In 2013 the Tour makes its 100th trip around France. Beginning in Corsica, the first three stages will be the first time the Tour has visited the island which was the last department to be visited by the race. From Corsica it’s onto the mainland and for the next twenty days the race is a wholly French affair. For the French, a general classification winner looks like being a foreigner once again but their stocks are rising with Thibaut Pinot and Pierre Rolland the espoirs. In the 99th edition Sky ruled the race to deliver yellow to Bradley Wiggins in Paris relatively untested by any rivals bar teammate Chris Froome. Talk of a Tour defence had been dogged by internal conflicts between Wiggins and Froome with the team backing the Kenyan born rider while Wiggins was suggesting otherwise. Froome enters the Tour now not only as Team Sky’s rider but as the favourite for the overall.
In part the domination of Sky in last year’s Tour was explained by the parcours with two long time trials favouring Wiggins who also benefitted by a lack of challengers. In 2013 Alberto Contador is back after serving his doping ban, Cadel Evans is also back to his best after his failed defence of the 2011 Tour, while 2010 victor Andy Schleck is a dark horse with his form uncertain but highly ambitious to return to the winner’s podium. These three will challenge Froome while Evans’ teammate Tejay Van Garderen is looking to improve upon his fifth placing of last year as are the French duo who both finished in the top ten. Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez is back for his second Tour after taking a stage and finishing seventh in 2010. Bauke Mollema will want to impress his new suitors at Belkin while Movistar are entering the race with the triumvirate of Alejandro Valverde, Rui Costa and Nairo Quintana.
The depth of challengers and lack of decisive time trial kilometres will mean that attacks in the mountains are a given. The Colombian climber Quintana is tipped for big things and the Alps will be his stage. Contador and Froome went tête-à-tête at the Critérium du Dauphiné with El Pistolero over four minutes down on Froome after the eight stages. The Spaniard has said his feeling good and the French race was the opportunity to fine tune his Tour preparation. Backing Froome will be Australian Richie Porte who has shown when given free reign he can win a race or two. Porte won Paris-Nice in March and will be seen as a super domestique for Froome. Should anything happen to the Sky leader, Porte could step in and fill the void as Rigoberto Uran did at the Giro in May. With a cagey beginning of the race in Corsica, general classification leaders will need all the support they can get on the island.
The Tour is Froome’s to lose due to the early season form that he has shown. The time spent in leaders jersey’s answering to the media packs and dealing with all the extra attention riders receive in that position will be invaluable. Wiggins proved last year that Sky’s plan to put their man in yellow paid dividends as he largely appeared comfortable protecting yellow. Froome appears less likely to reply to calls of doping in the manner of Wiggins but after a tough day in the saddle, he may crack in the press room. Contador has a strong team around him and will test Froome. However his form has been far from his best thus far this season. Evans proved he is worthy of BMC dedicating their team to him but a podium place looks like the best bet for cuddles. Valverde and Rodriquez will also battle for the podium but Froome and Contador are a head above the chasing pack.
