This year’s Tour de France (July 5-27) is gearing up to be the most hotly contested edition in years. It’s the 101st running of la Grande Boucle, or Great Loop, and it looks like it’ll be a relatively open three weeks of racing with no single rider or team able to completely control the 21 stages run over 2,277 miles from Leeds, England, to Paris, France.
Defending champion Chris Froome of Great Britain and two-time winner Alberto Contador of Spain are the favorites, but there are American riders who could wreak havoc on the European-dominated peloton and make a legitimate run for the podium. It’s the best opportunity the U.S. has had in a long time to put one of its own in the leader’s yellow jersey.
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Chris Horner
The most astute tactician in bike racing, Chris Horner has won all kinds of races throughout his long career, from the Tour of California to the Tour de Langkawi. But it wasn’t until last year that he took his greatest victory at the Vuelta a España, or Tour of Spain, and became the oldest rider to win one of cycling’s three-week Grand Tours just short of his 42nd birthday. At the Tour, Horner’s best result came in 2010 when he was riding as a team helper and still managed to finish ninth overall. He thrives on long, steep climbs — the harder the better — so a mountain-stage win is possible, as is a high finish in Paris. More than anyone else in sports, Horner shows age is but a number and that he can still hang with the best in the world. Fitness freaks and fast-food lovers, take note: Horner loves McDonald’s, and on a long training ride he can consume enough Snickers and Coca-Cola to feed a French family on Bastille Day.
Age: 42
Team: Lampre-Merida
Birthplace: Okinawa, Japan
U.S. bases: Bend, Oregon; San Diego, California
European base: Como, Italy
Strengths: climbing, stage racing, tactics
Ted King
Crowd favorite Ted King is professional cycling's Mr. Nice Guy, but don’t let his niceness fool you: Under that smile is a tough New Englander with serious pedaling ability. For years, he has ridden on one of the world’s top teams, Cannondale Pro Cycling. But last year’s Tour de France, King’s first, was a disaster as he was controversially booted from the race after missing a time cut because of injuries suffered in an earlier crash. This year he’s headed back to the Tour to help his team leader, superstar Peter Sagan, win his third consecutive green points jersey and score a stage win or two. And along the way to Paris, King will offer colorful updates on Twitter that are likely to include mentions of maple syrup. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Middlebury College.
Age: 31
Team: Cannondale Pro Cycling
Birthplace: Exeter, New Hampshire
European base: Girona, Spain
Strengths: all-rounder, stage racing, domestique
Ben King
Ben King (no relation to Ted) is going to be an exciting young rider to watch at this year’s Tour if only because it's his debut in the world’s greatest bike race. King won the U.S. national road title in 2010, and he’s a solid all-around rider who can climb and ride strong on the flats. His maiden Tour should provide a huge opportunity to gain valuable experience and possibly go for a stage win. Above all, King will be tasked with helping his team leader, Andrew Talansky, ride to a high place overall in Paris. This compact American is a loyal teammate who has already shown lots of grit in his career — he won the Most Aggressive award at the USA Pro Challenge in 2013 — and he’s psyched to get this opportunity to race against the world's best.
Age: 25
Team: Garmin-Sharp
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
European base: Lucca, Italy
Strengths: breakaways, all-rounder, domestique
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