Tour de France 2022 Favourites stage 1: Ganna for first yellow jersey

foto: Cor VosThe Tour de France opens with a pan flat individual time trial in Copenhagen. Which suits the characteristics of World Champion Filippo Ganna just perfectly. (Slideshow route/profile)

The Italian never contended the Tour de France, but he did storm to the leader’s jersey twice at an opening time trial at the Giro d’Italia. We have to wait and see if he makes his debut at La Grande Boucle. If he does, Ganna is the man to beat.

Julian Alaphilippe took the first maillot jaune last year, while Alexander Kristoff won the Grand Départ sprint in 2020. Three years ago it was Mike Teunissen who sprinted suprisingly to yellow in Brussels, while we have to go back five years for the last individual time trial on the first day of Le Tour.

The 2017 Tour de France kicked off in Düsseldorf with an ITT on a similar course as in Copenhagen. Back then, Geraint Thomas powered to yellow, besting Stefan Küng and Vasil Kiryienka by, respectively, 5 and 7 seconds.

Favourites 1st stage 2022 Tour de France

*** Filippo Ganna, Wout van Aert, Stefan Bissegger
** Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Stefan Küng
* Brandon McNulty, Magnus Cort, Geraint Thomas, Jan Tratnik

Another interesting read: route 1st stage 2022 Tour de France.