Tour de France 2014 Poll: Who will win the Yellow Jersey?
Published:We’re all set for the world’s greatest cycling race with the 2014 Tour de France ready for its Grand Depart from Leeds this Saturday.
But who will conquer the mountains, outwit their opponents and sprint their way to success en route to landing one of sport’s most prestigious prizes?
We take a look at some of the leading contenders and ask you who you think will be riding up the Champs Elysees to victory on July 27.
Aiming to become the first ever Briton to retain his Tour de France title, Chris Froome is the hot favourite to follow-up last year’s success.
A crash in stage six of the recent Criterium du Dauphine aside, victories in the Tour of Oman and the Tour de Romandie this year have seen Froome ride at his impressive best.
Froome might be feeling glad that Giro D’Italia winner and last year’s hill-climbing pest Nairo Quintana isn’t lining-up to face him in 2014.
But the Team Sky man will still have to contend with another true king of the mountains in Alberto Contador.
Spain’s 2007 and 2009 TdF champion was swarming all over Froome in the Dauphine and will once again try to unnerve and outsmart his rival.
Italian Vincenzo Nibali hasn’t quite reached the heights he managed in 2013 but the popular cyclist remains a formidable opponent.
One of his few successes this season has been landing Italy’s National Road Racing Championships.
That victory will be an immense source of pride for The Shark and offers some hope of a sustained assault on Le Tour.
A solid campaign puts Alejandro Valverde in contention for at least a podium place.
Winning Spain’s National Time Trial Championships will have been a boost and having taken four Grand Tour stages before the 34-year-old has the pedigree and experience to challenge for top honours.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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