Rating our 2021 TdF Ones to Watch
First here’s one we missed:
Wout van Aert
We wrote a rare Ones to Watch without Wout. And that was a mistake, because he proved himself to be one of the sport’s greats. His rivalry with Van Der Poel (and to a lesser extent, Alaphilippe) finally arrived at the Tour, delighting fans.
He won on the Ventoux. He won the final time-trial. He won the sprint on the Champs Elysees. And he may well win the Olympics and Cyclo-cross World Cup too. A generational talent.
OK, now the verdict on our ones to watch:
Tadej Pogacar
We said: “Same again, really, only this time he’s the defending champion and, along with Roglic, the clear favorite.”
Verdict: In some ways, it was make or break for Pogacar. His 2020 win was in a unique year, and he won in unique circumstances. Any remaining questions from his first victory were unequivocally answered by his second: He was dominant from start to finish, never looking in danger of losing the race. He won the white, polka dot, and yellow jerseys, and easily has another decade of top level racing ahead of him.
Mark Cavendish
We said: “Can he match Eddy Merckx’s stage wins record in the Tour? Well, probably not. But class is permanent.”
Verdict: It’s a testament to the extent to which Cavendish returned to his unstoppable self that it almost felt like an underperformance when he missed out on beating Eddy Merckx’s record. From zero expectations to the fastest sprinter in the race, picking up four wins and the green jersey along the way. Perhaps only matching Merckx’s record is a fair compromise… one that means he’ll be back next year.
Primoz Roglic
We said: “His capacity to lose stage races, French stage races in particular, in their closing moments is becoming a troubling trend. Is he doomed to be a nearly man? For now, he’s the favorite.”
Verdict: It was a race to forget for Roglic. A crash ended his hopes of the overall, perhaps just early enough that it would be uncharitable to suggest he was already looking a little off the pace.
Geraint Thomas
We said: “Age may not be on his side, and there’s a sense that INEOS has its new generation waiting in the wings. Still, the course suits him well, and he’ll be hard to shake out of the race lead if he emerges as a true contender.”
Verdict: It was Richard Carapaz who emerged as the leader of an INEOS team that looked surprisingly at a loss in this year’s race. Had you not known Geraint Thomas was riding, you’d have been hard pressed to notice him.
Julian Alaphilippe
We said: “He stands alongside Wout van Aert and Mathieu Van Der Poel as one of the sport’s top classics riders, and, although he came agonizingly close to winning the 2019 edition of the race, he will arrive seeking a stage win or two rather than an overall victory.”
Verdict: An instantly-iconic stage one victory in the rainbow jersey brought with it a day in yellow that would set the tone for Deceuninck-QuickStep’s hugely successful Tour. His work for Cavendish no doubt contributed to that success.
Mathieu Van Der Poel
We said: “Mathieu Van Der Poel has everything and will be targeting stage wins on all kinds of terrains. Perhaps even Stage One, taking the yellow jersey that so eluded his grandfather.”
Verdict: The start of this Tour was rich with exciting racing and emotional moments. Mathieu Van Der Poel brought both. His stage win, yellow jersey, and attacking racing stand as a highlight of this year’s race, even ignoring the wonderful narrative he brought with him.