It is unnecessary to talk about how much the coronavirus has disrupted calendars in all sports. Cycling couldn't do without problems either, so all three Grand Tours were postponed.
But it is known which one is the biggest. While the "Giro d'Italia" and "Vuelta a España" dates overlap (in the Apennines from October 3 to 25, in the Pyrenees from October 20 to November 8), all the best cyclists in the world can appear on the cult "Tour d'France".
The world's most prestigious race starts today in Nice, with a 158 kilometer long flat stage. It ends, as always, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where the winner will open the champagne on September 20.
But until that "splash" on the Champs Elysees, hell will await the champion. There are eight hilly stages, and five of the final seven will be extremely difficult. As many as four are mountainous, with four uncategorized and five climbs of the first category. The decision is likely to come down on the penultimate day of the 36,2-kilometer time trial, which ends with a first-category ascent of the Planche de Bayeux.
The title is defended by Egan Bernal, the first South American to win the Tour. The Colombian from Ineos had problems with injuries, but he recovered and the world bookmakers' odds that he will be champion again are around three. Just behind him is the leader of Dzambo-Visma and the current champion of the "Vuelta", the Slovenian Primož Roglič. The odds for the title of the former ski jumper, who had a hard fall at the recent "Criterium di Dofano", is 3,50, followed by local hope Thibaut Pinot and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (7,00), another Slovenian Tadej Pogačar (13,00, XNUMX)...
- I feel good. I am ready to start the "Tour". The fall disrupted my preparations, but it seems to me that I managed to do everything I planned - said Roglič.
All riders have tested negative for the coronavirus, but the World Cycling Union (UCI) has warned that teams will be excluded from the Tour if two of their riders test positive within seven days.
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