2016 Tour De France: Top 5 Contenders

The 103rd edition of the Tour de France will be staged from the 2nd of July, 2016 to the 24th of July 2016. The event will start from the French department of Manche and conclude in Paris. This year’s edition will see the participation of twenty-two teams, with all the eighteen UCI World Teams given an automatic invitation, and they will be taking part in the event with hopes of tasting success by performing up to their optimum level.

Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), the organiser of the Tour announced in March that four UCI Professional Continental teams will be given wildcard invitations: Bora–Argon 18, Cofidis, Direct Énergie, and Fortuneo–Vital Concept. There were be tough competition among the cyclists, and each would try his best to emerge as the winner of Tour de France, 2016. Let us now take a look at 5 contenders for this year’s Tour de France:

Chris Froome

Having won the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015, Chris Froome would be looking to win the event for the third time in his illustrious career, and join an elite club of just seven cyclists who have been victorious in the event at least three times. 31-year-old Froome is the overwhelming favourite to win this year’s edition, and the cyclist is supported by the sport’s best squad, UCI ProTeam Team Sky.

Considered as one of the best cyclists in recent times, Froome has also been twice runner-up in Vuelta a Espana. In 2012, he won a bronze medal in the time trial event at the London Olympics. He began 2014 on a winning note by winning the Tour of Oman, followed by a repeat victory in the Tour de Romandie. He retired from the 2014 Tour de France but made a comeback the following year and finished second in the Vuelta a España. In 2015, he won his second Critérium du Dauphiné and his second Tour de France.

Alberto Contador

Alberto Contador is one of the most successful cyclists in modern times and has had his fair share of controversies. The Spaniard belongs to an elite group of just six riders to have won all three Grand Tours of road cycling. He won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España and the 2009 Tour de France with the Astana team.

He initially won the 2010 Tour de France with this team, and the 2011 Giro d'Italia with team Saxo Bank-SunGard, but was stripped of these titles later after he was found guilty of a doping offence. At 33, this could be Alberto Contador's last chance to be victorious for the third time. Last year, the Spaniard was with the Tinkoff team but finished fifth, acknowledging that he ran out of steam.

• Nairo Quintana

• Nairo Quintana is currently one of the brightest prospects in the world of cycling. The young Columbian rider who represents the MoviStar team is a specialist climber known for his ability to launch sustained and repeated attacks on ascents of a steep gradient. His best performance so far have been winning the 2014 Giro d'Italia and 2nd place overall in the 2013 and 2015 editions of Tour de France.

• Most recently, he became the third Columbian racer and the first since Hernán Buenahora in 1998 to win Volta a Catalunya. Quintana will have his eye on the penultimate stage, which ends in Morzine and is the final mountainous leg before the finish in Paris.

• Thibaut Pinot

• Thibaut Pinot, along with Romain Bardet will give France its best chance to have a home winner at the Tour de France since Bernard Hinault in 1985. The youngster currently rides for UCI ProTeam FDJ. The highly rated rider is considered to be one of the most talented stars in French cycling.

• Pinot made his mark in the world of cycling as he finished third overall in the 2014 edition of Tour de France, and first in the young rider classification in the race. In 2015, Pinot had his first victory of the season at the Tour de Romandie. He finished fourth in the general classification and was awarded the best Young rider jersey. He has been in amazing form in 2016, as he came first in the National Time Trial Championships and first overall at the Critérium International.

• Vincenzo Nibali

• The winner of the 2014 edition, Nibali is expected to be one of the main contenders for the 2016 edition of the event. The Italian professional road bicycle racer rides for the Kazakh UCI ProTeam Astana.
• Nicknamed ‘The Shark’, the highly capable descender and bike handler’s biggest wins have been the 2010 Vuelta a España, the 2014 Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia twice (2013 and 2016), making him one of six cyclists who have won the three Grand Tours in their career. In 2016, Nibali won the overall classification at the Tour of Oman and one stage of the race. The experienced cyclist would be looking forward to add another feather to his cap by winning the 2016 Tour de France.