The Tour de France is always the highlight of the cycling year and 2019’s contest promises to be as gripping as ever. The world’s top cyclists will battle it out over a gruelling 3,462 kilometers along a course that extends the length of the country.
The announcement of the Tour de France course is often a source of controversy, and so it has proven this year, but while some cycling fans have complained that the Tour’s 2019 route only covers around a third of the country, focusing almost solely on the eastern half, it will visit four first-time host cities and includes a variety of tough climbs including Galibier, Lauteret, Izoard, Iseran, Ballon d’Alsace, Planche des Belle Filles and Peyresourde, as well as the usual challenges in the Jura, the Pyrenees and the Alps, while the longest stage will be a demanding 230 kilometers.
The early favourite for this year’s Tour, according to the implied odds available on the Bigbetbookmakers.com site is four-time winner Chris Froome. Froome won the Tour in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 but played only a supporting role as Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas won it last year. But this time round, Froome has made it clear that he will be going all out to win in France, opting to miss the Giro d’Italia, which he won last year.
If Froome does win a fifth title, he will enter the pantheon of all-time greats who recorded five wins: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, and at the age of 34, he would still have the power to add a record-breaking sixth title.
His path to a fifth title may have eased slightly with the news that Thomas is considering tackling the Giro d’Italia this year. Thomas skipped the Italian event last year, and that gave him a freshness advantage over Froome, so with the situation reversed in 2019, Froome could have the edge. A further twist is provided by the fact that this time round, both Team Sky riders will begin the race on an equal footing, which could provide some headaches for team boss Dave Brailsford.
But there are other contenders who will be determined to break the UK lock on this event. Tom Dumoulin and Vincenzo Nibali are also set to line up for the Giro d’Italia, but if they are fit, are likely to offer a stiff challenge to Froome and Thomas.
Nairo Quintana could also find that this year’s route plays to his strengths. The Colombian has twice finished as runner up and was also third in 2016 so has the experience to make a strong push for the title. He is also arguably the best in the world when it comes to climbing at altitude and the 2019 Tour includes seven mountain passes that are above 2000 metres.
There will also be strong challenges from young contender Fernando Gaviria, who last year became the first Colombian to win four stages of the Giro d’italia, Australian Richie Porte who won the Tour de Suisse last season, and climbing specialist Mikel Landa who made the top five on only his second Tour de France in 2017 and finished seventh last year.
