Tour de France 2023: Mark Cavendish seeks stage record; Pogacar & Vingegaard set for title duel
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Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Mark Cavendish are all hoping for glory at this year's Tour
Tour de France |
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Dates: 1 July - 23 July |
Coverage: Live text commentary on each stage on the BBC Sport website and app |
The Tour de France starts on Saturday in Bilbao - with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and two-time winner Tadej Pogacar expected to battle it out for victory in cycling's greatest race.
But will anyone else be able to mount a challenge when the going gets tough in the eight mountain stages?
Could Mark Cavendish complete a fairytale farewell to the Tour by taking the all-time record for stage wins he currently shares with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx?
And what can we expect from all-rounder Wout van Aert, a rider who can seemingly do almost anything on a bike?
BBC Sport looks at the riders aiming to shine and those with their sights set on the yellow jersey.
Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan)
Mark Cavendish won the final stage of the Giro d'Italia in Rome in May
Widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, Cavendish, 38, lines up for the 14th and final time chasing history at the Tour.
The Manx missile delivered one of sport's great comebacks by winning four stages in 2021. It took him level with Merckx at the top of the all-time Tour de France stage wins list - both men have 34.
Fabio Jakobsen's selection for Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl denied Cavendish the chance to set a new record last year.
And the Dutch sprinter, plus Jasper Philipsen, Dylan Groenewegen, Christophe Laporte, Van Aert and Caleb Ewan will all stand in Cavendish's way this time around.
However, the first pure sprint arrives in Bordeaux on stage seven, as the city returns to the race route after a 13-year absence. And the last stage winner there, in 2010? Cavendish.
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
Jonas Vingegaard was the first Danish rider since 1996 to win the Tour
Vingegaard, 26, arrives at the Tour in confident mood, having won three stage races this term.
His victory at the traditional Tour warm-up - the Criterium du Dauphine in June - underlined his status as narrow race favourite ahead of Pogacar.
"I think winning the Tour gives me a lot of confidence and I believe I can do it again," he said. "A lot of things can happen, and I'll have to be at my best level, but I think I can do it."
The Dane goes into the three-week race with the backing of a formidable Jumbo-Visma team, containing Van Aert and Sepp Kuss.
And he has shown on numerous occasions that he has the capabilities to stay with and ride away from anyone in the mountains.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
Tadej Pogacar is nicknamed the 'Baby Cannibal' in reference to Merckx and the Belgian's take-no-prisoner approach
Pogacar, 24, was enjoying a superb season, winning Paris-Nice and the Tour of Flanders, before breaking his wrist in April.
A significant period off the road in the build-up to the Tour does raise the question of whether the 2020 and 2021 champion will reach the starting line in Bilbao undercooked.
However, the Slovenian suggested the rest has done him good - and won the time trial and road race titles in his national championships last weekend.
His UAE Emirates team has also been reinforced by the addition of British co-leader Adam Yates and Felix Grossschartner, while Marc Soler and Rafal Majka, will also have important roles in the mountains.
Last year, Pogacar overextended himself before cracking on Col du Granon on stage 11, then shipped more time on the climb to Hautacam on stage 18. This year, he will have made finishing with the yellow jersey in Paris his primary objective for the season.
If his form and fitness hold up, it would be foolish to discount his chances.
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)
Adam Yates won the white jersey on 2016
If the lack of racing in Pogacar's legs does become an issue, UAE Team Emirates will divert their general classification efforts towards Yates.
The Englishman, 30, finished ninth last year riding in support of Geraint Thomas but was clearly not at his best after his preparation was severely impacted by Covid-19.
This time around, he is in good form - winning the Tour de Romandie before placing second to Vingegaard at the Dauphine.
In 2016, he was fourth overall and took the white jersey as the best young rider, so a podium spot is far from unrealistic.
Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe)
Jai Hindley's hopes rest in the mountains
Hindley, 27, became just the second Australian to win a Grand Tour event when he took the 2022 Giro d'Italia - 11 years after Cadel Evans stood atop the podium on the Champs-Elysees draped in yellow.
Along with compatriot Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroen), Hindley will hope that his strong performance at the Dauphine, where he was fourth, points towards contending in the general classification.
A mountain-heavy route course with limited time trialling could work in his favour on his first Tour de France appearance.
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
Wout van Aert's prowess across disciplines makes him one of the sport's greatest current stars
No other cyclist in the 176-man field has quite as many gifts as Van Aert.
The Belgian has proved a rider for all-seasons and all occasions at the Tour, capable of winning time trials, and sprint finishes on the Champs-Elysees, as well as conquering the famous climb on Mont Ventoux to win in Malaucene in 2021.
The only two other riders to win stages across all three of those specialist areas in a single Tour are fellow five-time Tour champions Merckx and Bernard Hinault.
While the Jumbo-Visma rider is considered too tall and heavy to compete for the yellow jersey, he has won nine stages across the past four races and will take some beating in the points classification.
The other general classification contenders
Home hopes appear to rest upon David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Romain Bardet (DSM) who finished fourth and sixth 12 months ago.
Gaudu was second behind Pogacar and in front of Vingegaard at Paris-Nice, while Bardet, who has twice finished on the podium earlier in his career, has had a consistent season with five top-10 places including a recent fifth at the Tour de Suisse.
Thibaut Pinot, Gaudu's team-mate, takes part in his final Tour after impressing at the Giro, where he won the mountains classification.
Having won on iconic climbs up Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Tourmalet in previous editions of the race, the Frenchman is more than capable of making a big push on Grand Colombier on Bastille Day.
Several stage profiles also suit Britain's Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers). The 23-year-old won the Strade Bianche in March and soloed clear on Alpe d'Huez in 2022.
Ineos will also hope 2019 champion Egan Bernal is competitive, with the Colombian appearing in a Grand Tour for the first time since his life-threatening training crash last year.
Last year's Spanish road champion, Carlos Rodriguez, 22, could also spring a surprise for Ineos, while another Spaniard, Enric Mas, 28, is yet to show his podium credentials in the high altitudes.
A place in the higher echelons of the general classification should not be beyond the Movistar rider, who has previously finished fifth and sixth, or Trek-Segafredo's 28-year-old Italian climber Giulio Ciccone.