Tour de France favorites: Pogacar still big favorite despite broken wrist

The Tour de France holds a status of mythical proportions. New heroes are born, and old heroes crumble. Starting from July 1st, 176 riders will embark on the 2023 Tour de France, with the ultimate goal of winning the tour. But who will ride into Paris with the yellow around their shoulders after just over three weeks? The bookies haven't figured it out yet.

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are the two riders considered by bookmakers to have the greatest chance. The Danish rider from Jumbo-Visma won the Tour last year, while the Slovenian rider from UAE finished second, 2 minutes and 43 seconds behind. Behind them, it was a battlefield. Geraint Thomas secured third place, 7 minutes and 22 seconds behind, while the fourth-place rider was over thirteen minutes slower than the winner. These two relatively young riders were simply in a league of their own.

However, it cannot be blindly assumed that the 2023 edition will unfold in the same manner. A nasty crash can happen at any moment, as recently demonstrated in the Tour of Switzerland, where Gino Mäder tragically lost his life. One of the main protagonists of the 2022 Tour can also attest to this. Pogacar fell in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, resulting in a broken wrist. He is expected to recover just in time to participate in the Tour, but will he be in top form? The bookmakers believe so and even consider him among the favorites.

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