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Picking teams and riders
It’s always more fun to root for someone, whether that’s an individual rider that you favor, a team you support, or a cyclist you’ve never heard of before who moves you on a given stage.
But before we get into teams, we have to disclaim: like all sports, cycling is rife with sportswashing. Billionaires and oligarchs, petrostates, unsavory companies, etc. have a hand in teams and competitions. (To say nothing of potential mismanagement and conflicting priorities of governing bodies and race organizers.)
The difference between many other sports and cycling is that, rather than hide behind a legacy team name like Chelsea or Newcastle United, the team names in cycling are heavily tied to the sponsors.
Maybe you don’t want to support UAE Team Emirates knowing that the team is directly sponsored by the UAE government, for example. Those decisions are up to you. Right now, we are here to focus on the riders and what they do on the road, not to break down where all the dollars come from. All we ask is that you don’t assume cycling is ‘worse’ than other leagues or sports just because it’s a little more transparent who is footing the bill.
If you want to pick a team to support for the Tour, here’s our quick and dirty guide, presented in alphabetical order:
- If you want a team with the best sprint leadout in the business:
- Alpecin-Deceuninck
- If you want to see a French team in the breakaway:
- Arkea-B&B Hotels
- If teal is your favorite color:
- Bahrain Victorious and their colorful socks are easy to spot in the peloton
- If you want to get into the weeds of UCI points and the relegation battle:
- Cofidis is fighting to stay in the World Tour
- If you want to see a French team contesting big mountain stages, and some really sick looking bikes:
- Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
- If you want a highly visible team that keeps track of how many eggs their riders eat on social media:
- EF Education Easy Post, whose hot pink jerseys mean you always know where these guys are
- If you would like to have an excuse for not knowing what is going on:
- Groupama FDJ and their inscrutable tactics will be the perfect alibi
- If you are Australian:
- Look no further than Jayco AlUla
- If you want to watch a wily veteran make his last Grand Tour appearance, supported by a cast of talented young riders pulling out interesting race tactics:
- Ineos Grenadiers
- If you are a Francophone supermarket chain enthusiast and you love the sprints AND mountains:
- Intermarché-Wanty
- Israel Premier Tech exists.
- If you are compelled by true brotherhood, love, and friendship, and also enjoy primary colors:
- The camaraderie of Lidl Trek will move you to tears
- If you are Belgian:
- Lotto
- If you speak Spanish and/or enjoy reality television:
- The high drama of Movistar is unparalleled
- If you want to see some talented young climbers figuring things out:
- Picnic PostNL
- If you want an aging superstar seeking redemption, follow German media hype about the next cycling Jesus, or really like energy drinks:
- Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe
- If you study aerodynamics, or wish to study aerodynamics:
- Soudal Quickstep
- If you want to see a different French team in the breakaway:
- TotalEnergies will be there
- If you heed the call of pure panache:
- Tudor Pro Cycling
- If you want to support a GC contender and appreciate joie de vivre:
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG
- If you love Norway, or you want to see detailed reviews of all of the hotels the riders stay in throughout the tour:
- Uno-X Mobility and Magnus Cort’s Instagram are waiting for you
- If, for some reason, a team that unironically has been referring to themselves as “The Killer Bees” appeals:
- Visma-Lease A Bike
- If a team on the rise who will be gunning for stage wins in any way possible feels like your vibe:
- XDS Astana
Teams are all well and good, but you can also have a fulfilling Tour-watching experience by picking an individual rider to focus on. Here is the SparkNotes on the main GC contenders – you’ll hear these names a lot on the broadcast:
Remco Evenepoel aka the aerobullet placed third in the Tour last year and is looking to make a repeat appearance on the podium. His team isn’t as strong as that of the other contenders, but he is always ready to ride and frequently has a spicy post-race sound bite.
Tadej Pogačar is the defending Tour de France champion and bookmakers favorite to win this year. He’s young, punchy, and loves to attack - look for him wearing rainbow bands on his UAE Team Emirates jersey as he is also the current world champion.
Primož Roglič is often inscrutable in interviews and to be honest, we love him for that. He is an immensely talented rider who has won most of what there is to win – except for the Tour.
Jonas Vingegaard has the personality of a saltine cracker, hold the salt. But the man can ride a bike up a mountain. He’s won two Tours previously and will be Pogačar’s main challenger this summer.
Just some guy!
No matter who you are rooting for to win, we also think you should pick just some guy. Nab anyone whose name you hear a few times on a broadcast and claim that dude (and his team?) as your own.
Looking out for one rider in the peloton, checking whether he’s in the breakaway, getting used to finding a specific number or helmet will help you navigate coverage for yourself a lot. And it’s much more fun to develop these skills in service of some random man.
Who knows? He might even win a stage…