We all know the big story lines: Roglic vs Bernal – Jumbo-Visma vs Ineos Grenadiers; Peter Sagan and the green jersey – will Wout Van Aert be able (or allowed) to challenge him; and can everyone who crashed at the Dauphine recover in time to challenge for the Yellow Jersey?
Those stories have been beaten to death, and it’s mostly just speculation. Everyone that got “injured” is probably bluffing anyway. We’ll find out for sure in a few weeks’ time.
But there are so many stories that pop up in each Grand Tour that fly far under the radar until the rider wins a stage or “surprises” by finishing on the overall podium.
I saw Sivakov was good two months ago, even two years ago, really. But his ride on the final stage of the Dauphine seemed to surprise a lot of people. Anyway, here are some lesser-known story lines that I’ll be watching for in this year’s Tour:
Will Movistar do anything?
Movistar has been so bad recently, that they’ve completely fallen off everyone’s radar. No preview has listed Valverde or Mas among the favorites, and after their performances at the Dauphine, I won’t be surprised if neither of them even finished the race.
Could Sepp Kuss challenge for the overall victory?
Seriously, I think he’s got a chance. There is only one time trial in this year’s race, and it finishes up a massive mountain. If anything, Kuss will gain time on GC that stage. While he is unproven over three weeks as a whole, he certainly came good in the third week of last year’s Vuelta a Espana when he won a stage. Based on his condition – and the fact that he literally dropped everyone at the Dauphine – I think we could see a Kuss/Roglic dynamic not too dissimilar to the Froome/Wiggins saga of the 2012 Tour.
Can Thibaut Pinot finally win the Tour de France?
I certainly hope so. The emotional Frenchman came oh-so-close at the Dauphine, and I can’t help but feel for the man who said goodbye to his goats before leaving for Nice. Team strength is perhaps the biggest hamper to his overall chances, as he was left isolated on the final stage of the Dauphine.
While angry outbursts are often unflattering, seeing Pinot slam his water bottle to the ground as riders sat on his wheel was both cathartic and reltable. We’ve all been there, frsutrated and almost on the edge of tears – we’ve become accustomed to robot-like figures like Roglic, Bernal, Froome, and Valverde; you can never tell when they’re suffering. The look on their face is the same whether they’re off the front or off the back.
Pinot is a different beast. The grimace of pain and fountain of spit dripping from his mouth paints the horrendously honest picture of a suffering Frenchman. So many times has Pinot tried, tried and tried again, and come so close only to falter at the final chance. I hope that this year is his: Thibaut Pinot – 2020 Tour de France Champion.
