Who are the top three favorites for the Tour de France 2023? With the race just around the corner, starting on July 1st in Bilbao, Spain, it's time to analyze the riders from Pogacar onwards.

The Tour de France 2023 Favorite Is Tadej Pogacar

Number one, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The Slovenian star is the clear favorite, although there are some doubts coming into the race. He fractured his left wrist and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. But just remember his pedigree when he first turned pro in 2019, he won his first race in Europe, the Volta ao Algarve. This year, he started the season, he wins right away with a bang, a gravel race. Then Andalucía, goes to Paris-Nice. He's wins that race. Wins the Tour of Flanders, wins the Amstel Gold Race, and then Flèche Wallonne.

He's built strong and he's going into the Tour de France with a stronger team than he's had in the past. Sure. Last year he was caught out by Jumbo-Visma in a trap in stage 11 and he finished second overall. But this year he's got a stronger team with Adam Yates in the team. Tim Wellens. Guys who are supporting him for that third Tour de France overall victory.

And number two? That's defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). He's coming in with the full force of the Jumbo-Visma team this year.

He started off the season with a bang and he's going strong. Just recently winning the tour of the Tour of the Basque Country and the two stages and the overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Jumbo-Visma are giving him the full support for the 2023 edition this year. Primoz Roglic focused on, and won, the Giro d'Italia. The team is all behind Jonas for the Tour de France. He's got that super strong team Dutch behind him in a route that really suits his ability with plenty of mountain stages.

Ben O'Connor: The Tour de France 2023 Outsider

The number three favorite? It's hard to say because those first two Vingegaard and Pogacar. They're light years ahead of the competition. For the number three, we can look to riders like Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), a local rider from the Basque Country, or perhaps others like Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), winner of Giro d'Italia 2022, and Enric Mas (Movistar). Or even the Americans, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost).

It's hard to pick one for that third spot, but Ben O'Connor (Ag2r-Citroën) stands out. The Australian just placed third overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné and has experience in the Tour, winning a stage and going fourth overall in 2021. And the French team is all behind 27-year-old O'Connor, who may not have that explosive kick as the others do, but has the staying power for long mountain hauls.