TOUR DE FRANCE: WHO WINS?

In a few days, the Tour de France begins and immediately we start with the twists. The first is the most resounding with the re-admission of the outgoing winner, Chriss Froome, who was first driven to the door by the transalpine organizers and then readmitted because he was acquitted by the Wada after an anomalous value for the salbutanol was observed on 7 September.

The second, less dramatic, but equally powerful, was caused by the exclusion of Nacer Bouhanni of the Cofidis team. A bit as if Real Madrid left Ronaldo on the bench during the Champions League final. Worn relationship meant that the sprinter was eliminated from the starting list and probably will change the team at the end of the year.

The most beautiful fight, however, is the one for the yellow jersey and now we can wonder who will be the king of 2018. There are many names: from Vincenzo Nibali, king of Milano Sanremo, to Nairo Quintana. Both arrive fresh at the big boucle, while Froome has already won the Giro. Tom Dumoulin also comes from the pink race but he has decided not to escape the great fight. The Dutchman will not be able to count on mate Wilko Kelderman, who fell a few days ago in the national championships.

Among the prominent claimants certainly the Tasmanian Richie Porte, potentially a champion who has never managed to get on the podium of a great race. Mikael Landa Meana, the eternal dissatisfied coming from Astana to Sky and now in Movistar where it seems to suffer the competition of the captains Quintana and Valverde. The man of the house is Romain Bardet, all of France will be with the tiny climber of the AG2R while the inconstant Warren Barguil is a loose cannon.

Primoz Roglic, runner of the Jumbo Lotto which is growing steadily, is firmer and stronger. The top 10 is also Daniel Martin is another racer that aims at the top 10 and who has not shone so far. It is always a runner from the great palmares.

For those who love the adrenaline show, they can just wait Peter Sagan with the whole sprint band starting with Marcel Kittel.

Present as every year the experts Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Andrè Greipel (Lotto Soudal), respectively at 30 and 11 career victories in the Tour, they are now in a downturn in their career but, on the French roads, they will always be a hard bone for everyone. Dylan Groenewegen (Lotto Jumbo) and Arnaud Demare (Groupama FDJ) are younger, both got off the track last year and now they will try to get a good result this year.

Another name that we will certainly see is Michael Matthews (Sunweb), the green jersey last year, but he prefers harder finals such as John Degenkolb (Trek) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Emirates). Not to forget the landlord Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana), Oliver Naesen (AG2R), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Merida) and Timothy Dupont (Wanty Groupe).