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The Tour de France 2013 is fast approaching, and we’ve all marked and highlighted the team sheets for the important names to watch out for.
The men regularly mentioned will be Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans, Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish, but who will be this year’s surprise package?
Who will be the men we remember from the summer, be that because of horrible crashes, fights at the finish or dangling tongues? These are the unsung heroes of the Tour de France, and the men who make the race.
The first man one should keep an eye out for has to be Jens Voigt.
The 41-year-old German has almost become a permanent fixture in the Tour de France, and will no doubt be involved with a few breakaways. The amazing fact is that Voigt has not announced any intention to retire; how many more Tour’s could Voigt light up with his wit?
Nairo Quintana is a young Colombian, who British pundit Ned Boulting rightly described as a ‘grenade’. Quintana will be Movistar’s secret weapon to ruffle Sky’s feathers come the mountains, and one of his attacks could change the whole race dynamic. He would be a good tip for the Maillot blanc (white jersey) too, which is given to the best young rider.
Another young rider to watch out for is Michal Kwiatkowski, who is the main Polish hope for the future. He has impressed so far this season, with a second overall at the Volta ao Algarve, a fourth overall at the Tirreno-Adriatico, and two top five finishes in the Ardennes Classics. It will be interesting to see how his form holds over three weeks, and what his role will be in a team centered around Mark Cavendish.
Didi Senft, who will be another man to look out for, especially on the mountain stages. Senft is better known as The Devil, and he has been a common siting at the Tour since his first in 1993. After being absent last year due to illness, Senft is making a welcome return to cycling’s biggest race.
The final man one should look out for is an Aussie: Adam Hansen. He is once again attempting to complete all three Grand Tours in one year, and has already had a successful Giro d’Italia this year, taking a solo stage win. If Hansen manages to finish the Tour, it will be his sixth consecutive Grand Tour finish.
There will probably be a few others who will ignite this year’s race, be that through a long solo breakaway or a shock sprint win. But one thing’s for sure, it is impossible to predict what will happen on the three week jaunt through France.
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