{"id":124577,"date":"2026-07-05T12:54:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T12:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/05\/the-hidden-insight-into-top-favorites-form-in-tour-opener\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T12:54:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T12:54:38","slug":"the-hidden-insight-into-top-favorites-form-in-tour-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/05\/the-hidden-insight-into-top-favorites-form-in-tour-opener\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Insight Into Top Favorites\u2019 Form in Tour Opener"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Poga\u010dar fastest on very first climbs of the Tour, but how did the other GC riders fare? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border-border-light border-t py-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"flex h-4 justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"\"><button class=\"inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full cursor-default bg-bg-surface hover:bg-bg-light focus:bg-bg-dark text-primary border border-solid border-border-light aria-pressed:bg-brand-primary aria-pressed:text-text-surface py-very-tight px-base-tight gap-tight font-semibold font-utility-2 opacity-50\" aria-label=\"Loading audio\" aria-pressed=\"false\" id=\"article-listen-button\" disabled=\"\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\" class=\"\"><title>Listen to this article<\/title><path d=\"M12.5265 16.2C12.2326 16.2 12.0122 16.1265 11.7184 16.053C11.2775 15.9061 10.9102 15.6122 10.6898 15.2449C10.4694 14.8775 10.3959 14.4367 10.5428 13.9959L11.5714 10.3959C11.6449 10.1755 11.7184 9.95509 11.8653 9.80815C12.0122 9.66121 12.1592 9.51427 12.3796 9.36733C12.6 9.29386 12.8204 9.2204 13.0408 9.14693C13.2612 9.14693 13.4816 9.14693 13.702 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10.249H4.37142C3.9306 10.3959 3.63672 10.6898 3.41631 11.0571C3.26938 11.351 3.19591 11.7184 3.26938 12.0857C3.34285 12.3061 3.34284 12.5265 3.41631 12.6735L3.71019 13.849ZM13.2612 10.3224C13.1877 10.3224 13.1877 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224C13.1143 10.3224 13.0408 10.3224 12.9673 10.3959C12.8939 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694C12.7469 10.5428 12.7469 10.6163 12.7469 10.6898L11.7184 14.2898C11.6449 14.4367 11.7184 14.5837 11.7918 14.7306C11.8653 14.8775 12.0122 14.951 12.0857 15.0245C12.3796 15.0979 12.5265 15.0979 12.7469 15.0979C12.9673 15.0979 13.1877 15.0245 13.3347 14.8775C13.5551 14.8041 13.702 14.6571 13.849 14.4367C13.9959 14.2898 14.0694 14.0694 14.1428 13.849L14.5102 12.6735C14.5837 12.5265 14.5837 12.3061 14.6571 12.1592C14.7306 11.7918 14.6571 11.4245 14.5102 11.1306C14.2898 10.7633 13.9959 10.4694 13.5551 10.3224H13.4816C13.3347 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"hidden sm:inline\">Listen<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Tadej Poga\u010dar was fastest on the final uphill parts of the course in the team time trial Saturday (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<!-- --> (Photo: Dario Belingheri)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Updated July 5, 2026 07:16AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>First blood to <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonas Vingegaard<\/a>, but a closer look at Saturday\u2019s <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tour-de-france\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a> team time trial gives a fascinating insight into how the GC favorites themselves are going.<\/p>\n<p>The race against the clock was a collaborative effort and also a very strategic one, with the strength of squads and the tactics used blurring the lines between the collective effort and each individual team leaders\u2019 form.<\/p>\n<p>But buried in the Tour de France results communique on Saturday was a pointer to how each rider could fare in the hilly days ahead, Sunday included.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tadej-pogacar\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> was only third fastest but ended the day in the polka dot jersey of King of the Mountains. The reason? The UAE Emirates-XRG rider covered the final3.7km in a time of 4:48\u201d.25, a sector of the course which included two climbs, including the ramp up to the finish.<\/p>\n<p>Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) was second, two seconds behind, with <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/remco-evenepoel\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Remco Evenepoel<\/a> (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) a further .57 seconds back.<\/p>\n<p>Looking further down the list, GC riders <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tom-pidcock\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tom Pidcock<\/a> (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling), <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/paul-seixas\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Seixas<\/a> (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) covered that sector 11 seconds slower than Poga\u010dar, being seventh, eighth and nineth quickest.<\/p>\n<h2>Outside the top ten<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991591\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1599\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-991591\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284368084.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284368084.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">BARCELONA, SPAIN \u2013 JULY 02: Isaac Del Toro of Mexico and UAE Team Emirates \u2013 XRG during the team presentation prior to the 113th Tour de France 2026 \/ #UCIWT \/ on July 02, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) was 12th, 15 seconds back, although he did bury himself for Poga\u010dar close to the end.<\/p>\n<p>He was one place ahead of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who yielded 19 seconds. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) was given the same time.<\/p>\n<p>Other big names lost more ground. These included Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost, 39th), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar Team, 46th) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost, 124th).<\/p>\n<p>So what to make of it all? What\u2019s interesting is that ASO didn\u2019t opt to include the final climb only. This means that the above-named riders still had teammates during part of that 3.7km, making comparisons a little blurred.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Poga\u010dar will take encouragement from how fast he went uphill, and indicated as much after the stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood news. I have climbing legs. It was quite short, the climb,\u201d he said. \u201cIsaac did really an amazing job. He is such a good kid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course there are much longer climbs to come in the race and how individual riders fared over a short section of the course does not reflect how they will fare in the high mountains.<\/p>\n<p>However it is a measure of explosiveness, which will be highly relevant in the punchy days ahead.<\/p>\n<p>In fact Pidcock can take encouragement from another stat released by Tour organizers ASO. Namely, that he was quickest on Saturday over the final 800 meters, averaging 40.7 km\/h despite a gradient of seven percent.<\/p>\n<p>Poga\u010dar describes Sunday\u2019s stage as tricky, and indicated it would be for a certain type of rider.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is for puncheurs, I think it is going to be really hectic in the final, also before the final it is really complicated sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given his time loss Saturday and his proximity to the jersey, as well as his ravenous drive for wins, expect him to try something in the finale and see just how well his legs are going. The same will apply on stages three and four, all ap\u00e9ritifs before the tougher stage 6 finale.<\/p>\n<p>As for Vingegaard, Evenepoel and others, they too will go for it in the days ahead. It could be a very dramatic first week.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"width:100%;border:none;display:block\" title=\"Script Content\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991592\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Climbing times stage 1 2026 Tour de France\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"974\" height=\"1604\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-991592\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-13.41.37.jpg?width=1080&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-13.41.37.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-05-at-13.41.37.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">The climbing times over the final 3.7km of the team time trial. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/hidden-insight-ttt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Poga\u010dar fastest on very first climbs of the Tour, but how did the other GC riders fare? Listen to this articleListen Tadej Poga\u010dar was fastest on the final uphill parts of the course in the team time trial Saturday (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images) (Photo: Dario Belingheri) Updated July 5, 2026 07:16AM First blood to Jonas [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":124578,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124577"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}