Given the intense bodily stress that using the Tour de France exerts, it’s superb how usually the winner of the yellow jersey is ready to return the next 12 months, undergo the ache barrier as soon as extra and efficiently defend their title.
It’s a feat of endurance and energy that Jonas Vingegaard was capable of pull off in 2023, trouncing the sphere on his strategy to a second successive basic classification victory.
The Dane will probably be seeking to be part of an unique membership in 2024 then, assuming he stays match. He could possibly be simply the sixth man to win three consecutive editions of Le Tour in its 120-year historical past.
In whose path will he observe?
Chris Froome (2015-17)
For individuals who wager on sports activities, Vingegaard is the 5/6 favorite to win the 2024 Tour de France, with a chasing pack carefully following behind that features the likes of Primoz Roglic (14/1) and Adam Yates (30/1).
If he can obtain what the bookmakers count on him to, the 26-year-old would be the first rider since Chris Froome to finish the French hat trick.
The Brit received the 2013 Tour de France earlier than being unable to defend it the next 12 months. Nonetheless, he returned afresh in 2015, taking the overall classification lead in Stage 7 and by no means wanting again – Froome additionally triumphed within the mountains classification to finish a commanding victory.
His 2016 win was much more dominant – greater than 4 minutes separated Froome from Romain Bardet in second, earlier than the three-peat was accomplished in 2017; albeit in a way more difficult race that noticed him lose the yellow jersey to Fabio Aru round midway, earlier than reasserting his lead within the house stretch.
Miguel Indurain (1991-95)
Probably the most dominant interval of Tour de France historical past belongs to the nice Miguel Indurain, who received 5 consecutive editions of the race between 1991 and 1995.
The Spaniard prevailed by a minimum of three minutes in every of his victories, which included a 5:39 demolition of the sphere in 1994, the place solely two different riders had been inside ten minutes of him.
Eddy Merckx (1969-72)
If successful margins are a mirrored image of full domination, it doesn’t come significantly better than Eddy Merckx’s quadruple victories from 1969 to 1972.
The Belgian received by a margin of a minimum of 9:50 every time, with a staggering 17:54 overcome the sphere in 1969 some of the good-looking successful cushions within the post-war period.
Jacques Anquetil (1961-64)
The Frenchman additionally accomplished the four-timer from 1961 to 1964, with the latter race producing some of the entertaining finishes in Le Tour historical past.
5 completely different riders held the yellow jersey all through, with Anquetil solely lastly powering forward from Stage 17 onwards. However heading into the enterprise finish of the race, Anquetil had a lead of simply 14 seconds from countryman Raymond Poulidor.
Anquetil excelled to win the ultimate time trial, however his 55-second margin of victory was – on the time – the smallest in Tour de France historical past.
Louison Bobet (1953-55)
The primary rider to finish the Tour de France hat trick was Louison Bobet, who prevailed from 1953 via to 1955.
Thought of the primary nice bike owner of the post-war period, Bobet received a stack of different occasions together with the Highway World Championship, but it surely’s his Tour de France three-timer for which he’ll finest be remembered.
Might Vingegaard be part of this exalted firm in 2024?
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