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Is this the bike that is going to win the 2022 Tour de France? Reigning yellow jersey winner Tadej Pogačar has a new Colnago that he’s riding in this year’s race. This prototype, or ‘prototipo’, hasn’t yet been released to the public, but Si had the opportunity to take a close-up look while in Denmark for the Grand Départ.

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Tadej Pogačar's Prototype Colnago | Tour De France Pro Bike

Formed in 2017 from the remnants of Lampre-Merida, this team has slowly transitioned from a predominantly Italian outfit to a multinational one full of world-class riders. 

Their first few years at cycling’s top-level yielded some success, but it was after signing the Slovenian phenomenon Tadej Pogačar in 2019 that the UAE-based squad really established themselves as one of the best teams in the men’s WorldTour. 

Pogačar’s story since signing with UAE is well-known and, through him alone, the team has bagged two overall titles at the Tour de France, four Monuments, 12 Grand Tour stage wins, two editions of Tirreno-Adriatico, and two editions of their home race, the UAE Tour. 

While he may be the best cyclist in the men’s WorldTour, Pogačar is still just one man - he can’t win 

 on the calendar. To combat this and ensure that they can fly the UAE flag throughout all of the sport’s biggest races, the team has snatched a number of top riders from their rivals. In 2022 João Almeida joined from Quick-Step, and for the 2023 season the team poached Adam Yates from Ineos, Tim Wellens from Lotto-Soudal, and Jay Vine from Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Tadej Pogacar

Juan Ayuso

Marc Hirschi

Adam Yates

Joao Almeida

Brandon McNulty

Tim Wellens

Matteo Trentin

Diego Ulissi

Felix Großschartner

Mikkel Bjerg

Davide Formolo

Marc Soler

Sebastian Molano

Finn Fisher-Black

Pascal Ackermann

Rafal Majka

Jan Christen

George Bennett

Jay Vine

Ivo Oliveira

Gal Glivar

Sjoerd Bax

Rui Oliveira

Ryan Gibbons

Jan Polanc

Alvaro Hodeg

Alessandro Covi

Domen Novak

Felix Groß

Michael Vink

Vegard Stake Laengen

Racing

News

Race News

Zeeman: Vingegaard is stronger than last year but Pogačar is the Tour de France favourite

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) head into the Tour de France as the top two favourites.

With the Tour de France just a few days away the tension and excitement continues to build with very little to separate the two main contenders, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). Both riders have been in startling form this season, with Vingegaard hoping to defend his Tour title from 2022 and join Pogačar on two overall wins.

While there’s been very little to choose between the pair in recent months, the mind games have already started with both the Jumbo-Visma and UAE camps ratcheting up the intensity for their respective rivals, while at the same time looking to quell the pressure within their own squads.

On Wednesday UAE’s Mauro Gianetti told 

 that Adam Yates would be given co-leadership billing alongside Pogačar due to the fact that the Slovenian remains relatively untested in recent months following a wrist fracture sustained in the spring.At the same time, Jumbo-Visma’s lead sports director Merijn Zeeman has told 

 that it is Pogačar who goes into the Tour de France as the red-hot favourite.

“I feel Pogačar was unbeatable this year but in reality there were also some races that he didn't win. But in the stage races that he’s competed in, he has been the best. He’s won the Tour de France twice, so I would say that he’s the top favourite. Last year he was too but he’s still the favourite in our eyes. I don’t want to hide, and Jonas is a fantastic rider, and a very good favourite. They’re close to each other but that’s how we see it,” Zeeman told 

Whatever the outcome, it is clear that Vingegaard has made major strides in the last few months and he certainly heads into the Tour de France with more momentum than his principal rival. After a bruising encounter at Paris-Nice, where Pogačar comfortably beat the Dane, the Jumbo-Visma leader has found his stride, winning both the Tour of the Basque Country and the Critérium du Dauphiné. Such was his recent dominance in France in mid-June that he looked near untouchable whenever the road went upwards in the mountains.

“He’s shown that he’s developed,” Zeeman said.“Of course last year he was super good but he’s continued his progress in one week stage races. In Gran Camino, then Pais Basque and The Dauphiné, those were two races where he was super good, and by far the best of the peloton. That was the first time he’s shown that in one week stage races. I really think that he’s better than last year.”Away from the Tour shenanigans Zeeman is busily putting the finishing touches to next year’s Jumbo-Visma squad. 

With Rohan Dennis set to retire at the end of the current campaign, and a clutch of riders likely to move on to pastures news there is space within the team to hire new recruits. Ineos Grenadiers prodigy Ben Tulett has been linked with a move, although Zeeman wasn’t able to comment on that rider in particular. Jed Smithson, Tomos Pattinson, and Matthew Brennan are all set to join the development squad for 2024. 

“I can’t comment on that,” he said in relation to Tulett.

“But what I can say is that I try to bring in different generations and we’ve got super good riders. It’s my job to find the best riders in the world for the next five and even ten years. That means recruiting the youngsters for the development team, and that’s why I'm constantly active on the transfer market. If it’s true, yes or no, that’s something you need to confirm with sources yourself.”

Features

Racing Features

GCN’s Tour de France predictions

Jonas Vingegaard returns to the Tour de France as defending champion

With the Tour de France beginning in Bilbao on Saturday, the excitement that has been building for months will finally be released as the world’s best riders seek to find success in the biggest race of the year. Here at 

, we have been looking forward to this race with intrigue as our new collection of writers takes shape, and now is the time to put our hotshot editorial team to the test!

 in the Basque Country, the editorial team looks ahead to the Tour de France and predicts their movers and shakers.

 (UAE Team Emirates) will be consistent through the mountains and could even make 

 - despite his team duties. No one is talking about his brother, 

), who could either crack the top five or be reduced to a stage hunter inside the first week. 

) will be in contention, while I’ll throw 

) into the mix for a top ten, simply because it would make his incredible comeback story even more impressive.

Who will be the breakout rider of the race?

I’m not sure you can be a breakout rider at 26 but I think 

 a cracking Tour de France. He’s the French national champion, and therefore has the best jersey in the peloton, so that has to count for something, and it should count in his favour when he asks Marc Madiot for some freedom. I’m going to be greedy and also pick 

). He won the Tour de l’Avenir two years ago and looks to be on the cusp of something special in what will be his first Grand Tour.

The more I think about it, the more I can envisage 

. There are question marks over a few of the fastmen in the race and I can just see Cavendish doing what he did in 2016 and maximising a limited lead-out and bossing the Tour in his final season. What happened at the Giro and in the build-up races counts for little at this point. Basically, I’m guilty of writing Cavendish off in the past, and I don’t need to look stupid for a second time.

(Jumbo-Visma)
KOM: Jonas Vingegaard
White: Tadej Pogačar
Team: UAE Team Emirates

What are you most looking forward to in the race?

My only fear is that bad luck takes out a top favourite and we’re left with a one-sided GC race all the way to Paris like we had in 2014. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen, and we can see a close battle with a few GC surprises along the way before we then turn our attention to the 

. The first week of the Tour should be electric too, and ASO have put together a beautiful route once again.

The top 10 is a bit of a lottery this year. After his exploits late last season, I’m backing Mas to be the ‘best of the rest,’ but even he has his wobbles. I feel like Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) will come good in the final week, while Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) should show his basic class after a nondescript start at EF.

 (Groupama-FDJ), Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), 

 (Ineos Grenadiers), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and 

 (dsm-firmenich), you have heaps of quality but rather less recent consistency.

Torstein Træen - in a gag shamelessly stolen from Twitter, I’m all aboard the Torstein hype-Træen, hopefully before it pulls away from the station. Tobias Halland Johannessen is Uno-X’s leading prospect, having won the Tour de l’Avenir a couple of years ago, but Træen was the better performer at the Dauphiné, with 8th overall. Uno-X believe there’s more to come, while other teams are circling given his expiring contract. Plus, there’d be the feel-good factor; Træen spent several months out last year recovering from testicular cancer.

) - The Belgian was arguably the top sprinter in 2022, and that has indisputably been the case so far this season. He has won the bigger races, got the better of his rivals, and found every ounce of the confidence he once lacked. Plus, you could argue he has the best lead-out in the race. 

 is widely considered the best in the business for 

 - Alpecin-Deceuninck should be able to put Philipsen in the box seat.

(Astana Qazaqstan) getting his 35th stage victory, the head says no, but the heart says yes.

KOM - Jonas Vingegaard - The last three winners have also been the yellow jersey.

Green - Wout van Aert - Even if he doesn’t target it, it’s hard to look past him.

White - Tadej Pogačar - Give it to him now.

Team - Ineos Grenadiers - No top favourite but enough riders to flood the top 15.

The mind games, which have already begun. Vingegaard’s camp have insisted (

) that Pogačar remains the favourite, while Pogačar’s camp - in outlining Adam Yates as a co-leader - are suggesting their star man isn’t at 100% after his wrist injury. Having exploited Pogačar’s hubris to such effect last year, it’s understandable that Jumbo-Visma would want to engineer a similar psychological framework, and that Pogačar might also want to retreat into that underdog role this time around. More psychological warfare would elevate what is already becoming a spectacular rivalry.

If he wasn’t on the same team as Tadej Pogačar, Adam Yates would be up there as a podium contender. UAE Team Emirates have said that he’s a co-leader but he’ll probably have to sacrifice his chances at some point should Pogačar stay on track for yellow. Even so, a strong top 10 showing should be possible.

Beyond the top two, the other contenders are fairly evenly matched. The Australian contingent of Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) and 

 (Bahrain Victorious) will all make the top 10. As should 

 (dsm-firmenich) who has finished in the top 10 at every stage race he’s finished this season. He’ll be joined by David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) who will bounce back after a poor showing at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Richard Carapaz (EF Edcuation-EasyPost) and Enric Mas (Movistar) are consistent at Grand Tours and are likely to be in the mix.

 (AG2R Citroën) has enjoyed a string of top 10 results at stage races this season, including at the recent Tour de Suisse where he picked up his first pro win on 

. He had great climbing legs throughout the early stages before dropping off later in the race. He may be in the service of Ben O'Connor but, if he’s given the chance, he will be a dangerous man in a breakaway on any mountainous stage.

As always, there’s a stacked field of sprinters heading to the race but Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and 

 (Soudal-Quick Step) stand out as the strongest. It’ll be an intriguing matchup but Jakobsen should edge it courtesy of his more experienced sprint train. 

 take that much-anticipated 35th stage win? I think it’s unlikely. The British rider struggled at the Giro d’Italia until the 

 and he’ll face much stiffer competition in France. Who would write him off, though?

 (Groupama-FDJ) can take the KOM jersey in his final Tour de France. In reality, it’ll probably go to Vingegaard or Pogačar who will mop up plenty of points in their battle for yellow. The green jersey will go to 

), Pogačar will take white even if he’s not at his best, and Ineos Grenadiers' multiple team leaders will secure them the team classification.

All eyes will be on the battle between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar at this year’s race. The duo are head and shoulders above the other GC contenders and, if they both stay safe and are on top form, it should be an unforgettable battle for yellow. There is the lingering concern that, if Pogačar hasn’t fully recovered from his injury, it could become a very one-sided race. Let’s all hope for the first scenario. Either way, the first few stages in the Basque Country are sure to produce some exciting racing and there may even be some early GC surprises.

Gianluca Suardi - Digital Content Creator

Looking at the route, it’s clearly a Tour de France for pure climbers. So in the top 10 we will see strong mountain goats like Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich), 

 (EF Education-EasyPost), Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), 

 (Movistar) and Dani Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers). They are all great climbers, and they can stay in the top 10 chasing the leaders but also attacking.

Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën) had a great first part of the season, he looked confident and super-solid. Now he’s ready to impress the world with his climbing abilities.

Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) really wants and can win several stages, but I think Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan)will break the record.

KOM: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
White: Tadej Pogačar
Green: Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
Team classification: Bahrain Victorious

The unusually hard first week that will shape a dramatic GC already before the first rest day!

, Jai Hindley will come to this Tour with a lot of ambition. The course suits the Bora-Hansgrohe rider and he should be able to finish close to the podium. I also have high hopes for Spaniards Enric Mas (Movistar) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), both of whom are very experienced and will benefit from the fewer kilometres of time trial offered in this year’s edition. Other riders to watch out for include Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich) and 

Without a clear leader in the team, I think it's the perfect time for Carlos Rodríguez to come out of his shell and show us what he's made of. The 22-year-old Spaniard rubbed shoulders with the best at last year's Vuelta a España and could surprise his rivals at the world’s biggest race.

Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) should be able to dominate the flat stages. And here's my unpopular opinion, I don't think Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) will be able to match the speed of the strongest sprinters this year and his tally for Tour de France wins will remain 34.

White: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

The whole route looks incredible, but the first stages in the Basque Country are the ones that I look forward to the most. There is nothing like the atmosphere that exists on the Basque roads, they really are the biggest fans of cycling on the planet. We could also see actual ambushes from day one, which must be exciting for those of us enjoying the Tour from home.

Whilst the battle for the win seems mainly a two-horse race, this Tour is looking pretty open in terms of who could make it into the top 10. I'm expecting Mr Consistent Enric Mas (Movistar) to be up there, a rider who is perhaps underestimated because he doesn't win all that much, but he goes really well over three weeks to solidify a good finish overall.

A podium might be too big of an ask for Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) in his first Tour, but a top 10 is definitely within reach. I think Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) will sneak in, and I'm expecting Jumbo-Visma to place a second rider in the top 10 in their support of Vingegaard, maybe 

Analysis

Andy Schleck's top 10 Tour de France contenders

Andy Schleck celebrates a stage win at the Tour de France in 2010

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.

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.

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.

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Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Tadej Pogacar	25	77	6555
Juan Ayuso	21	13	3621
Marc Hirschi	25	22	3413
Adam Yates	31	25	3344
Joao Almeida	25	17	2455

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Zeeman: Vingegaard is stronger than last year but Pogačar is the Tour de France favourite

GCN’s Tour de France predictions

Andy Schleck's top 10 Tour de France contenders

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