All preparations are coming to an end and there are only a few hours left until the 11th edition of the event begins. Tour de France, the most important race on the calendar WorldTour, the highest category of international cycling.
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This Thursday the official presentation of the 22 teams that will be in the Tour de France. Four Colombians were present in Florence for the prelude to the ‘Grande boucle’, Egan Bernal (Ineos), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain), Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) and Harold Tejada (Astana) were at the event.
Egan doesn’t stop dreaming
Bernal, that will not be in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games By not receiving authorization from Ineos, it is the great Colombian expectation in the Tour de France and will share the lead with the British Geraint Thomas and the Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez.
I have a great emotion. This year I feel much better, the sensations are very different from last year because I suffered a lot. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how my body will react to high competition during the race,” said the Ineos rider.
Egan is having a very good season after being on the podium in the National Road Races, the O Gran Camiño and the Tour of Catalonia. “I think I’ve been able to prepare better for the Tour this year and I’m coming here with that ambition.”
The 27-year-old rider aimed for the general classification in the presentation in Florence (Italy). “Of course the general classification is a possibility, from the outset I want to try it. If in the end I can’t keep up with the best, then I will try to help the other teammates as much as I can until the end.”
Vingegaard, the miracle
But the competition will be tough, there are real ‘animals’ of international cycling in front who will go out to fight for the crown: Jonas Vingegaard He arrives decimated by his serious accident in the Tour of the Basque Country that caused a lung concussion, but he wants to defend the crown.
“This here is already a triumph… My ambition in this Tour is to achieve the best possible result in the general classification. The fall was very hard and the very fact of being here is already a victory; what I achieve will be a bonus,” said the Visma cyclist.
The Dane admitted that after the crash he experienced “one of the most difficult moments” of his career, which has disrupted his entire preparation, so he does not know if he will be able to compete for the victory. “I have worked hard, I have worked well, I am not in bad shape, but the crash was terrible. I am hopeful, but we will have to see (…) Without the accident I would say that I am going for the victory. I cannot say for sure now, we will see, but everything I achieve is already beneficial,” he said.
Pogacar takes off the title of super favorite
The great candidate for the title of Tour de France is Tadej Pogacarwho comes from dominating the Italy spin and to win it at will. The Slovenian knows that his great rival will be Vingegaard. “If he is here it is because he is in good shape,” he said.
Pogacar faces winning the Tour de France “as a great challenge” after having won the Giro d’Italia, but denies that he is the only great favorite and assures that the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the last two editions “will be fit” despite to the fall he suffered a few weeks ago. “If he wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t be here and for me it’s a pleasure that he’s here, I think it’s good for the show. Although I hope that this time I’ll be the one who dresses in yellow,” he concluded.
HAROLD YEPES
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