Cycling: 22 Tour de France teams are at the start of the Grand Départ in the Vendée on Saturday. For the first time, only eight instead of nine drivers per team can be nominated for the Grand Boucle. We introduce you to all Tour de France teams, their riders and goals. We would like to start in part #1 with seven teams, which mainly focus on the Yellow jersey will focus.
Sky: If Chris Froome can't do it, others can
World class is the only word to describe the quality of Sky. The British team won five of the last six Tour of France. Also this year one sends along Chris Froome the top favorites at the start. No wonder, because the Briton has already been successful four times and recently also won the Vuelta a Espana and the Giro d'Italia. However, the upcoming Tour de France will be the greatest challenge of his career. With the Tour of Italy in his legs and the displeasure of the many fans, he has many new hurdles to overcome. Should he not be able to skip this, there are at least three other winning candidates in Team Sky. Above all Geraint Thomas can be trusted not only to take on a simple helper role. Could also sprint into the breach Wout poels and the boy Egan Bernal. In addition to the four strong tour riders, the time trialists Jonathan Castroviejo and Luke Rowe, as well as the all-rounders Gianni Moscon and Michal Kwiatkowski complete the Tour de France Team Sky.
Movistar: With a three-man lead against the superiority of Sky
The Movistar team also deserves the title world class this year. With Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa and Alejandro Valverde you send three almost equal captains into the race. If, after the ninth stage after Roubaix, only one of them is within striking distance of the leaders, Movistar will put all their cards on this man. However, as long as it is possible, the three trumps should be kept in one's own hand. In this way, one hopes to be able to exploit numerous tactical possibilities and to lure Team Sky out of the reserve. Marc Soler will act as a noble helper. The Spaniard won Paris-Nice this year and will be able to captain one of the Tour de France teams himself in a few years' time. With Andrey Amador, Daniele Bennati, Imanol Erviti and Joaquin Rojas, four experienced professionals complete the Movistar squad. This makes it clear: Only the yellow jersey counts.
EF Education: Despite second place last year, hardly anyone is counting on it
The EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale team may have a very cumbersome team name, but the riders' names are easy to read. The eight-man squad is led this year by Rigoberto Uran. Even though the Colombian finished second in 2017, only a few experts are counting on him this year. His performances were too inconsistent recently. The EF Education team will probably not only rely on him, but also go hunting for stages at the same time. Most notably Simon Clarke, Lawson and Craddock Pierre Roland are ideal for this on the mountain stages. Sep Vanmarcke will of course have the ninth stage to Roubaix in mind, on which he is undoubtedly one of the top favourites. Thomas Scully, Taylor Phinney and Daniel Felipe Martinez will play helper roles and, with a bit of luck, may even be part of an escape group.
Mitchelton-Scott: No Calen Ewan - all for Adam Yates
The Mitchelton-Scott team has developed enormously in recent years. While the Australian team used to mainly hunt for stages, they now send a classic tour team to the start. For the ambitions of Adam Yates even sprint star Caleb Ewan was sacrificed and left at home. Even if – except for Mikel Nieve – lacking the strong climbers, you're going all out for a podium finish for Adam Yates. Therefore, the flat stages are now used more for relaxation than for speed work. In order to get perfectly over the pavé stage, the team management has nominated the former Paris Roubaix winner Mathew Hayman. The 40-year-old will use his experience to help and advise. Jack Bauer, Luke Durbridge and Michael Hepburn will ensure Mitchelton-Scott is up front in the team time trial. Damien Howson can act as a helper in the mountains and is predestined for an escape as a relay station. Daryl Impey is the perfect team player, but will certainly be able to pursue his own ambitions on slightly hilly stages.
BMC: Richie Porte gets seven helpers for the first tour win
All for Richie porte – that's the motto of Team BMC. A balanced squad that was strong on every terrain was selected for this. Thanks to the services of Stefan Küng, you will definitely be considered one of the top favorites in the team time trial. The Swiss will also be able to provide one or the other wind edge on the flat, as well as compatriot Michael Schär, Patrick Bevin and of course Greg Van Avermaet. The latter Belgian is also a hot candidate for victory on the ninth stage, as well as on all medium-difficult sections where the pure sprinters have already been distanced. In the mountains will be Simon Gerrans, Damiano Caruso and especially Tejay Van Garderen support their captain. Caruso and Van Garderen in particular have to be in top form here, otherwise Porte will be isolated very quickly. Even if the team is strong overall, Porte doesn't have access to a world-class squad in the mountains compared to the men from Sky and Movistar.
Bahrain-Merida: The pure experience should carry you through France
Vincenzo Nibali must be designated as one of the favorites in all three-week tours. The Italian is one of the few professionals who have already been successful in Italy, Spain and France. Nibali is the only one to break Team Sky's winning streak in the past six years. The same is hoped for in 2018. In return, the Messina shark got the two Basques Gorka Izagirre and Ion Izaguirre placed at his side. In the mountains, they will try to stay with their captain as long as possible. Also Dominic Pozzo alive will assume this helper role in the high mountains. With his experience, Franco Pellizotti can also influence events. Kristjan Koren, Heinrich Haussler and Sonny Colbrelli complete the squad and are mainly needed for the team time trial and the pace on the flat. Colbrelli can also hope for freedom if there is a sprint on a stage that is not quite as flat.
AG2R La Mondiale: Romain Bardet wants yellow, Pierre Latour wants white
Just in time for the Tour of France, the Equipe AG2R La Mondiale is always considered one of the strongest Tour de France teams. In recent years they have always focused on the team classification and tried to get as many professionals as possible among the top ten in a stage. This should also succeed again in 2018, since an enormously quick-witted squad is being sent to the start. Towering above all, of course Romain Bardett, who was able to rank #2 and #3 in the past two years. He wants to be the first Frenchman to win the Grand Boucle, after Bernard Hinault in 1985. In the person of Pierre Latour he can access an absolute noble helper who, parallel to his helper services, can also squint at the white jersey of the best young professional. Alexis Vuillermoz and Mathias Frank will support the two as soon as things go uphill. With Oliver naesen and Silvan Dillier you don't have two top drivers for the team time trial, but also two candidates for victory for the stage to Roubaix. Axel Domont and Tony Gallopin are versatile and can be found either in escape groups or alongside their captains.
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