In the Tour de France, the title favorites are afraid to attack

[Akrapovic]

Without Froome or Dumoulin it is normal to speculate. Experts analyze it.

The Tour de France is close to finishing the first week of competition and things, as for the general, are not so clear at this stage of the race.

There is not a great candidate, nor the bunch of aspirants has shown on the road their ambition to win the race, on the contrary, they have been running without exhibiting their conditions, spending just and waiting to know how are the other opponents.

The absence of great favorites such as Chris Froome and Tom Dumoulin has been the cause for a different Tour to be experienced in this edition compared to the previous ones.

Before, it was known that Froome was the rival to beat and everyone ran with that reference, but today that does not exist. It is clear that Geraint Thomas is the benchmark of the lot of 2019: he is the current champion and is on the list of candidates to repeat, but is not the same figure, does not have the same weight as the British, that by the multiple fractures that it caused the accident that it suffered when it recognized the individual time trial of the Critérium Dauphiné sees the race in its house in television.

Without Froome or Dumoulin, the range of candidates is wide, and so far, with the exception of Richie Porte and Romain Bardet, who are further away in the general, the others keep alive the aspiration to opt for the title.

And in that group are Egan Bernal (Ineos), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Rigoberto Urán (Education First), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama), Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo Visma) and Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), but none of them has given the face, and the general is still very closed.

"Everyone is very close. Many things were expected during the week, but little was seen. The rise of last Thursday was hard and everything closed in a few seconds. I thought there was going to be more distance, but they were only seconds, that says that the favorites take care of themselves, they do not want to risk, "said Vittorio Algeri, Mitchelton-Scott technician, to TIME.
The counselor warned that what happened in the first week is normal, because everyone is afraid.

"In the first week they have dedicated themselves to taking care of each other. There is fear of knowing how they are, what their condition is. All are analyzed, they look at each other and they are afraid to take their dowries, to attack, "he said.

He added: "Those care are given because there are many favorites. The other years, because with Froome he dominated everything. I was ahead and that situation does not present itself today. That's why little has happened in the race. There are many favorites and it gives them tension to attack. The Ineos team has not worked hard, the previous years were different, but that favors them and the others. "

Algeri ensures that the second week must be different. The technician believes that it is time to show, to take seconds, to attack, because there are harder stages and it is already necessary to know the real conditions of each one.
Open race

Valerio Tebaldi is one of the sports directors of the Italian team Nipo Vini Fantini and thinks almost the same as Algeri.

"There is not a cyclist like Froome or Dumoulin and it is obvious that the others, who always fight the races, because they feel they can win and that's why they do not risk it. The Tour is a very tactical competition. It looks like this year's Giro, because everyone looked at each other, analyzed each other and waited for the other to attack, but Ríchard Carapaz was more clever and won. Everyone is waiting to see what happens. Whoever has more courage will win the Tour, "said Tebaldi.

"When a race is that open and there are many favorites, among them are taken care of, the cards are not shown so early. You can not do crazy things because you lose, you win, "he added.

Tebaldi announces attacks, because the race must be defined sooner or later.
Analyze the route and ensure that after the individual chrono on Thursday comes the high mountain and everything will be at another price.

"You can not stay still. It is a very balanced Tour. The climbers will have to take advantage. Do not wait for the last week. Not having a lighthouse like Froome or Dumoulin gives them the option to try it, "he said.

Carlos Sastre, Spanish excist and champion of the Tour de France of 2008, agrees with what was expressed by the two technicians consulted.

He pointed out that this Tour is different from the others, because the favorites have not been seen, and the domain of the Ineos, before Sky, has not appeared.

"The great candidates have not been so attacking. The differences are not big, I can only highlight what happened in the team chrono. On Thursday, with that arrival so high explosive, it was difficult to attack thoroughly, "said Sastre.

"Without a doubt, that they are not Froome or Dumoulin makes the race different. It is clear that those who are must go more to the attack. It is clear that two hard weeks are coming and each one will have to look for his career. There is no figure. Thomas is the reference and is of utmost respect. Nor have I seen the Ineos team controlling as in other editions, "he said.