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With fewer than three weeks to go until the start of the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France – hard to believe, we know – all things indicate th☂at we may be in for a vintage year, especially going by the results of someꦜ of the major contenders across the weekend.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Richie Porte (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:BMC Racing) sewed up the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de Suisse title, ahead of 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nairo Quintana (Movistar), while 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alejandro Valverde won the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Route d’Occitanie, and last year’s runner-up to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Chris Froome at the Tour, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Rigoberto Uran, won a stage and finished second overall at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour of Slovenia.

Add in 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Geraint Thomas’ win at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Criterium du Dauphiné thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe previous weekend, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a hot and spicy smorgasbord of top performances to come at the Tour.

Froome – to give the defending champion a quick mention – took a while to find his race-winning legs at the Giro d'Italia, whether that was as a result of his pr🐠e-race crash, and subsequent crashes, or because he simply wasn’t in as good form as he has been at previous Grand Tours. He certainly came good to take the title, though, and is hoping to defend his Tour title, despite ဣthe salbutamol case that still hangs over him, and indeed the sport.

Clearly, if Froome starts the To🥃ur – and all things suggest that he will – he cannot be discounted and, indeed, will be considered the favo🍒urite, despite the fact that interest in said salbutamol case will be magnified many times over on cycling’s biggest stage.

If Froome doesn’t start, or is unable to contend for the title, his Team Sky teammate, Thomas, has proved that he’s capable of stepping into the breach with his win at t🗹he Critérium du Dauphiné on June 10. Thomas’ best Grand Tour finish is 15th at both the 2015 and 2016 editions o𒁏f the Tour, but this year, more than ever, whether riding in the service of Froome or for himself, the 32-year-old Welshman is looking very much like he could be right up there this year on the strength of his Dauphiné victory.

Froome’s friend and former teammate Porte also looks to be heading in to this year’s race with as big a chance as ever of clinching the top prize. The Australian has had a relatively slow start to the season, but proved he was a cut above the rest in Switzerland. Before crashing out of last year’s Tour, Porte appeared incredibly strong and he has to be con𒊎sidered a major favourite this time.

Finishing second to Porte at the Tour de Suisse was Fuglsang, who looks like a very good outside bet for a Tour podium place this year. While third-placed Quintana’s time trialling still leaves a lot to be desired, the Movistar man may be able to do enough in the mountains at this year’s Tour. With only 31 kilometres of individual time trialling at this year’s race, if the C♏olombian were to come out of the Pyrenees with the yellow jersey on his back♊, and depending on the significance of his lead, you’d have to fancy his chances of just holding on.

A lot will depend on how things go within the Movistar team, who head to the Tour with a three-pronged attack thanks to Quintana, Mikel Lanꩵda and Valverde. The latter’s win at the Route d&rs👍quo;Occitanie at the weekend proves that his form is as good as Quintana’s right now.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Mitchelton-Scott’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Adam Yates will be hoping to match his twin brother Simon’s impressive exploits from the Giro d’Italia. Adam finished second overall to Thomas at the Dauphiné thanks to his win on the final stage, and had a great week all round, while French hopes are pinned on 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Romain Bardet (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:AG2R La Mondiale), who sho👍wed extremely well 🦹at the Dauphiné to finish third overall.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Bahrain-Merida leader 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vincenzo Nibali – the 2014 Tour de France champion – has had a quiet build-up to the race, riding the Dauphiné as training, and is now ramping up his form with a training ca🌳mp in the Dolomites, while 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Dan Martin (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:UAE Team Emirates) showed that he, too, is coming into 🍸form nicely aꦫfter his stage win and fourth place overall at the Dauphiné.

And Dutchman 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tom Dumoulin, who has now been confirmed as riding by his Sunweb squad, could be yet another potential winner. Dumoulin was unable to defend his 2017 Giro d’Italia title, but finished a stro൩ng second to Froome.

So, despite the confusion surrounding the Froome case, his rivals’ recent demonstrations of top form mean there is plenty▨ to be excited about this July. This really could be one of the closest-fought Tours, between an unprecedented number of protagonists, for years.