tour de cure teams

YOUR COMPANY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

National Teams are Corporate/Company Teams engage employees in the Association's mission through team activation in multiple virtual Tour de Cure events across the country. This year’s Tour de Cure is virtual, which means you can engage all your employees across the country to join together for a day of healthy activity and giving.

There are many great reasons to start a National Team for the Tour de Cure. Here are some of the benefits that our National Teams receive:

• A healthier employee
• An opportunity to give back
• An increase in your company's brand and visibility
• Participating brings a sense of camaraderie, employee team building and morale boost - bringing people together, while apart.
• A positive impact in your community by raising needed funding to support diabetes research, advocacy and education

"As leaders, we are constantly looking for ways to better engage our teams in the important work we do at our company. Companies spend countless hours and thousands of dollars on staff retreats and team-building activities when in fact starting a Tour de Cure® team can achieve these same results and at the same time fulfill a civic responsibility. A Tour de Cure Company Team is a simple solution to a company's need for team building, healthy living and supporting the community all in one!" Mary P. Morningstar Associate General Counsel, Lockheed Martin Corporation

BUILDING STRONG BONDS

The Tour de Cure® is a great way to promote health and wellness at your company and support all people living with diabetes.

Your Tour de Cure Company Team will be a unique way for employees, friends, and family to participate in a virtual activity that enhances employee morale and fosters better communication among coworkers, all while raising funds for a cure.

Teams come in all sizes, and members can be of all different skill levels—it only takes two people to get started, and five or more people to make a full team. You can also assign a co-team captain to help you lead your team to success.

Find out more about our National Teams.

Questions about our National Team Program?

Please contact Kathleen Hayes for assistance with your Tour National Team: 518-218-1755 ext 3601 or [email protected] .

© 2023 American Diabetes Association

All rights reserved. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading 501(C)3 nonprofit charity providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.

Tour de Cure is the premier fundraising campaign of the American Diabetes Association ® , now with virtual engagement designed for anyone and everyone to participate. The campaign has been expanded to include more members of our community and bring them together to learn about diabetes, healthy living and to support people living with diabetes. Tour de Cure is a unique opportunity for businesses, clubs, friends and families to form virtual teams with the vision of a life free of diabetes and all its burdens.

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You can create a team either through the "Register" button above where you'll first find the nearby event or by visiting the list of events associated with national company below.

Do not forget to associate your newly created team with this company.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Tour de Cure Women’s Series? Tour de Cure Women’s Series is the American Diabetes Association's newest signature fundraising cycling event focusing on the passion and commitment of women who are helping to Stop Diabetes. With strong support from different women’s only clubs and organizations, this event raises money to support the mission of the American Diabetes Association.  How can I participate in Tour de Cure Women’s Series? You can form a team, participate as an individual rider or as a member of a team. Take your first step and register today!  Teams are made up of 2 or more.  What is involved in participating in Tour de Cure Women’s Series? Participants register and recruit friends or family to ride with them and raise money. The day of the event is a chance to ride and to celebrate the fundraising accomplishments of our teams and individual participants as well as an opportunity to promote awareness about diabetes and the American Diabetes Association. Do I have to raise money? There is a minimum fundraising requirement of $200 per person in order to participate as a rider in the Tour de Cure Women’s Series. As a reward, thank you gifts can be selected by riders who raise $250 or more, and we offer additional incentives to individual riders and teams who go above and beyond with their fundraising! We give special recognition to women raising over $1,000 as our Champions to Stop Diabetes.  How are the funds raised by Tour de Cure Women’s Series used? Your donations fund research for a cure, information to help prevent diabetes, advocacy for those affected by diabetes and public awareness activities of the American Diabetes Association. Do you need to be an avid cyclist with group riding experience to participate? No. The Tour de Cure Women’s Series welcomes participants of all skill levels and we have routes that will be perfect just for you! Each event will have three or four different route distances to choose from: a short, easy cruise or a more challenging route. We suggest training for whatever route you choose. You can find additional training resources once you register. Can friends and family participate in the Finish Line festivities? Friends and family members are welcome at the post-ride party, though you will want to check with your local Tour staff and ask if they will have to pay any extra fees for parking or food. Family and friends are definitely encouraged to cheer for you at the finish line and volunteer at the event! Can I bring my own personal SAG (Support and Gear vehicles)? Personal SAGs are not permitted on the route. However, if you would like to volunteer to drive a SAG available to all riders, please contact your local Tour staff.  There will be plenty of support to help you along the way, if needed.  What if it rains? We ride rain or shine! Pack rain gear just in case and don't let a little water stop you in the fight against diabetes! Check your local webpage for updates in case of severe thunderstorms that could delay or cancel the routes. The Tour de Cure Women’s Series is more than a great day on a bike. How many opportunities do you get to change the future of diabetes? Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless we take steps to Stop Diabetes. You can help change that trend by raising important funds for the American Diabetes Association. The Tour de Cure Women’s Series riders are responsible for collecting donations to meet the fundraising minimum in order to participate; it powers our services to nearly 26 million children and adults in U.S. with diabetes until there is a cure. We're here to help you reach and exceed that minimum with easy-to-use tools and resources. When you register, a personal page is created for you that makes it easy to reach out to everyone in your email contact list in only a few minutes. Our local Tour de Cure coordinator and online support staff are available by phone, chat or email to help you get started and answer any questions you have. We've put the fun in FUNdraising for you!

HELPFUL HINTS

Below are a few helpful fundraising tips as you get started on your fundraising:

• Connect your donors to our mission ; include facts about why you are supporting the American Diabetes Association and the Tour de Cure Women’s Series.
• Utilize your personal webpage provided by the American Diabetes Association and personalize it with "why you ride" from the very start. Let your donors know your reason(s) for riding. Everyone has a story so don't be shy about sharing your own.
• Send emails to friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, fellow church or temple members, old classmates-you never know who has been touched by diabetes.
• Set a high but not impossible goal and share this goal with everyone!
• Double your money by applying for a matching gift. Be sure to check with your company to see if matching gifts are offered. You can also ask any of your donors if their donations are eligible to be matched by their companies too.
• Use the power of social media to reach your contact and fundraise on Facebook! We have a fundraising app which will connect your Facebook page to your online Tour webpage making online fundraising a snap!
• Form a team and fundraise even more with a group of like-minded women!

These tips are just a few of the things we suggest to our riders but we're also here to provide you with a personalized experience so please reach out to your local Tour staff to talk about other ways in which you can fundraise successfully!

• About the Events
• About the ADA
• Impact of Diabetes
• Fundraising Tips
• Thank You Gifts
• Matching Gifts
• Your Dollars at Work
• Start a Team
• Training Tips
• Training Plans
• Training Rides

Weekend Getaway

• EXPO & Happy Hour

Cyclist pedals on for more than a decade to support Tour de Cure fundraiser for diabetes

by Karen Edwards

It was training day last Sunday for Jay Laird, who was preparing for the 2024 Finger Lakes Tour de Cure cycling fundraiser to benefit the American Diabetes Association .

"A good friend of mine and a neighbor, his 6-year-old ended up with diabetes and he asked me to support him as he was doing the Tour de Cure," said Laird.

That was more than a decade ago.

MORE: Finger Lakes Tour de Cure participants gear up for diabetes cycling fundraiser

So, why does he keep hitting the pavement year after year?

"Knowing there are so many children living with diabetes, it just pulls at my heartstrings. I want to support them," Laird explained. "I just love it at this point. I love the camaraderie. There are so many good people who've done this. I've met some amazing people."

And it's the people of the Finger Lakes Community that Laird said also makes it worthwhile.

"There's really a sense of community I think in Rochester more than any other community," he said. "It's really philanthropic so people really kind of get some energy for this event in particular."

More than anything, he's happy to lace up to be part of the fight to end a chronic disease that plagues nearly 40 million people in the U.S.

MORE: Finger Lakes Tour de Cure cycling fundraiser seeks volunteers

"How do we make or provide those things that they need in order to have a happy and healthier life?" Laird asked. "It's really a two-pronged approach but I'm certainly happy to do my part."

As a longtime rider, Laird had one message for anyone who was still considering getting involved.

"Do it!" he exclaimed. "It's so much fun so it's definitely worth doing. It's a little bit different. Everyone's got their 5K runs and walks. Tour de Cure is a bit different, but it's really so much fun."

The 2024 Tour de Cure is in Canandaigua next Saturday, June 8. If you'd like to donate, sign up to ride or volunteer, CLICK HERE.

Tour de Cure

Celebrating 25 years riding strong and changing the future of diabetes.

In 1991 the American Diabetes Association made the decision to harness the thrill of cycling with fundraising and the Tour de Cure came to life. In just 25 years event participants have raised over $250 million towards the mission of the Association, to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes .

The Tour grows each year and with it gains thousands of supporters in the fight to Stop Diabetes. Take a look at the incredible advancements and accomplishments the Association has made over the last 25 years through funds raised by our remarkable participants.

American Diabetes Association Advances

Discovery, innovation, and progress timeline.

© 2023 American Diabetes Association

All rights reserved. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading 501(C)3 nonprofit charity providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.

Tour de Cure is the premier fundraising campaign of the American Diabetes Association ® , now with virtual engagement designed for anyone and everyone to participate. The campaign has been expanded to include more members of our community and bring them together to learn about diabetes, healthy living and to support people living with diabetes. Tour de Cure is a unique opportunity for businesses, clubs, friends and families to form virtual teams with the vision of a life free of diabetes and all its burdens.

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Please use the images below to locate the verification code for your card type.

Visa, Master Card, and Discover

The verification code for Visa, Master Card, and Discover is a 3-digit number printed on the back of your card. It appears after the account number or last 4-digits of your account number, in the signature panel.

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CREATE a new team

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JOIN a team

Join a team already registered for this event.

REGISTER as an individual

Participate without associating with a team.

BE a Virtual Participant

Participate from any location as a Virtual Participant.

You can create a team either through the "Register" button above where you'll first find the nearby event or by visiting the list of events associated with national company below.

Do not forget to associate your newly created team with this company.

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Donor Info for Receipt

Finishing donation thank you for your donation.

Thank you so much for your gift through the Tour de Cure presented by Wheaton Precious Metals. At this critical moment in cancer research and care, you are helping us turn possibility into reality for every single British Columbian.

Your gift will help to activate our BC Cancer teams; advance innovation; and accelerate access to those innovations for everyone in B.C., close to home.

Together, what we will achieve is beyond belief.

Team Schnitzel

Team captain: florian kuchenbauer team captain: hiro amano team captain: linh le, tour de cure presented by wheaton precious metals.

• Fundraiser Info

Team Members

• Ashok Shah $1525
• Florian Kuchenbauer $1200
• Desiree Tan $250
• Reeva Barbaza $150
• Hiro Amano $103
• Cheryl Barbaza $100
• Linh Le $50
• India McQuarrie $0
• Mehb Jessa $0
• Cole Bailey $0
• Ryan Barbaza $0
• Andrew Barbaza $0
• Brihad Sidda $0
• K. Routley $0
• Aimee Illescas $0
• Annabel Francis $0
• Angelo Francisco $0
• Richard Chang $0
• Jason Conn $0

Team Schnitzel was founded in 2022 with a playful spirit and a serious mission. I am Dr. Florian Kuchenbauer, a clinician-scientist at BC Cancer, I chose the name to bring a smile to faces, after all, who doesnt enjoy a good schnitzel? Alongside my friends Hiro, Muay Thai & BJJ coach, and Linh, a biotech entrepreneur, we share a deep commitment to advancing cutting-edge research and improving cancer treatment in British Columbia. Our team was created to support the work of outstanding scientists like Dr. Ly Vu, Linh's wife, as well as my own research efforts. Through the Tour de Cure, Team Schnitzel aims to fundraise and introduce innovative treatments for leukemias and multiple myeloma, striving to make BC a better place for patients battling these challenging diseases. We believe that through our shared passion for people and science, we can make a significant impact.

https://www.bccrc.ca/dept/tfl/people/ly-vu

https://www.bccrc.ca/dept/tfl/people/florian-kuchenbauer

Click here to download an offline donation pdf.

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• June 11, 2012 Setlist

The Cure Setlist at Tushino Air Field, Moscow, Russia

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Tour: SummerCure 2012 Tour statistics Add setlist

• Plainsong Play Video
• Open Play Video
• High Play Video
• Pictures of You Play Video
• The End of the World Play Video
• Lovesong Play Video
• Play for Today Play Video
• A Forest Play Video
• Shake Dog Shake Play Video
• Cold ( First performance since 2002 ) Play Video
• A Strange Day Play Video
• Bananafishbones Play Video
• The Walk Play Video
• Push Play Video
• In Between Days Play Video
• Just Like Heaven Play Video
• Doing the Unstuck Play Video
• Trust Play Video
• Want Play Video
• From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea Play Video
• The Hungry Ghost Play Video
• Wrong Number Play Video
• One Hundred Years Play Video
• End Play Video
• Disintegration Play Video
• The Same Deep Water as You ( First performance since 2002 ) Play Video
• The Kiss Play Video
• If Only Tonight We Could Sleep Play Video
• Fight Play Video
• Lullaby Play Video
• Close to Me Play Video
• Let's Go to Bed Play Video
• Friday I'm in Love Play Video
• Why Can't I Be You? Play Video
• Boys Don't Cry Play Video

Edits and Comments

24 activities (last edit by CraigatCoF , 12 Jun 2012, 04:35 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Doing the Unstuck
• Friday I'm in Love
• From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
• Disintegration
• Pictures of You
• The Same Deep Water as You
• If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
• Just Like Heaven
• Why Can't I Be You?
• A Strange Day
• One Hundred Years
• Close to Me
• In Between Days
• Let's Go to Bed
• Play for Today
• Bananafishbones
• Shake Dog Shake
• The Hungry Ghost
• Boys Don't Cry
• Wrong Number
• The End of the World

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• May 26 2012 Pinkpop 2012 Landgraaf, Netherlands Add time Add time
• Jun 01 2012 Primavera Sound 2012 Barcelona, Spain Add time Add time
• Jun 11 2012 Maxidrom 2012 This Setlist Moscow, Russia Add time Add time
• Jun 15 2012 Hultsfredsfestivalen 2012 Hultsfred, Sweden Add time Add time
• Jun 22 2012 Hurricane Festival 2012 Scheeßel, Germany Add time Add time

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Tour de France 2022 – Comprehensive team-by-team guide

All you need to know about the team lineups, from the contenders to the riders that could surprise

From AG2R Citroën through to UAE Team Emirates, this is a complete team-by-team guide of all 22 squads and 176 riders taking part in in the 2022 Tour de France , which starts in Copenhagen on Friday, July 1.

All 18 WorldTour teams and the best-ranked ProTeam, Alpecin-Fenix, are automatically invited to the Tour de France this year. Organisers ASO have also designated wildcards to three more French ProTeams: B&B Hotels-KTM, Arkéa-Samsic and TotalEnergies.

Pre-race objectives vary enormously for each Tour team and their respective eight-man rosters reflect that. Some, like Tadej Pogačar ’s UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers, are looking for a top general classification result. Others, like Israel Premier-Tech and DSM, are more focused on stage victories. Yet others will be trying for bunch sprints, secondary classifications, time trials or just placing riders in as many breakaways as possible. And some, like Jumbo-Visma, have multiple goals that combine some or all of these possible targets.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that teams’ goals can vary enormously once the Tour is underway and unforeseen developments, like illnesses, abandons or major changes in the GC ranking, affect the race. But there is one factor in common: the Tour de France is the biggest bike race in the world and nobody wants to watch the sun set over the Champs-Elysées on the evening of July 24 without some kind of success in the previous three weeks to their name.

There are plenty of famous faces, in-form riders and new names to watch and discover. We have analysed every team, picking out their leaders and predicting each squad’s hopes and objectives.

For everything else you need to know, read our complete preview of the Tour de France 2022 and our guide on how to watch the race .

AG2R Citroën Team

Team leader: Ben O'Connor Objective: GC and stage wins Rider to watch: Bob Jungels

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The French team return for their 29th Tour de France and set out targeting a third podium finish in nine years through Ben O'Connor . The Australian was a pick-up punt at the end of the 2020 transfer market but has been a resounding success at AG2R, finishing fourth at last year's Tour and quickly becoming their focal point with a new three-year contract.

Expectations were raised but O'Connor, who has had an inconsistent career, showed it was no flash in the pan and has only strengthened his status in the build-up to this Tour. At the Dauphiné, he was the clear 'best of the rest' behind the Jumbo-Visma duo of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard. With Tadej Pogačar and Ineos Grenadiers also to enter the equation, the podium is a tall order but not out of the question. 

AG2R's squad will support O'Connor but not ignore the prospect of stage wins. Oliver Naesen will be O'Connor's henchman on the flat, in the wind, and especially on the cobbles on stage 5. Likewise Geoffrey Bouchard in the mountains, while Aurelien Paret-Peintre is more of a last-man and back-up GC rider.

The punchy Benoît Cosnefroy will look to attack wherever possible and it's worth keeping an eye on Bob Jungels, whose performance at the Tour de Suisse suggested he could be on his way back to his best after two difficult years of injury. 

Full line-up: Ben O'Connor, Geoffrey Bouchard, Michael Cherel, Benoit Cosnefroy, Stan Dewulf, Oliver Naesen, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Bob Jungels

Alpecin-Fenix

Team leaders: Jasper Philipsen, Mathieu van der Poel Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: The leaders

The Belgian team make their second Tour de France appearance after last year's blistering debut that saw Mathieu van der Poel win two stages and wear the yellow jersey, plus another stage win for Tim Merlier. It would have been the perfect Tour had Jasper Philipsen converted one of several near misses. 

Philipsen has been given the nod over Merlier for the sole sprinter's slot, and he'll be given a solid lead-out service. That could even include Van der Poel, who set up Merlier's win last year and has ruled himself out of any bid for the green jersey. But while Philipsen is the nominated man for the flat stages, Van der Poel is the star of the team and capable of shining wherever he feels like it.

The cobbled day on stage 5 stands out, as do punchy finishes at Longwy and Lausanne in the first half of the race, while hilly and mountainous breakaways are on the cards and even a shout at the opening time trial in Copenhagen. 

Elsewhere, Alexander Krieger will have extra lead-out responsibility in the absence of the injured Jonas Rickaert, while the likes of Silvan Dillier and Michael Gogl provide horsepower on the flat and rolling terrain.

Full line-up: Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Michael Gogl, Alexander Krieger, Silvan Dillier, Kristian Sbaragli, Edward Planckaert, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck.

Bahrain Victorious

Team leaders: Jack Haig, Damiano Caruso Objective: GC, stage wins Rider to watch: Matej Mohorič

The Bahrain Victorious team ride the Tour on the back of an eventful appearance last year. They won three stages and the teams classification last year, but also saw their hotel raided by French police in an anti-doping operation.

Matej Mohorič , winner of two of those stages last year, returns as a formidable breakaway threat on the undulating days, while Dylan Teuns can do the same on the more mountainous stuff, as he did into Le Grand Bornand last year.

Meanwhile, they return with bolstered GC ambitions after Jack Haig crashed out with a broken collarbone on stage 3 last year. The Australian returns to the fold but does so alongside Damiano Caruso, who shed off his career-long domestique status with his 2021 Giro podium and has seamlessly settled into leadership life ever since. 

Caruso finished fourth and Haig fifth at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné and both go in on a similar level, in the bracket of riders looking for the top-five and maybe even the podium. They don't have quite the climbing team sent to accompany Mikel Landa at the Giro but the pair can quietly have their say. 

Full line-up: Damiano Caruso, Jack Haig, Matej Mohoric, Luis Leon Sanchez, Dylan Teuns, Jan Tratnik, Fred Wright, Kamil Gradek

BikeExchange-Jayco

Team leaders: Dylan Groenewegen Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Michael Matthews

The identity of the Australian team has chopped and changed over the past decade, from happy-go-lucky stage hunters to GC team. For this Tour, they're a sprint outfit, led by Dylan Groenewegen and with serious resources devoted to his success. 

Things might have been a little different had Simon Yates recovered more quickly from the knee injury that wrecked his Giro d'Italia. In his absence, Nick Schultz is the only rider who gives the team a real presence in the mountains.

Groenewegen won four stages of the Tour during his time at Jumbo-Visma and signed for BikeExchange following his ban for the crash involving Fabio Jakobsen at the 2020 Tour de Pologne. He has won five times this season and, even though they've all been in lower-level races, there's a real conviction among the management that he can deliver at the Tour. Luka Mezgec will be his lead-out man, while Jack Bauer, Amund Grondahl Jansen and Luke Durbridge are all capable of mucking in. 

That leaves Michael Matthews feeding off scraps. Once a surefire green jersey contender, the Australian's win rate has dipped dramatically in the past few years. He'll get his chance on the hillier days where Groenewegen gets dropped but will otherwise have to carve out his opportunities in the breakaways. 

Full line-up: Dylan Groenwegen, Michael Matthews, Luka Mezgec, Nick Schultz, Luke Durbridge, Jack Bauer, Amund Grondahl Jansen, Chris Juul-Jensen

Bora-Hansgrohe

Team leaders: Aleksandr Vlasov Objective: GC and stage wins Rider to watch: Max Schachmann

Fresh off their victory at the Giro d'Italia, Bora-Hansgrohe head into the Tour de France with a sharpened focus on the overall classification. That means there's no room for sprinter Sam Bennett , the Irishman who won the green jersey in 2020. Bennett returned to the team this year but has struggled for form and has been deemed surplus to requirements. 

That means the team are getting fully behind Aleksandr Vlasov , who is a legitimate contender for the final podium. 

Vlasov had to leave the recent Tour de Suisse with COVID-19. A lot will depend on how badly he was affected, and how much of his preparation training load has been written off. If fully fit, he's seen by many of his rivals as a podium threat, just below the Pogačar, Roglič, Vingegaard trio in the overall hierarchy. At 26, he's really started to hit his stride this season, with stage race victories at Tour de Romandie and Volta a Catalunya, a podium at Basque Country and a sense of 'what might have been' at Suisse. 

Patrick Konrad and Felix Großschartner provide the climbing support. Lennard Kämna, for all the attention garnered by his turn for Jai Hindley when dropping Richard Carapaz at the Giro, is more of a lone breakaway hunter. Max Schachmann is an all-rounder who can go deep into the mountains but also shine on many stages himself, while Nils Politt is a Classics-style rider for the transition-day breaks. 

Interestingly, Bennett's lead-out man Danny van Poppel has made the cut and could get involved in the sprints instead, with Marco Haller bumped up the lead-out train.

Full line-up: Aleksandr Vlasov, Max Schachmann, Danny van Poppel, Patrick Konrad, Felix Grosschartner, Nils Politt, Marco Haller, Lennard Kamna

B&B Hotels-KTM

Team leaders: Pierre Rolland Objective: Breakaways Rider to watch : Franck Bonnamour

The French team set up by Jérôme Pineau have had a trying season, with question marks over the spirit in the camp. They go into this Tour without an obvious source of success, with no GC outsider and no real sprint option after Bryan Coquard moved to Cofidis. Instead, it's all about the breakaways, and it'd be surprising to seem them miss one between now and the end of July. 

Pierre Rolland won the polka-dot jersey at the recent Dauphiné and will surely be out for more of the same from the start of the race. The Frenchman was top 10 with stage wins at the 2011 and 2012 Tours and, having hinted at retirement, will want to make the most and satisfy the fans' desire for attacks. 

Elsewhere, Franck Bonnamour was awarded the 'super-combativity' prize for his constant breakaway efforts at last year's Tour, and this year while he's looking to stay aggressive the plan is to bring in a more targeted approach by taking on the stages where there is a real chance of success. Alexis Gougeard is also never shy when it comes to a break.

Full line-up: Cyril Barthe, Franck Bonnamour, Alexis Gougeard, Jérémy Lecroq, Cyril Lemoine, Luca Mozzato, Pierre Rolland, Sebastian Schonberger

Team leaders: Guillaume Martin, Bryan Coquard Objective: GC, stage wins Rider to watch: Victor Lafay

The French team clock up their 26th Tour de France appearance, but do so looking to scratch a long and uncomfortable itch. They have not won a stage since 2008. For a respected French team, it's not ideal, especially now they're back in the WorldTour. 

The team are led by the familiar figure of Guillaume Martin , the French philosopher having earned a reputation as a 'yo-yo' man. In his recent Grand Tour appearances he has lost time in the mountains but gained it back by slipping into breakaways, and the only thing stopping him doing that here is if he decides that, after doing the Giro d'Italia, he should focus squarely on stage wins. 

Elsewhere, Ion Izaguirre is a former stage winner and quality campaigner while 26-year-old Frenchman Victor Lafay is an up-and-coming puncher who has come close to a few wins this year and could spring a surprise. 

Pierre-Luc Perichon gets the late call-up to replace sprinter Bryan Coquard, who tested positive for COVID-19.

Full line-up: Guillaume Martin, Ion Izagirre, Simon Geschke, Victor Lafay, Anthony Perez, Benjamin Thomas, Max Walscheid, Pierre-Luc Perichon

EF Education-EasyPost

Team leader: Rigoberto Urán Objective: GC and Stage wins Rider to watch: Alberto Bettiol

Rigoberto Urán has had a slow 2022, scoring a solitary top-10 finish at Itzulia Basque country – where he edged into a paltry 10th on stage 3, and 10th in the GC. It’s not a result that will put him on the radar of the Tour de France’s major GC contenders. Nonetheless, the veteran Colombian remains the highest pedigree climber and the most proven GC campaigner in the EF Education-EasyPost squad, and will likely enter the race as team leader. 

He has company, though. With his fourth place finish at the Tour de Suisse, Neilson Powless could have the potential to crack into the top 10 in the GC, while Ruben Guerreiro showed a decent level at the Dauphiné and an even higher one to win the Ventoux Challenge.

Despite some GC potential, we expect EF Education-EasyPost will be primarily hunting stage wins at this year’s Tour, where breakaways will probably offer the best opportunities. After Alberto Bettiol’s stage victory at last year’s Giro d’Italia, he’s certainly a dangerous rider when in an escape, and will be one to watch on the Tour’s more sedate transition stages.

While Magnus Cort hasn’t made much of a dent in 2022, after his three stage wins at last year’s Vuelta the puncheur will certainly have a Tour stage win on his bucket list, and in the right conditions every chance of getting one.

Finally, Stefan Bissegger is one of only a few riders with a chance of upsetting Filippo Ganna in the Copenhagen time trial.

Full line-up: Rigoberto Urán, Neilson Powless, Alberto Bettiol, Magnus Cort, Stefan Bissegger, Ruben Guerreiro, Owain Doull, Jonas Rutsch

Groupama-FDJ

Team leaders: David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot Objective: GC and stage wins Rider to watch: Stefan Küng

Groupama-FDJ, the long-running French team run by Marc Madiot, unveiled their Tour de France plans at the start of the year and outlined a leadership trio of David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot, and Michael Storer . At this point, it seems clear that Gaudu is the main man when it comes to the general classification. 

After two troubled years, Pinot has shown signs he's on his way back to his best – not least with his recent stage win at the Tour de Suisse – but he's surely not ready for a yellow jersey challenge. Still, mountain stage wins and, why not, the polka-dot jersey are realistic ambitions. Storer, meanwhile, has had a mixed year since signing from DSM on the back of his brace of stage wins at last year's Vuelta, and perhaps looks more suited to mountain support and stage hunting. 

There's no Arnaud Démare, so no sprint ambitions. Luxury support comes from puncher Valentin Madouas and rouleur Stefan Küng . The latter is the European time trial champion and in with a shout for the opening stage and penultimate stage, but also produced an astounding climbing performance to finish fifth at the recent Tour de Suisse. 

Full line-up: David Gaudu, Thibaut Pinot, Michael Storer, Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas, Olivier Le Gac, Kevin Geniets, Antoine Duchesne

Ineos Grenadiers

Team leaders: Adam Yates, Dani Martínez, Geraint Thomas Objective : GC and stage wins Rider to watch: Tom Pidcock

Ineos' plans are an area of particular intrigue, and not just because Adam Yates left the Tour de Suisse with COVID-19. Even before that news, there was a sign that they were re-shaping their approach for July. For so long the dominant team with the dominant rider, the British team won seven Tours in eight years but have now run up against a Pogačar-shaped problem. 

With Bernal out due to a long-term injury, they don't have their favourite status of old, with Yates and Martínez drawn together in an open-ended leadership duo. Throw in Geraint Thomas and you have another question mark.

The Welshman has been spoken about as a domestique not even guaranteed of a start but he remains the 2018 Tour winner and, despite lengthy dips in form, has done nothing to suggest he cannot raise his level to a very competitive one when required. He sent that message with victory at the Tour de Suisse and, with Yates' preparation compromised, he has to be part of the leadership conversation, especially with more than 50km of time trialling on the route.

Beyond all that, it appears Ineos may not limit themselves to backing the yellow jersey cause as they have over the past decade. Tom Pidcock and Ethan Hayter are both on the longlist and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that both start. If so, stage wins – and not just those as a byproduct of the GC battle – enter the agenda. Hayter can compete in reduced sprints while Pidcock can do just about anything and his Tour debut would likely not be dull.

Either way, Ineos have spoken about their new adventurous racing style since becoming 'Grenadiers' and we could see it rolled out in the Tour for the first time. 

Full line-up: Geraint Thomas, Dani Martínez, Adam Yates, Tom Pidcock, Dylan van Baarle, Filippo Ganna, Luke Rowe, Jonathan Castroviejo

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert

Team leaders: Louis Meintjes, Alexander Kristoff Objective: GC, stage wins Rider to watch: Taco van der Hoorn

The Belgian team used to be a second-division outfit and earned three Tour invites thanks to Frenchman Guillaume Martin, who's now with Cofidis. They were widely ridiculed when they took CCC's licence to step up to the WorldTour in 2021, but have looked every inch their top-tier status this year. As such, confidence will be high for the Tour. 

There's no Biniam Girmay, the new superstar of African cycling, but they do have a team that can fight on a number of fronts. Louis Meintjes looks to be on his way back after a few years in the wilderness following his back-to-back top 10s at the 2016 and 2017 Tours. He won the recent Giro dell'Appenino and placed sixth at Tour de Suisse, so could certainly have an impact this July. 

Alexander Kristoff is 34 and has seemingly been fading in recent years but always seems to pop up with big wins, as he did at Scheldeprijs this spring. The Norwegian will lead the line in the sprints, while Quinten Hermans has surprisingly been left out of the squad ahead of an expected transfer to Alpecin next year.

Dutch attacker Taco van der Hoorn could be one to watch. He doesn't take many wins but when they do they're nailbiters from the break – see last year's Giro and the Brussels Cycling Classic three weeks ago.

Full line-up: Alexander Kristoff, Louis Meintjes, Kobe Goossens, Georg Zimmerman, Taco van der Hoorn, Adrien Petit, Andrea Pasqualon, Sven Erik Bystrøm

Israel-Premier Tech

Team leaders: Michael Woods, Jakob Fuglsang Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Chris Froome

Israel-Premier Tech set out on their third Tour de France and in desperate need of having an impact on the race after two relatively anonymous outings. They're very much in the WorldTour relegation battle, but the recent form of Jakob Fuglsang and Michael Woods will give them hope they can shine on the biggest stage of all and lift themselves out of trouble. 

Fuglsang won the recent Classic Alpes-Maritimes and placed third at Tour de Suisse, while Woods finished second at the former and then won the Route d'Occitanie. The pair have both appeared reluctant to go for a GC bid this time around but stage wins are well within their grasp, while the polka-dot jersey will surely become an ambition for one of them. 

Hugo Houle, Krists Neilands, and Simon Clarke comprise a strong and in-form support unit. Chris Froome , meanwhile, is very much the rider to watch. A four-time winner, he has struggled badly since his massive 2019 injury but has shown glimpses of form in recent weeks. He's done enough to earn his spot but we should find out more about whether he might indeed return to his levels of old. 

Guillaume Boivin and Guy Niv got late call-ups to replace the COVID-positive Omer Goldstein and Daryl Impey.

Full line-up: Michael Woods, Jakob Fuglsang, Chris Froome, Krists Neilands, Simon Clarke, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin

Jumbo-Visma

Team Leaders : Primož Roglič, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout Van Aert Objective : Yellow jersey, green jersey Rider to watch: Christophe Laporte

The Dutch team formerly known as Rabobank have joined the very top echelon of world cycling in recent years but are still searching for their first Tour de France victory. They came agonisingly close through Primož Roglič – three-time Vuelta winner – in 2020, and placed second again last year through the revelatory Jonas Vingegaard, who stepped up once Roglič crashed out.

With Tadej Pogačar a dominant double winner, Jumbo have tweaked their approach for 2022, going in with a leadership duo. Both Roglič and Vingegaard underlined their form with a one-two at the recent Dauphiné, but in order to crack Pogačar they'll likely have to play their cards more creatively. How they do so will be one of the most intriguing narratives of the whole Tour. 

On top of all that, Jumbo-Visma also have Wout van Aert to think about. The Belgian star has had to stifle his personal ambitions in recent years but has still managed six stage wins in three editions, on a wide variety of stages to boot. As such, this year he wants to target the points classification. Whether Jumbo can support a green jersey bid as well as two riders going for yellow is another of those central narratives. 

As for the rest of the squad, it's five support riders. Sepp Kuss and Steven Kruijswijk are the mountain men, while Christophe Laporte will be Van Aert's lead-out and right-hand man. Tiesj Benoot will be expected to do a bit for both camps while Nathan Van Hooydonck – a late replacement for Rohan Dennis – is set to be the engine doing the heavy lifting in the earlier phases of stages.

Full line-up : Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Sepp Kuss, Steven Kruijswijk, Christophe Laporte, Nathan Van Hooydonck

Lotto Soudal

Team leaders: Caleb Ewan Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Tim Wellens

The Belgian team once again go into a Tour de France targeting stage wins. In 37 starts they have never won the Tour and haven't had a GC contender since Jurgen Van den Broeck in 2012. Andre Greipel flew the flag for a long time but in the new John Lelangue-led era it's Caleb Ewan who leads the way for the third year in a row. 

Ewan won three stages in 2019 and two in 2020 but crashed out on stage 3 last year with a a broken collarbone. At his best he's one of the most dynamic and aerodynamic sprinters in the world and a key breadwinner for Lotto Soudal in their relegation fight. There is slight cause for concern as his lead-out man Jasper De Buyst is injured and Roger Kluge similarly not racing. In their absence Reinardt Janse van Rensburg takes responsibility, while Frederik Frison can also chip in. 

However, there's more of an emphasis on breakaways in Lotto Soudal's plans. Philippe Gilbert will want to make an impact in his final Tour de France, while Brent Van Moer has been touted as a new Thomas De Gendt. Florian Vermeersch can target the cobbled stage and Andreas Kron will look at the hilly ones if recovered from COVID-19.

Finally, Tim Wellens has announced he is leaving at the end of the year but retains a great deal of affection for the team where he has spent his whole career so far. The Belgian remains a top-class attacking rider who can complete the Grand Tour set of stage wins in what is only his fourth Tour appearance.

Full line-up: Caleb Ewan, Philippe Gilbert, Tim Wellens, Andreas Kron, Brent Van Moer, Florian Vermeersch, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Frederik Frison

Movistar Team

Team leaders: Enric Mas Objective: GC Rider to watch: Matteo Jorgenson

Movistar, the Spanish team formed in the 1980s, line up for their 40th Tour de France. They've won it seven times, five of those coming through Miguel Indurain in the 1990s, but haven't done so since Oscar Pereiro in 2006. In recent years, they've been regular winners of the teams classification but have become confused and at times chaotic in their handling of multiple leaders. 

This year, there's far more clarity. Enric Mas will lead the line and shoot for the podium. The Spaniard, a breakthrough runner-up at the 2018 Vuelta, has been a consistent if unspectacular Grand Tour presence since signing in 2020, placing fifth and sixth in the past two Tours, as well as another second at the Vuelta last year. 

While Movistar have not yet unveiled their final line-up, a key rider appears to be Matteo Jorgenson, the US all-rounder who's steadily improving. He's looking to develop into a GC rider and could become the last line of support for Mas, and he could even decide he's not going to throw away time unless he absolutely has to. 

Full line-up: Enric Mas, Carlos Verona, Imanol Erviti, Matteo Jorgenson, Nelson Oliveira, Albert Torres, Gregor Mühlberger, Gorka Izagirre

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl

Team leaders: Fabio Jakobsen Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch : Mattia Cattaneo

The Belgian squad have dominated Tour de France sprints over the years, with the likes of Marcel Kittel, Fernando Gaviria, Sam Bennett, and Mark Cavendish all sweeping up in recent years. The next man up is Fabio Jakobsen , who has been given the nod over Cavendish despite the Manxman winning four stages and the green jersey last year and tying Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins. 

There's no room for sentiment or history at Patrick Lefevere's stable, however, and he has given the reins to the rider he considers the future of his team's sprinting ambitions. You can't argue with the decision on form. Jakobsen has returned from nearly losing his life at the 2020 Tour de Pologne to re-establish himself as one of the fastest in the world, winning 10 times already this season. 

As always, the bulk of the team is devoted to the lead-out, with Kasper Asgreen and Yves Lampaert and, lastly, Michael Mørkøv, widely regarded as the best in the business. Florian Sénéchal is a late call-up for the COVID-positive Tim Declercq , though it's unclear who will replace the Belgian's long stints on the front of the peloton this July.

The big hole in QuickStep's line up is in the shape of the world champion, Julian Alaphilippe, who suffered a heavy crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège-Liège in April and hasn't been deemed fit enough to make his usual impact at the Tour. Alaphilippe has won several stages, finished top five on GC, and injected electricity into the race over the past few years.

His absence is a major blow for the team and the race, with Andre Bagioli, the Italian puncheur who's taken his spot, having a lot to live up to. His compatriot, the 31-year-old Mattia Cattaneo, has a shot at a top-10 overall place, having finished 12th last year.

Full line-up: Fabio Jakobsen, Michael Mørkøv, Kasper Asgreen, Yves Lampaert, Mikkel Honore, Mattia Cattaneo, Andrea Bagioli, Florian Sénéchal

Team leaders: Romain Bardet, Alberto Dainese Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Andreas Leknessund

The Dutch team formerly known as Sunweb have a general philosophy that's both open and rigid. They eschew hierarchy in favour of a collective approach where everyone gets a chance, but there's relatively little flexibility when it comes to individual preferences.

This has divided opinion, with the alarming number of riders looking to leave the team seen by many as a cause for concern. On the road, it has divided their results. The free-flowing Sunweb (as they were then called) of the 2020 Tour were great to watch and hauled in three stage wins, but they were anonymous last year and struggled for much of this season. 

They go into this Tour in typical fashion, an open and exciting line-up, but not without its controversy as Søren Kragh Andersen – not only one of their bigger-name riders but also a native of the Danish Grand Départ – has been left at home. 

In his absence, Romain Bardet returns to the Tour after a year's absence. A GC bid is no priority given he was targeting the Giro and had to pull out when in a strong position, but the Frenchman will want to add to his stage win collection from 2015, 2016, and 2017.

John Degenkolb is on the start list and returns to the cobbles where he famously won a stage in 2018, but Alberto Dainese is the team's lead sprinter. The Italian won a stage at the Giro with a fearsome sprint that suggested a breakthrough, and he will be an outsider but a danger man in the bunch finishes. Elsewhere, Kevin Vermaerke is an exciting young US talent but the Norwegian Andreas Leknessund is already hitting his stride at 23, winning a stage at the recent Tour de Suisse in a solo breakaway. Expect him to go out in search of more of the same. 

Full line-up: Romain Bardet, Alberto Dainese, John Degenkolb, Kevin Vermaerke, Andreas Leknessund, Martijn Tusveld, Nils Eekhoff, Chris Hamilton

TotalEnergies

Team leader: Peter Sagan Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Pierre Latour

When it comes to TotalEnergies’ 2022 objectives, it’s hard to look beyond Peter Sagan . Arguably the most exciting riders in men’s cycling, Sagan has had an unfortunate 2022, plagued by illness. The Tour de Suisse gave us a glimpse of Peter the Great at his best when he won stage 3. His positive test for COVID ahead of the final time trial seemed like a predictable kick in his run of bad luck.

However, Sagan returned to win yet another Slovakian road race title on Sunday, an indication he's on track for the Tour. He'll also have loyal lieutenants Daniel Oss and Maciej Bodnar at his disposal. Sagan will target sprints on flat and hilly days, but a record-extending eighth green jersey is complicated by the presence of Wout van Aert. 

There'll be no shortage of breakaway interest for Jean-René Bernaudeau's French team, especially after Mathieu Burgaudeau scooped a stage of Paris-Nice and Valentin Ferron and Alexis Vuillermoz took home a stage apiece from the Dauphiné. Anthony Turgis could certainly be a contender on the cobbles, but he’ll need an early break to separate himself from the fastmen such as Mathieu van der Poel to stand a chance at a win on the pavé.

Finally, there's Pierre Latour, who has so much energy he sometimes doesn't know what to do with it. The Frenchman won the white jersey and placed 13th overall while riding as an AG2R domestique in 2018 and, while his career has faded since, there remains a great deal of talent. 

The experienced and versatile fastman Edvald Boasson Hagen was called up three days out from the start after Cristian Rodríguez fell ill.

Full line-up: Peter Sagan, Pierre Latour, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Alexis Vuillermox, Daniel Oss, Maciej Bodnar, Anthony Turgis, Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Trek-Segafredo

Team leader: Giulio Ciccone Objective: Stage wins Rider to watch: Bauke Mollema

Having taken a third career Giro d’Italia win on stage 15 of this year’s race, Giulio Ciccone is showing excellent climbing form and seems sure to be Trek-Segafredo’s team leader at this year’s Tour de France. Only one year ago he lay in sixth place on the Tour’s second rest day, before crashing out on stage 17 and abandoning the race.

While a GC bid isn’t beyond comprehension, with Ciccone and Bauke Mollema’s proclivity for successful breakaways, individual stage wins in the mountains are Trek’s most likely target.

Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven and former World Champion Mads Pedersen will both be riders to watch on the cobbles of stage 5 of this year’s race. Both will also be contenders for individual stage wins on fast finishes. For Pedersen, there's the extra motivation of starting on home roads, with a strong short time trial and a fast sprint at the end of a windy day, he'll be going all-in on the Denmark days. 

US debutant Quinn Simmons will no doubt offer good support to both riders on the cobbles, and has shown an appetite for breakaways so far this season.

Full line-up : Guilio Ciccone, Bauke Mollema, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Quinn Simmons, Tony Gallopin, Alex Kirsch, Toms Skujiņš 

UAE Team Emirates

Team leaders: Tadej Pogačar Objective : Yellow jersey Rider to watch: Brandon McNulty

About as one-dimensional as it gets, the UAE-funded team are here to win the Tour with Pogačar for a third straight year. The rest of the team is entirely at his service, and you get the impression he could do it without them anyway. 

Not that UAE are weak. The criticism they faced last year was unfounded, and in any case they are stronger again this time around. They have added George Bennett and Marc Soler, while Brandon McNulty is another year older and – when not the victim of bad luck – has shown his strength this season. Rafał Majka, who came good last year and has been even better this season, has struck up a great relationship with Pogačar, the pair dominating the recent Tour of Slovenia. It's a super solid mountain unit. 

Beyond that, Mikkel Berg did huge pulls on the flat and in the middle mountains last year and will be pivotal again, while Vegard Stake Laengen is the big workhorse for the early phases. Pogačar is in a league of his own, but he has a team that can provide a platform for a third straight yellow jersey.

Swiss rider Marc Hirschi is a late call-up after Matteo Trentin returned a positive COVID-19 test two days before the race start.

Full line-up: Tadej Pogačar, Rafal Majka, Brandon McNulty, Marc Soler, Vegard Stake Laengen, George Bennett, Mikkel Bjerg, Marc Hirschi

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Patrick is an NCTJ-trained journalist, and former deputy editor of Cyclingnews, who has seven years’ experience covering professional cycling. He has a modern languages degree from Durham University and has been able to put it to some use in what is a multi-lingual sport, with a particular focus on French and Spanish-speaking riders. Away from cycling, Patrick spends most of his time playing or watching other forms of sport - football, tennis, trail running, darts, to name a few, but he draws the line at rugby.

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Former women’s soccer chief riding tour de france for cure leukaemia.

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Ian McMahon and Geoff Thomas at the Oxford University Hospital Cancer Unit

Ian McMahon, a former commissioner of Women's League Soccer in the United States is taking on the course of the Tour de France to raise money for the Cure Leukaemia.

McMahon did not even own a cycle as recently as January. He fell off within a mile of his first ride on a road bike but four months of intensive training later, he is set to take on the 21 stages of the Tour de France covering 3,492km ahead of the professional riders to raise money for Cure Leukaemia , the official United Kingdom charity partner of the famed French road race.

McMahon's professional soccer career was cut short by injury at the age of 21, something he tells me he has never really come to terms with "Even now, I feel like I'm not over losing my career because I wanted to know how good I could be. At 21, I thought I was going to conquer the world, I didn't have a back-up plan."

Eventually McMahon ended up moving to the United States and working in sports administration. In 2011, he was named as commissioner of the newly-founded Women's League Soccer (WLS), a regional semi-professional league with promotion and relegation. Following the creation of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, the short-lived WLS transitioned to become an indoor league before folding a year later.

Off the field McMahon's own physical and mental well-being also suffered. His weight increased and fitness deteriorated. In 2018, he had a stent in his heart and in 2019, after years of chronic arthritis, he underwent a knee replacement operation, a surgery which has given him a new lease of life.

"I had 30 years of my knee being stuck in one place," he told me, "and now all of a sudden, I've got a full range of movement, I'm developing quads. It's been the greatest thing that I've done."

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McMahon is following in the footsteps of his Rochdale team-mate as a youth player, Geoff Thomas. The former Crystal Palace captain and England international was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia a year after retiring from the game in 2002. At the time, he was given just three months to live.

Following a stem cell transplant and treatment from the co-founder of Cure Leukaemia, Professor Charlie Craddock CBE, Thomas eventually entered remission in 2005 but has made it his life's work to ensure no-one has to go through what he had to.

Inspired by Lance Armstrong riding the Tour de France following his own battle with cancer, Thomas began cycling to raise funds for leukaemia research. He has since completed the gruelling course on several occasions. In June 2021, Thomas was awarded the MBE for his efforts in respect of cancer charity fundraising.

English former foorball player Geoff Thomas poses with his medal after being appointed a Member of ... [+] the Order of the British Empire (MBE) following an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on March 15, 2022. (Photo by Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

He told me about how he dismissed the warning signs of the disease for too long. "There are symptoms, but they're probably symptoms you ignore as something else. You can have night-sweats, you can have lack of weight, muscle-soreness, you can get bruises. There are lots of different warning signs, I ignored too many. It's like any cancer now, if you grab it early, you've got a better chance."

Thomas was one of only 20% of leukaemia sufferers who are given the opportunity to have a stem-cell transplant. During his treatment he watched many other patients disappear as nothing could be done at the time to save their lives due to a lack of funding.

"There was a massive shortfall in the early part of the century into the clinical translation of the work what was going on. There's millions being invested in the science side, but all of that knowledge was being left in the lab, so it wasn't benefitting patients."

"So we've got a facility now that allows a flow of science to benefit patients. In this country now, we've got about fifteen hospitals that unite together and that gives you a population of patients that you can fast-track trials on. So people are now being offered opportunities that ten or fifteen years ago they wouldn't have been offered. Things are moving forward for sure."

Thomas' former England captain Gary Lineker is also a supporter of Cure Leukaemia. At a fundraising lunch for McMahon in London, the BBC television presenter talked about how his eldest son George was diagnosed with the condition as a baby in 1991. After initally being alerted by a hard bump on his son's head, doctors believed George had a skin condition but further examinations and blood tests revealed a rare forme of leukaemia.

Lineker recalled that "within an hour we were in an ambulance off to Great Ormond Street Hospital where he spent the next seven months, five months of chemo. We were told that he wouldn't live through the night twice."

Due to the fundraising of Thomas, Cure Leukaemia has leveraged £350 million pounds worth of free drugs into the NHS and the condition is now treatable with a single tablet. Lineker admitted that "the truth is, without people independently of government helping, kids like my son would not have had the chance in life that he has. We relied on that money for research and stuff to give them a chance in life." George is now 32.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Gary Lineker and son George Lineker attend the Sun's Who Cares Wins ... [+] Awards 2021 at The Roundhouse on September 14, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

As McMahon prepares to take on Thomas' baton and ride the Tour de France course, I asked his former team-mate if he had any words of advice for McMahon. "The first time I did it, I was naive, not a clue what was going on." said Thomas. "The second time I did it with a gang of cancer survivors so I was inspired every day. After that it was like 'wow, this is getting a little bit tough now'. We did it it on 2017. I did it in 2022 as well, but didn't finish then, that's why I decided I needed a bit of a rest."

"The biggest thing that stops you doing anything in life is your mind. If you've got a mindset that you are open to suggestion about anything in life and then go at positively, rather than no, for no's sake, then that's where I'm at now. I like to yes a lot more, rather than no, and not let people down."

Recently Thomas and McMahon visited a cancer unit at Oxford University Hospital, a trip that opened McMahon's eyes up to the reasons he is putting his body to the ultimate test. "It made it real, and very personal. When I ride up a hill, I know I'll be struggling but that's what I will take. That will keep me pushing literally every pedal around because at the end of the day, it's just a bike ride. I can get off any time, they don't have that privilege."

Donations to Ian McMahon's JustGiving fundraising page can be made here

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'We're halfway there, now we just need to win the Tour' - UAE Team Emirates' Giro-Tour masterplan

Tadej Pogačar finally closed the door on the 2024 Giro d’Italia after arriving home from Rome with the maglia rosa and the Trofeo Infinito in his suitcase. For a few days at least, there’s no racing, no podium ceremonies, no sponsor obligations and no media access.

Pogačar has a week to personally savour his victory and can enjoy some rest and recovery time in Monte Carlo with his partner Urška Žigart.

He is halfway to potentially creating history and winning the Giro- Tour de France double but he only has to start thinking about the Tour from next Monday, when he joins his UAE Team Emirates squad for an altitude camp in Isola 2000 in the Alps.  

While Pogačar switches off, the UAE Team Emirates squad will switch focus, from targeting pink to targeting yellow at the Tour de France. Team manager Mauro Gianetti has overseen the Giro-Tour master plan since last summer, focusing the team’s significant financial and human resources on the huge challenge.      

“We’re halfway there, now we just need to win the Tour…” Gianetti said with a smile to Cyclingnews and L'Équipe in Italy, admitting that the challenge of the double does sometimes keep him awake at night.  

“It’s a big challenge, we knew that from the outset but our attitude is that if you don't try, you cannot achieve anything. This year we set the Giro-Tour double as a goal and that’s what we're working towards.  

“Everything has gone to plan so far and so from Tuesday, we’ll start to focus on the Tour de France and completing the double.”

“Tadej is now at the right age to target the Giro-Tour double. And the design of the Giro d'Italia was perfect too,  definitely not as hard as other recent editions."

"When we saw the route at the 2024 Giro route presentation, we said: ‘Wow! This is the year to try it.”

Gianetti has spent most of May at the Giro d’Italia, offering a quiet, optimistic but respected presence to his riders and staff. He knows every detail of the Giro-Tour masterplan and senses everything is on track.  

“So far, everything is good. Tadej has been amazing. As I think everyone has seen in the last three weeks, he’s in incredibly good shape. That’s because he’s worked so hard and so seriously from the beginning of the season.”

Pogačar has changed coaches, lost some upper body muscle and become leaner, and worked more on his core and flexibility to be more comfortable in the saddle. He has matured as an athlete and as a person.

Defeat at the last two editions of the Tour de France hurt and motivated him to look beyond his natural talent so he could target the Giro-Tour double and take on his ‘big-four’ rivals -  Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) -  and, for that matter, anyone else.  

“We let him work quietly at home this winter but in the right way, specifically for the stage races,” Gianetti explained.

"It was obvious that if he raced the Classics again, he’d have to race more and do different types of training. Instead Tadej focused on preparing for stage races and specifically for the Giro and Tour."

“As part of that we’ve seen an evolution in his body, in his numbers. We’re monitoring all his parameters and everything is good, so far even better than our expectations. That has been amazing to see.”  

Making history, joining the greats

Gianetti is Swiss and was not a Grand Tour contender during his own career but he understands the special prestige of winning the Giro d’Italia.

Pogačar initially appeared to struggle with all the clamour and excitement of the Italian tifosi and the demands of wearing the maglia rosa . But as his dominance became obvious and victory more certain, he relaxed more..

“All the big champions have won the Giro, from Coppi to Merckx, Hinault and others. The Tour is the Tour but the Giro is also very important and it’s important for Tadej to understand that and to add the Giro to his palmares."

“If you want to be remembered forever in cycling, then you need to win the Giro, you need to wear the pink jersey and be proud of it. Winning the Giro is important for Tadej, for our team and for the whole of the UAE and our project to promote cycling and healthy living."

Giro d’Italia organisers RCS Sport struck a deal with Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates to ensure his presence at the race. Pogačar dominated the race, stealing much of the spotlight but RCS Sport confirmed to Cyclingnews that they are happy with the return on their considerable investment. Pogačar’s victory entertained the Italian tifosi and gave the race far more global visibility.  

“We can all see how much the Italians love the Giro but I think we’ve seen how Tadej helps the Giro go worldwide. He’s not just a very strong rider or an incredible rider, he's an international star,” Gianetti said.

“I think the Giro d’Italia is happy to have Tadej as the winner. He committed to winning the races and stages and he did that. We’re all very happy and proud of him.”

"He’s very calm, that’s always one of his secrets. During the first week he perhaps needed to understand how the Giro works and his key role in this year’s race. But he was very relaxed and confident in the team. When Tadej is feeling good, everything is okay.

“To make that happen, all the team and all the staff stayed very focused throughout the race. They all gave 100%, so that Tadej knows that everything is under control. If everything is under control, he is more relaxed and more successful.

“Now we’ve won the Giro d’Italia, we’re ready to take on the Tour de France.”  

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Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby Davis

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