"Hard to see past" Tadej Pogacar for Tour de France but Adam Blythe warns "The Tour always throws a spanner in the works"

The fight for the Maillot Jaune at the 2024 Tour de France is one of the most hotly anticipated Grand Tour battles in many years. Just a few weeks out from the Grand Depart in Florence however, Tadej Pogacar stands out as the pre-race favourite.

Ex-pro Adam Blythe will be covering the Grand Tour for Eurosport and in conversation with The Cycling Show, the former British national champion admitted it's hard to see past the all-conquering Slovenian leader of UAE Team Emirates. “I think it’s going to be entertaining,” Blythe previews. “If Pogacar is anything like what he was at the Giro, even if riders are more on his level, just his dominance and the way he was on the Giro, he’s going to be so hard to see past."

Despite Pogacar seemingly starting the Grand Tour as a cut above the rest of his rivals, Blythe does have a word of warning for the two-time Maillot Jaune winner. "We’re going to be in for a real treat. It’s the Tour. The Tour always throws a spanner in the works, there is always some drama in the first week," Blythe previews excitedly. "It should be an absolute corker.”

In terms of the main rivals for the Maillot Jaune, with Jonas Vingegaard's participation still very much in doubt, it looks as if Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel could be Pogacar's main contenders. Both returned from injury at the recent Criterium du Dauphine with Roglic surviving some final stage drama to win the race and Evenepoel impressing with a stage win in the time-trial.

“Everyone’s sort of where they need to be. We need to remember that the Tour de France is only three weeks away, but that last week of the Tour de France is the important week, that’s where a lot can change, and that’s five-and-a-half weeks away. That’s a long time still,” Blythe analyses. “If you look at the likes of Remco, he’s maybe not quite on the level yet, but he’s still got five weeks to get there. Two weeks of which will be in the Tour de France, so what will be will be. But I think this next three weeks for him especially will be crucial to still build, and for the likes of Roglic to try and build. But they all have to get fresh and get ready for it.”