Two riders, Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen, share a common goal: stage victories and the green jersey. While Van der Poel is the standout name, Jasper Philipsen has been the consistent performer in recent Tours, securing nine stage wins over the past three years and taking the green jersey in 2023. On flat stages, Van der Poel uses his speed and technical skill to set up Philipsen. For tougher terrain, Van der Poel takes the lead, though he has only one Tour stage win to his name—at Mûr de Bretagne in 2021. Look for him when the race returns there on 11 July.
Team: Van der Poel, Philipsen, Kaden Groves, Silvan Dillier, Xandro Meurisse, Jonas Rickaert, Gianni Vermeersch, Emiel Verstrynge.
Key rider: Mathieu van der Poel. Philipsen may have more wins, but Van der Poel has claimed major victories this year, including Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix.
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Both sponsors of this team will depart at the end of the year, with no immediate replacements confirmed. Kévin Vauquelin is their strongest rider, but Arnaud Démare, despite being 33, should not be underestimated—he has eight Giro stage wins and two at the Tour.
Team: Vauquelin, Démare, Cristián Rodríguez, Raúl García Pierna, Ewen Costiou, Mathis Le Berre, Amaury Capiot, Clément Venturini.
Key rider: Kévin Vauquelin, who won stage two in 2024. The 24-year-old came close to victory at the Tour de Suisse recently.
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This squad has strong potential for stage wins. Young climber Lenny Martinez impressed at the Dauphiné, while Matej Mohoric, known for his descending skills, has three Tour stages and a Milan-San Remo win. Phil Bauhaus is a solid sprinter, Santiago Buitrago excels in the mountains, and Fred Wright has placed well in major races. If they coordinate well, they could have success.
Team: Martinez, Buitrago, Mohoric, Bauhaus, Wright, Kamil Gradek, Jack Haig, Robert Stannard.
Key rider: Lenny Martinez, carrying a strong family legacy—his grandfather was King of the Mountains in 1978, and his father is an Olympic gold medalist.
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After more than two decades in professional cycling, this team is struggling to avoid relegation. Simon Carr and Ion Izagirre are strong climbers, Alex Aranburu handles hills well, and Benjamin Thomas and Bryan Coquard are fast finishers. However, Dylan Teuns has not won a major race since 2022. The squad has potential but lacks consistency.
Team: Emmanuel Buchman, Aranburu, Izagirre, Thomas, Carr, Coquard, Teuns, Alexis Renard, Damien Touzet.
Key rider: Emmanuel Buchman, whose fourth-place finish in the 2019 Tour now feels like a distant memory.
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