Mark Cavendish will have our attention in one final Tour de France (Picture: Getty Images)
*Tap, tap, tap* Testing, one, two. Is this thing working? Can you hear me at the back? Right, welcome! It’s wonderful to have you gathered for the 2023 Tour de France. I notice a lot of familiar faces in the crowd, nice to see you all again.
John, you remembered the sunscreen this year? And I see a larger than usual crowd of newcomers, so a special thanks to Netflix’s Unchained for delivering you here safely. It’s lovely to have so many of you joining for maybe the first time, thanks to the success of the latest streaming series, so let’s guide you through what to look forward to over the next month.
A bit of housekeeping first; please make sure you front-load your toilet breaks and back-load your snacks to avoid missing the stage finales, keep your TV within earshot at all times in case of a mid-stage emergency and please remember the race motto, ‘The Tour is The Tour, eh?’ It doesn’t make sense yet, but it will. Maybe.
Before we get stuck in, I must confess how jealous I am of you all, but I should also thank you. Coming into my 14th edition of this most addictive of races, I had almost forgotten the wide-eyed excitement of my own early discovery, the scratching at the surface of the many layers of complexity and multi-team tactics, each discarded shaving only revealing an ever more complex picture below.
Seeing it through your eyes, I marvel again at the emotional depth of the 176 individual lives who’ve been building towards these few, flimsy weeks, sacrificing comfort and family time, normal lives and culinary pleasure to risk safety and glory on the inglorious, feted roads of France.
And for what? To win the thing? Hardly. Most have come in the service of others, of team leaders and team-mates’ stage-win ambitions, in support of one of the initially obscure leader’s jerseys which mean everything to these men, and to the women when their turn comes three weeks from now.
For most, making it to the finish is reward in itself. Before I forget, please sign the disclaimer on the way out. We have absolutely no idea what will happen, and your vicarious dreams could be shattered in a single pedal stroke, a puff of Lady Luck’s cheeks, the unpredictable trajectory of a stray dog. Keep your eyes peeled and your heart open to the last.
Tom Pidcock is famed for his fearless descending (Picture: Getty Images)
So, what to look out for? Or, more accurately, whom? If you are here thanks to Netflix, you’ll know about Tom Pidcock’s fearless descending which brings my nerves as close to the edge as his front wheel. The Brit is back, and this year doesn’t have a dedicated overall contender to look out for, as with Geraint Thomas last year.
Yes, he’ll be assisting former winner Egan Bernal, but Bernal is still on the recovery road from almost career-ending injuries. Making it to the start is an achievement in itself for the Colombian. So, the young British Olympic and world champion may have more freedom to hunt for stage wins. A repeat of last year’s Bastille Day fireworks? Pourquoi pas?
Then there’s Adam Yates, who won’t be dressed as a lieutenant, but who will resemble one in all other ways. He will be on domestique, or servant, duty for Tadej Pogacar, a crucial role given the two-time winner’s lack of team strength was exploited to such success last year by the winning Jumbo-Visma squad and their returning champion Jonas Vingegaard.
You shouldn’t have much difficulty picking out the new British champion Fred Wright, since the title comes with its own red, white and blue striped jersey. Expect to see Wright off the front at any opportunity, chasing his first Tour stage win. Neutrals were won over by the Londoner last year, coming as close as he did on so many occasions.
Fred Wright pays tribute to team-mate Gino Mader at the national championships (Picture: PA)
His national championship-winning tribute last weekend to his sparklingly beautiful team-mate, Gino Mader, who died after a crash at the Tour de Suisse, means many more hearts and cheers will be pushing Wright all the way.
And then, ladies and gentlemen, there is the greatest sprinter in the history of this beautiful race, for whom this Tour will be the last, Mark Cavendish. A thrilling, pitiless, heart-stopping winning machine in his youth, it’s Cavendish’s resilience and self-belief that stood the test of time, hardship, physical illness and depression – his never-say-die commitment confounding the critics time and time again.
The Manxman has the joint record for the most Tour stage wins, 34. One more and he owns the record outright. When I visited Cavendish in his native Isle of Man to film a WarnerBros Discovery special, I saw a man more at peace than I have ever seen him.
Mark Cavendish will look to rewrite the history books (Picture: Getty Images)
That should scare the bejaysus out of allcomers. He has nothing to lose and only a deeper etching in the history books to gain. So, take a moment to note all sprint stages in your calendar. If, and I believe when, he wins that stage, there won’t be a dry eye or an empty heart in the house.
One final word before we set off, this sport isn’t easy. As a fan, it requires plenty of dedication, engagement and curiosity, but in return you’ll be rewarded with the most glorious displays of super-human resilience, persistence, selflessness and ego-driven glory-hunting.
The Tour de France is man and womankind writ large; the drive, the desire, the dedication, the heartbreak, the devotion, the treachery and every shade in between. I am both envious of and energised by your newly sparked fascination. Whatever happens over the next few weeks, I can promise you one thing, this is only the beginning. We’ve only scratched the surface, my friends. The picture reveal will be majestic.
You can watch every stage of the Tour de France – from July 1-23 – live with Orla and the team on Eurosport, WarnerBros Discovery and GCN+. Orla’s interview with Mark Cavendish will air at 7.15pm tonight on Eurosport 1 and will also be available on Discovery + and the Eurosport Player.
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Keep your eyes peeled and your heart open to the last.
