The Tour de France is once again upon us, celebrating its 109 edition with the Grand Départ taking place in Copenhagen this year. Two big names that will be sorely missed in Denmark include teammates Julian Alaphilippe, who continues to recover from an earlier crash this season, and Mark Cavendish. Plenty of big names remain however, as FloBikes gives a list of the favorites expected to be among the battle for yellow.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

At 23-years of age, Tadej Pogacar will be heading to France in hopes of winning his 3rd consecutive Tour de France. If he succeeds, he will make history as the youngest of the elite group - Chris Froome, Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, and Louison Bobet – to do so. He will have the same UAE squad as in 2021 supporting his efforts. 

The past two years he has also won the Best Young Rider jersey and the King of the Mountains classification. The Slovenian will arrive in Denmark having already earned 4 victories this season, including the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, and Tirreno-Adriatico. Primož Roglič (Jumbo - Visma) Will 2022 be his year? Roglič is no stranger to the yellow jersey, but has never been able to reach the Champs Elysèes wearing it. Racing fans will remember his heart wrenching loss in 2020 on the penultimate time trial to compatriot Tadej Pogačar. 

Last year he crashed on stage 3 and was not able to recover. By the finish of stage 8 he had lost over 30 minutes on GC and bowed out of the race. He went on to win his 3rd consecutive Vuelta a España a month later. Time will tell if the roads of France are kind to him and if he is able to keep his rivals at bay. He earned victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné for the first time a couple of weeks ago and is in prime form to give it another go. 

Primož Roglič (Jumbo - Visma)

Will 2022 be his year? Primoz Roglič is no stranger to the yellow jersey, but has never been able to reach the Champs Elysèes while wearing it. Images of his implosion and heart wrenching loss on the penultimate time trial of the 2020 edition are still fresh in our minds. 2021 was no kinder to the Roglič, who crashed on stage 3 and was unable to recover. By the finish of stage 8 he had lost over 30 minutes on GC and bowed out of the race. He went on to win his 3rd consecutive Vuelta a España a month later. 

Roglič once again appears rock solid going into the Tour. His Jumbo-Visma team has been a force of nature in 2022, and they recently delivered him to a victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné which looked almost easy. Once again however, Roglič's Slovenian compatriot Tadej Pogačar poses the biggest obstacle standing between Roglič and the yellow jersey.

Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers)

Geriant Thomas was able to survive the wraths of Covid-19 that took nearly half the peloton out of the Tour de Suisse. After a remarkable individual time trial on the final stage, he secured his first victory in the lead up race to the Tour. The 2022 route suits his climbing form and his time trial power. After the Egan Bernal training accident, Thomas has stepped up as a genuine contender. 

The team announced its final roster including Dani Martinez, Adam Yates, Flippo Ganna, and Jonathan Castroviejo all ready to back him. If he is able to survive his young rivals and the carnage that often dominates the first week of racing, the 2018 Tour de France champion could be celebrating his second victory in Paris. 

Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën Team)

The Australian talent celebrated his best season to date in 2021, finishing 4th on GC at the Tour after his first stage victory at Tignes. O'Connor had finished solo atop Tignes, an incredible 5 minutes ahead of the field. He finished third on GC at the Critérium du Dauphiné, behind the Jumbo-Visma duo of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard. If he succeeds in winning his first Tour, he will become only the second Australian in history to do so after Cadel Evans in 2011. 

Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Aleksandr Vlasov is enjoying a stellar season since his move to the German squad from Astana last season. The 26-year old will be making his Tour debut in Denmark after his GC victories in Romandie and Valencia earlier in the year. The early success was a solid answer for an organization unsure of its next step following the departure of Peter Sagan last fall. Vlasov was leading the Tour de Suisse before he tested positive for Covid while leading GC. All hands will be on deck from Bora, hoping their GC captain has recovered in time for the challenge ahead.