De Gendt, who would like to make another attempt towards the overall standings, all the drivers are available to help the German. Tony Gallopin deserves a special mention, though, because if the profile gets a tad too heavy for Greipel, the Frenchman will step in and sprint into a decimated field with Sagan, Matthews and co. measure. Marcel Sieberg and Greg Henderson are of course also back at the start for André Greipel. The Lotto Soudal team will therefore not be found in breakaway groups on flat stages. Together with Etixx-Quick Step you will focus on forcing a mass sprint.
The squad:
Lars Ytting Bak, Thomas De Gendt, Jens Debusschere, Tony Gallopin, André Greipel, Adam Hansen, Gregory Henderson, Jürgen Roelandts, Marcel Sieberg
Katusha (Russia)
As in previous years, the Russian team Katusha will start with the double leadership of Kristoff and Rodriguez. However, since Joaquin Rodriguez has been chasing his best form for some time, Ilnur Zakarin and Jürgen Van den Broeck have also been nominated. However, there are question marks over all three as Zakarin already has the tough Giro d'Italia in May under his feet and Van den Broeck has been struggling with injuries and illnesses in recent months. That's why hopes somehow rest primarily on Alexander Kristoff. Last year he celebrated 20 wins this season. In 2014 he won two stages at the Tour. This year he has already been successful seven times. He is supported by speedsters like Michael Morkov, Marco Haller and starter Jacopo Guarnieri. Katusha is one of two Russian Tour de France teams this year alongside Tinkoff.
The squad:
Jacopo Guarnieri, Marco Haller, Alexander Kristoff, Alberto Losada, Michael Morkov, Joaquin Rodriguez, Ilnur Zakarin, Angel Vicioso, Jurgen Van den Broeck
Dimension Data (South Africa)
The successor to Team MTN Qhubeka is called Dimension Data and has been properly upgraded so that it can also be counted among the Tour de France teams. None other than Mark Cavendish was signed. The drivers Mark Renshaw and Bernhard Eisel are of course also at the start. But one definitely hoped for more from the commitment, because the Briton has been chasing his earlier successes for some time. This year he only won four less important races and avoided duels against the best competition as much as possible. He won't be able to do this at the Tour de France, because there he will meet the fastest men in the world in the mass sprints. It is rather unlikely that Dimension Data will achieve several stage wins in the person of Mark Cavendish. Therefore, with Serge Pauwels and Daniel Teklehaymanot, two more drivers were nominated, who could break away with an increasing profile. If it becomes too easy for these two but too difficult for Cavendish, then Edvald Boasson Hagen could step in. With his stage win at the Critérium du Dauphiné and the double at the Norwegian Championship, he has come back after a long unsuccessful period.
The squad:
Natnael Berhane Teweldemedhin, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mark Cavendish, Stephen Cummings, Bernhard Eisel, Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg, Serge Pauwels, Mark Renshaw, Daniel Teklehaymanot
Direct Energy (France)
The Europcar team was an integral part of the peloton of the Tour de France teams for years. At the end of last year the sponsor withdrew and was replaced by Direct Energie. Pierre Rolland left the team, but most of the drivers stayed. With seven French you want to ensure stage wins this year. The hottest iron in the fire is Bryan Coquard. The 24-year-old track and road cyclist has blossomed into a real top sprinter in the past two years. He is supported by Adrien Petit, Angelo Tulik and Fabrice Jeandesboz, among others. Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel will be found in escape groups on hilly stages and Romain Sicard is considered a good climber. So Direct Energie is one of the Tour de France teams that will be active in every area, even if the main focus is certainly on the mass sprints and thus on Bryan Coquard.
The squad:
Sylvain Chavanel, Bryan Coquard, Antoine Duchesne, Yohann Gene, Fabrice Jeandesboz, Adrien Petit, Romain Sicard, Angelo Tulik, Thomas Voeckler
Giant Alpecin (Germany)
Team Giant-Alpecin is one of two German Tour de France teams. Especially on flat stages, these two teams will fight each other very hard, because while Bora-Argon 18 will concentrate on escape groups, Giant-Alpecin wants to prevent exactly these. Because with John Degenkolb you have a top sprinter in your own ranks. However, it is questionable whether one will intensively participate in the follow-up work when Kittel and Greipel are still in the main field, since both are to be assessed as stronger. It gets interesting when it gets a little more difficult and Degenkolb only has to compete against drivers like Sagan and Matthews in the sprint. One way or another, the Giant-Alpecin team has not just specialized in one area. They have the top favorite for the white jersey in Warren Barguil and a top-notch time trialist and contender for the top 10 overall in Tom Dumoulin. Simon Geschke from Germany and Georg Preidler from Austria can also be sent carefree into escape groups on a wavy profile.
The squad:
Warren Barguil, Roy Curvers, John Degenkolb, Tom Dumoulin, Simon Geschke, Georg Preidler, Ramon Sinkeldam, Laurens Ten Dam, Albert Timmer
Tour de France Teams – The big preview of Velomotion
Tour de France teams #1: The stage chasers
Tour de France Teams #2: The sprinter teams
Tour de France teams #3: Focus on the general classification
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