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We have now all been watching with curiosity as groups have slowly revealed their full squads for the upcoming Tour de France. All eyes have been on the massive names, those who will problem for general victory, or maybe a document variety of stage wins.
However now that each rider has been introduced, it provides us an opportunity to sift via each title, together with the lesser identified ones – those that have but to win a stage.
Which of these may end this yr’s race with a brand new line on their palmarès as a Tour de France stage winner? Right here is our decide of 5 outsiders to look at.
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious)
(Image credit: Alex Broadway / Getty )
Greatest earlier stage outcome: 2nd (2022)
Final yr the Londoner was looking out for a primary skilled victory, and he got here shut on a couple of event within the Tour de France with quite a few shows of gutsy driving. Finally nonetheless, no victory materialised, and although he went on to register a powerful seven top-10s within the Vuelta a España six weeks later, he was nonetheless with out a win on the finish of the yr.
A current victory within the UK Nationwide Championship highway race nonetheless will see Wright sporting the pink, white and blue bands on this yr’s Tour de France. And with the arrogance he can have taken from final yr’s Grand Excursions, it looks like that is certainly Wright’s yr to assert the stage win he deserves.
Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R-Citroën)
(Image credit: Tim De Waele / Getty)
Greatest earlier stage outcome: seventh (2021)
The 27-year-old Frenchman scored his first Grand Tour victory this yr in Could’s Giro d’Italia. He made himself extremely seen all through the race and after profitable stage 4 at Lago Laceno on a tough cat-two climb to the end, he got here shut once more on stage 18 at Val di Zolo the place he was fifth, simply forward of the principle favourites group.
Assuming the Auvergnat has recovered from his Italian travails, it looks like he’s certain to problem for a primary Tour de France stage win subsequent month.
Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers)
(Picture credit score: Dario Belingheri / Getty)
Greatest earlier stage outcome: Debutant in 2023
Final yr’s Spanish highway champion, Carlos Rodríguez has a comparatively mild palmarès at this level, nevertheless it looks like that is set to alter radically within the subsequent couple of years.
Alongside Dani Martínez, he represents Ineos Grenadiers’s finest shot on the GC for this yr’s Tour de France. He just lately received the youth classification on the Critérium du Dauphiné, and was ninth general besides.
On the Tour de France, relying on how far up the general he scales, he’s effectively able to profitable from a breakaway on one of many race’s hillier phases. After all, if he is wherever close to the top-10 he will not be allowed to get away, and it is more durable to see him profitable a stage from the favourites group. Undoubtedly one to look at although.
Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo)
(Image credit: Luc Claessen / Getty)
Greatest earlier stage outcome: Debutant in 2023
Since becoming a member of Trek-Segafredo as a stagiaire in 2020, younger Swiss Matthias Skjelmose’s star has risen quick. He took a primary professional victory within the time trial stage of final yr’s Tour de Luxembourg on his method to profitable the GC, and since then has taken a number of extra wins – the most recent being on the Tour de Suisse, the place he reprised his Luxembourg efficiency with a stage win and GC victory, however on a significantly increased degree.
His stage wins at Luxembourg and Suisse – a flat time trial and a category-one summit end respectively, reveal an all-round means which may scare the pants off the Grand Tour GC institution in years to return. In 2023 although, he might need to accept stage searching.
Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty)
(Image credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / Getty)
Greatest earlier stage outcome: sixth (2022)
In-form German climber Georg Zimmermann goes to the Tour de France as a part of Intermarché’s famend squad of stage hunters, with a career-best win on the current Critérium du Dauphiné underneath his belt. The 25-year-old attacked from a bunch of escapees, ultimately managing to outsprint French companion Mathieu Bergaudeau on the summit of the Crest Voland.
It’s going to little question bestow confidence upon the younger German for what will probably be his third Tour de France with the workforce. He has managed top-10 stage finishes on each his earlier appearances – may this be the yr he lastly stands atop the rostrum?
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