Ineos Grenadiers could have ‘worst Tour de France with no general classification leader’ – Adam Blythe

Eurosport knowledgeable Adam Blythe is predicting that Ineos Grenadiers might have their “worst Tour de France when it comes to common classification hopes.”

Ineos, beforehand Workforce Sky, as soon as dominated the peloton on the Tour de France, profitable the yellow jersey for 5 straight years from 2015 to 2019.

However this summer season their workforce doesn’t seem to have a robust favorite to battle the GC favourites like Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Workforce Emirates).

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Former champion Egan Bernal continues to be returning to his prime degree after a critical harm whereas 23-year-old Tom Pidcock is just competing in his third Grand Tour.

“For Ineos this could possibly be a really completely different state of affairs for them – stage looking, not a GC chief, not an opportunity of the yellow jersey in my eyes,” mentioned Blythe.

“They’ve at all times had a frontrunner, they’ve at all times had ambitions to get the yellow jersey, however this yr I might say the ambition is between prime 5 and prime 10, after that I’m not too certain.

“You may have Tom Pidcock, who may try to keep up there on GC only for the educational course of to see what it’s like. However he’s a correct bike racer and can need to go stage looking and getting the glory which I hope he does, I hope he doesn’t get too slowed down with the GC.

“Bernal, I don’t suppose he’ll do something within the GC, I don’t suppose he’s at that degree but. The opposite guys within the workforce…I feel prime 10 could be nice.”

It’s not clear but who would be the GC chief for Ineos.

They’ve expertise within the workforce with Jonathan Castroviejo and Michal Kwiatkowski, whereas Dani Martinez is using in his fourth Grand Tour and 22-year-old Carlos Rodriguez completed seventh on the Vuelta a Espana final yr.

“From my standpoint none of them are critical contenders for podium, perhaps not even prime 5,” mentioned Eurosport knowledgeable Jens Voigt.

“They may have the ability to end prime 10, however none of them has the form proper now to be a critical risk.

“That additionally must be a reminder to all the opposite groups that they can’t depend on Ineos to journey tempo. It should all be as much as Jumbo-Visma and UAE to regulate the race. I see Ineos as a pure workforce for stage looking.”

The Astana Qazaqstan sprinter will search a thirty fifth stage victory to maneuver forward of Merckx – and Blythe is backing him to do it.

“Mark Cavendish will probably be stuffed with motivation, it’s his final Tour, his remaining hurrah, an opportunity to beat the document.

“I consider he can do it however it’s going to be powerful and I feel the strain will probably be quite a bit higher than it was on the Giro.

“Mark on the Giro he was seeing how issues have been going and getting again into type, but when we have a look at Mark now after that Giro victory he will probably be even hungrier.

“I feel he’ll get that stage win and the strain on his shoulders would be the strain he’s placing on himself. I’ve my fingers crossed for him.”

The 2023 Tour de France begins on July 1 in Bilbao.