Many fantamanagers were not even born in 1985, that is the last year in which a French cyclist, Bernard Hinault , won the Tour. Some spoke of a curse, others of bad luck for not being able to have a new class of top athletes. profile. What is certain is that no transalpine rider has ever climbed the top step of the podium in Paris again, despite several placings, stages and polka dot jerseys won in the following years. And will it still be like this in 2022?

The premises are certainly not good for the cousins from beyond the Alps, struggling with so many promises and few certainties. Let's go and discover them together, obviously from a Fantacycling perspective .

Let's start with the riders who 'should' make the rankings: in reality there is only Romain Bardet (Team Dsm) who costs 26 million and who is certainly the most awaited. Already second and third in the past, he has just returned from retiring at the Giro but uphill, if he is in the day, he can do great things. Then there is David Gaudu (Groupama Fdj, cost 28) who, however, seems to have transformed into a classic man. And he doesn't seem to digest the Tour: in four participations the best result is an eleventh place. Then there is the "eternal" Thibaut Pinot (16), who was highlighted in the Tour of the Alps and in Switzerland by winning the final stages. However, Gaudu's teammate seems to have passed the best phase of his career, going to devote himself to stage successes and, why not, to the jersey for climbers.

So who is left? We are not talking about the general classification. Ag2R's Benoit Cosnefroy (23) should aim for the stages as well as Guillaume Martin (23) and Benjamin Thomas (4), both of Cofidis. Pierre Rolland (4) and Franck Bonnamour (4) (B&B Hotels - KTM), Pierre Latour (9) and Alexis Vuillermoz (3) (Total Energies), Warren Barguil (12) (Arkea Samsic) and Remi Cavagna (14) (Quick Step). Bryan Coquard (14) of Cofidis and Christophe Laporte (23) of Jumbo Visma are playing for the short sprints, even if the latter will have to work hard for his captain Wout Van Aert.

We left him for last because his participation is not certain, but we believe he will do everything to be at the start of Copenhagen on 1 July: Julian Alaphilippe (costs 46 million). After the bad accident at Liège, the world champion could return to racing precisely for the Grande Boucle, obviously without any ambitions for the classification but with the aim of entertaining the French or at least alleviating a sadness that has lasted for 37 years. It is destined to continue in 2022 as well.

Photo Sprint Cycling

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