With the Tour de France getting underway tomorrow, more eyes will be on cycling than at any other point during the season. For new fans, bike races can often be quite difficult to follow. This is especially true of Grand Tours, as the number of moving parts ramps up significantly.
However, there is always something interesting to look for at the Tour de France. Whether it is returning legends or young debutants, the Tour is packed with entertaining storylines if you know where to look. For newcomers to the sport, a good starting place is to keep an eye on riders and teams from your own country. It is a solid method for developing a rooting interest without being overwhelmed by everything Le Tour has to offer. With that in mind, here are a few notes on the American riders and teams that will be participating in La Grande Boucle in McNulty is a strong climber, especially on medium mountain stages.
Where McNulty really shines, however, is in the time trials. So far in , McNulty has four top ten finishes in WorldTour time trials. The 27 kilometer long time trial will present a great opportunity for McNulty to show off his skill. If McNulty does well enough, he may even find himself within touching distance of the Yellow Jersey early in the race. Over the past three and a half seasons with Team Jumbo-Visma, Kuss has established himself as one of the premier climbing domestiques in professional cycling.
Keep an eye out for Kuss to be shepherding his Slovenian leader up the major mountain top finishes like Stage 17 and Stage In , Powless impressed many people with his attacking riding at Le Tour de France.
Still only 24, Powless is a talented climber and a solid time trialist. Powless also excels at making the breakaway, which makes him a very versatile rider. Besides riding well, Powless also made history last season by becoming the first tribally recognized Native North American to compete in the Tour de France. Powless will almost certainly also get a few opportunities of his own to sneak into the breakaway on days that suit him.
