Andy Schleck's top 10 Tour de France contenders

Vingegaard or Pogačar? Who will round out the podium? Who has a shot at the top five? With a stacked list of GC riders heading to the Tour this July, we called on 2010 Tour winner Andy Schleck to give his take on this year’s overall battle. Here’s how he thinks the top 10 will look once we get to Paris.

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s going to be a big showdown between Vingegaard and Pogačar and everything points to a very close battle between riders who are evenly matched. We’ve seen both riders reach incredible heights this season, but when you look at the preparation, Vingegaard has just had a smoother approach to the Tour de France. Vingegaard has become a very complete rider in a very short amount of time, because two years ago I thought he was just going to be a mountain goat but now he’s able to win time trials, and defend himself in crosswinds with the help of a really strong team. So I’d give both riders five stars for the Tour, but I’d give five stars to Jumbo-Visma and four to UAE Team Emirates at this moment in time.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I know he posted a very good time in the recent national championships but I still think that there’s a bit of an unknown in terms of Pogačar’s form. He’s clearly an incredible athlete and he’s very capable of winning a third Tour de France but I’d marginally put him behind Vingegaard. I’m also 100 percent sure that because of his injury and time off that if Jumbo-Visma see that Pogačar is even slightly below 100 percent then they will look to punish him in the first week of the race. They can’t let any chance slip because any opportunity lost is another in which Pogačar can find his best form. On paper, I think that Pogačar is a better rider but as we saw at the Tour last year, that doesn’t always mean you’ll win. It’s going to be so close but I do think that Pogačar can still have an edge on some of the shorter mountain stages. He has a bit more of a punch, as we saw in Paris-Nice, and stages in the Massif Central and Vosges could suit him more. There’s a lot in both riders’ favour and if it rains maybe Pogačar even has a bit more of an edge but overall, I think he’s still second on my list.

As for Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodríguez, it’s hard to predict what might happen. I think that Rodriguez is still young and has time to improve, but for me, Bernal still hasn’t reached the previous level that we’ve seen from him in the past. He looked good at the start of the year but he’s still missing that three or four percent that would ensure he’s in the conversation as a GC rider. You can’t totally write him off but he’s been out of the game for a long time, and for me he’s not a GC favourite.

Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m going to tip Jai Hindley for fourth overall in Paris. I know that this is his Tour de France debut but he’s a very special rider and he has a great maturity when it comes to his approach to racing. He won the Giro d’Italia last year, he has a very strong team around him, and the route very much suits his skills as an athlete. I was second in the Giro and then went to the Tour the next year as a domestique for my brother Frank and Carlos Sastre, and that’s a very different scenario to the one in which Hindley finds himself. I didn’t win the Giro but there is a difference between that race and the Tour. What I saw from him was that he had a clear vision when it came to winning the Giro, but the Tour de France is the Holy Grail, and while the Tour isn’t harder in terms of parcours, it’s just such a step up. Only the eight best riders on each team - most of the time - go to the Tour and there’s an overwhelming difference when it comes to things like media demands and attention. Not all riders can deal with that right away but I think that Hindley is very level headed and should take it in his stride. I don’t think he has the qualities to go for the win yet but he will be up there.

Enric Mas (Movistar Team) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

For me, Enric Mas is a very strong number five but I can’t see him being any higher than that. I mean no disrespect but I think he’s reached the limit of his talents. He’s very strong, a good climber, and he’s made improvements since he first burst onto the scene as a GC rider but I can’t see him reaching the podium if everyone else remains in the race and healthy. Movistar could be strong but they also have the target of performing at their best in the Vuelta a España and I think that can make things tricky at times in July. Mas is still a talent, and he could yet surprise me, but for now I think he’s at the right place on my list.

Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m a big fan of this kid. He won the Tour of Luxembourg last year and clearly he has a very impressive engine. At 21 he’s one for the future and he was exceptional at the Tour de Suisse. That was a very difficult race to manage, especially on an emotional level because of the tragic death of Gino Mäder, but what Skjelmose showed was real maturity off the bike with how he conducted himself as the race leader. I still think that he needs more experience on the bike but that will come this year and in the coming season. I don’t think that he goes to the Tour de France with a lot of pressure but he can achieve a top 10. I think that Lidl-Trek will mostly target stage wins but they’re really starting to level up as a squad, and with a new sponsor coming on board they should have some extra motivation for the Tour.

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have the two top Frenchman as seven and eight on this list. While Gaudu’s performance at the Dauphiné wasn’t ideal I still have him ahead of Romain Bardet because I just feel that the FDJ rider has more in the tank over three weeks. He showed at Nationals that he’s also improving. Gaudu was flying at the start of the year and he’s still getting better each year. I also love his pedal stroke, he looks great on the bike with a smooth and classy style.

Romain Bardet (Team DSM) ⭐️⭐️

I think that Bardet has been very solid this year and he’s always an aggressive rider in the mountains but I just have Gaudu ahead of him. I think Bardet is a very good contender for a stage win, and you can always bet on him racing with his heart on his sleeve, but I think Gaudu has more support and just a bit more for the final week, which will be really hard in the mountains.

Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) ⭐️⭐️

I love the way Simon Yates races. He’s always in a big gear and riding like a strong horse. I’m not worried about his lack of preparation and his time away from competition, and I’ve read that he’s had some really impressive rides in training at altitude. He has great experience, maybe not so much at the Tour, but if he arrives at the race then he’s clearly ready. He’s got a huge engine and he doesn’t need the best team in order to remain in contention.

Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) ⭐️⭐️

O’Connor is super aggressive and he has a bit of a point to prove since crashing out last year. He will be incredibly motivated and his form has been getting better and better since the season started. I think he could also benefit from getting into a few breaks, even if he loses time here and there, and the course is a really good one for him.

Andy Schleck features alongside Alberto Contador in the new GCN+ show 'Rivals: Contador Vs Schleck', which looks back at the pair's great Tour de France duels. Available to watch now for all GCN+ subscribers.