This is how the favorites are preparing for the Tour de France
The Tour de France 2024 is getting closer little by little, which will start its competition on June 29th. The top favorites for victory in this race are already gearing up and finalizing their preparations, pushing through the last training sessions. This is the approach they are all taking.
Favorites push through the final training sessions before the Tour de France 2024
The start of the Tour de France 2024 is approaching, the final weeks of preparation for the most important race in the world, which presents an edition that, a priori, will be especially competitive with a good number of contenders for the final victory that will surely raise the bar for anyone aiming to win the yellow jersey in the unprecedented finish in Nice.
The top favorites are following a similar approach during these weeks, with most of them concentrating to benefit from altitude training and, above all, isolating themselves from the world so that nothing disturbs their preparation and rest before the great event that is the Tour de France 2024.
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Obviously, the one with the most uncertainties surrounding his training is the current Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, who has had to juggle to be in condition to compete in the French race after his serious fall during the Itzulia. Visma-Lease a Bike has not yet confirmed his participation in the Tour de France 2024, waiting to carry out the final tests to decide whether he is ready to fight for the podium after an express preparation focused on training and avoiding participating in the usual races before the Tour. At this moment, the Dane is finalizing his preparation at the concentration that Visma-Lease a Bike is holding in the alpine resort of Tignes.
The other main contender for the final victory can only be Tadej Pogacar, who, despite having a perfect season so far, has followed a similar approach to the Tour de France 2024 as Vingegaard in terms of avoiding participating in the races before the Grande Boucle. In his case, the absence from competition is motivated by the need to recover after his participation and victory in the Giro d'Italia.
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In any case, Tadej Pogacar's season is characterized by measuring efforts to compete at the highest level in both the Giro and the Tour, a double that, let's remember, no one has achieved since 1998. After his victory in the Giro d'Italia, Tadej Pogacar took a week off at his home in Monaco and, since June 3rd, he has been concentrating at altitude, in his case at the alpine resort of Isola 2000, located in the area where the last week of the Tour de France will pass on its way to Nice, a choice that is surely not random.
Another main affected by the fall in the Itzulia was the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who returned to competition to participate in the Critérium du Dauphiné. In the race, Remco raised doubts about his form, showing images of tremendous suffering in the first major mountain stage, but the day after achieving a resounding victory in the time trial stage. Despite not being among the best, it is also true that his performances improved as the days went by.
Remco Evenepoel still has one more day of competition ahead of him as he will face the Belgian Championships only in the road race, in which he is the reigning champion, skipping the time trial. Between the end of the Dauphiné and the weekend of the national championships, Remco will remain concentrated at altitude, carrying out the last quality training sessions for the Tour de France.
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Another rider who participated in the Critérium du Dauphiné, and also managed to win the overall victory in the race, albeit narrowly, was Primoz Roglic, also one of the affected, albeit the least, by the fall in the Itzulia. The Slovenian showed a very good level during the French race, although his collapse on the last day, which almost cost him the lead to Matteo Jorgenson, raises some doubts about his level for the Tour de France. After this race, he headed to the French Alps, specifically to the Tignes resort, to spend these last weeks before the Tour de France 2024 concentrating at altitude.
The last contender for the podium is none other than Carlos Rodríguez, who, without making much noise, emerges as one of the protagonists for the upcoming month of July. After a notable spring, with his stage victory in the Itzulia and the overall win in the Tour de Romandie, the triumph in the last stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he himself dynamited the race, putting Primoz Roglic in difficulty, gives clear hope that his form in the Tour de France 2024 will be optimal. INEOS-Grenadiers, unlike Visma-Lease a Bike or Bora-Hansgrohe, has not organized a team altitude training camp as such. However, Carlos Rodríguez will concentrate at altitude in the company of Tom Pidcock and Egan Bernal, who are currently competing in the Tour de Suisse, not only to push through the last training sessions but also to build teamwork for the Tour.