The 2023 Tour de France sees Jonas Vingegaard return to defend his crown after winning his first yellow jersey last year an ending Tadej Pogacar’s dominance.
The Slovenian Pogacar had won the previous two races and was widely expected to win No 3, before Vingegaard dismantled that indestructable aura with the help of his Jumbo-Visma teammate Primoz Roglic to top the general classification. There is no Roglic this year and so instead there is only a mouthwatering head-to-head fight between the two outstanding riders in the world right now, Vingegaard and Pogacar.
While they fight it out for yellow, the peloton’s sprinters will contest the points classification for the green jersey, with big points available at the end of flat stages as well as intermiedate markers during the stages. Wout van Aert is the reigning champion in this classification but Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma teammate may need to focus his attention on helping the Dane secure the big prize.
The famous polka dot jersey is worn by the King of the Mountains and there are KoM points to be won at the top of every categorised climb, with the biggest rewards saved for the hardest ascents. Vingegaard himself won this category last year, topping the polka dot standings by default after dominating in the high Alps and Pyrenees.
The white jersey is reserved for the best young rider. Given the cut-off age is 26, and Pogacar is only 24, it would not be surprising if the man who has won the past three won the next two too.
Select the ‘clock’ tab to see the current standings in this year’s Tour de France:
