Le Tour de France 2009; the race for yellow

So, yesterday we had a general look at the tour, and at the phenomenon that is Lance Armstrong. Today, we’re going to look at some of the yellow jersey contenders. After this we’ll take a look at some of the riders going for the climbing and sprinting prizes, but the general classification is really where it’s at. After three weeks of racing, only one man can ride into Paris on July 26th with the yellow jersey on his back. So here we are:

Alberto Contador (Astana)

The 2007 winner didn’t race last year, but he did win both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana, completing the trinity of grand tour victories. He became the first rider to achieve this feat since Bernard Hinaut did the same in the late seventies. His strength is in climbing the mountains that the Tour will cross; however, this year they have been chosen to encourage attacks, but are not the highest that the race has ever seen. This could play into his hands, but equally may prevent him from delivering a knockout blow to his rivals. Also worth watching is his team; Astana also includes such luminaries as Lance Armstrong, Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer, all of whom have finished on the podium in previous years. It remains to be seen as to whether they’ll be able to ride as a team, but if it all clicks, then it looks like it could be a decisive advantage for Contador. If Armstrong is out of contention early on, and Contador emerges as the clear leader of the team, then this should ease his passage.

Carlos Sastre (CTT)

Sastre is looking to defend the title he won last year, finally seeing off the competition with an attack at the Alpe d’Huez. He’s a talented climber, and is in good form at the moment, having just finished in forth on the Giro d’Italia. He’s a rider who surely must have welcomed the timing of the Mont Ventoux stage, coming just before the final ride into Paris. The field will be tired from nearly twenty days of riding, so as long as he reaches the slopes of the climb within striking distance of the lead, he’ll fancy his chances.

Cadel Evans (SIL)

He’s finished second twice in the last two years. Can he make the jump to be first in the overall standings? He’ll need his best legs under him, and to perform to the fullness of his talent. He’ll need some luck, too, going up against Sastre and Contador, but it’s a long Tour, and a lot can happen. Expect him to be there or there abouts at the end.

Frank and Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), Denis Menchov (Rabobank)

All three of these stand a chance, but they’d need a lot to go their way. The younger Schleck, Andy, is expected to be a winner at some stage in his career, but this year may be a little early for him. Menchov is part of a strong team, and has the confidence of a Giro d’Italia win, so he’ll fancy his chances.

If you’ve got any questions, or anything you’d like me to talk about in the run up to the tour, feel free to leave them in the comment section below.