Who are the North Americans racing in the Tour de France?
The Tour de France has long been the domain of European riders, and the peloton of 176 is still largely made up of riders from across the continent. Eight North American riders will take the start line across six teams at this year’s Tour. They all have Grand Tour experience, and a few have even put their names in the record books or at least earned an asterisk for special efforts.
While they all share a similarity with the main task at hand for each team - support the team’s GC leader - each is capable of going for glory with a stage victory should an opportunity arise across the three weeks. The last North American to win a stage at the Tour was Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), who captured an emotional victory in Foix. A North American name is absent from the contenders' list to carry the maillot jaune, per nominations of the veterans by the teams, but anything can happen like Neilson Powless’ (EF Education-EasyPost) near take of the race lead on stage 5 last year.
Three of the US crew will also be in contention for the best young rider classification, but even that remains a tall order since Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) has monopolised that distinction for the past three years and remains eligible. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) finished fourth in the young rider category last year, and he'll compete against Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich). The last North American rider to win the white jersey as the best young rider was Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) in 2012, while Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) finished second the next year.
Cyclingnews profiles the eight North Americans who will be on the start line when the race kicks off in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday.
Neilson Powless (Image credit: Getty)
It will be Tour de France number four for Powless, the first tribally-recognised Native North American to take on the French Grand Tour. The EF Education-EasyPost rider made the break four times during the three weeks and fought for the stage win on two of the most prestigious stage finishes, settling for fourth at Arenberg and L'Alpe d'Huez.
“He rode more kilometres than anyone in the breaks last year, I think, and we hope he takes the next step this year,” team CEO Jonathan Vaughers said about the lone US rider on the US-based squad.
That next step could be a stage win or even grabbing the yellow jersey on a climbing stage, which he almost accomplished last year. Powless lay four seconds off the yellow jersey at one point on stage 5, but Tadej Pogačar sprinted to the victory and took bonus seconds at the line to keep the 25-year-old at bay. Powless did go on to finish in Paris in 13th on GC, the best result in seven years for any North American.
“Obviously, if I could win a stage, that would be incredible. That would be my Tour made if that happens, but if we have Richie [Port] or Rigo [Uran] up in GC and we can get someone on the podium, that would be incredible as well,” said Powless, who won the GC at this year’ five-stage Etoile de Bessèges.
Sepp Kuss slaying himself for Primoz Roglic in the 2023 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Hailing from the small city of Durango in the Colorado Rocky mountains is Sepp Kuss, who comes into this year’s Tour having ridden 10 Grand Tours, this being his fourth Tour de France.
Kuss has proven himself across the highest terrain, capped by a stage 15 win to Andorra la Vella in the 2021 Tour. He kept busy at last year’s Tour, doing mega turns in the Alps and Pyrenees on behalf of Jumbo-Visma teammate and eventual winner Jonas Vingegaard. Through all the battling to help Vingegaard to victory, Kuss found himself finish 18th on the GC.
He’s a top lieutenant now for any climbing day, and this year’s Tour provides a record seventy climbs across the 21 stages, so there’s plenty of opportunities to suffer and succeed.
Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) in breakaway on stage 13 at 2022 Tour de France (Image credit: THOMAS SAMSON AFP via Getty Images)
Jorgenson returns with Spanish squad Movistar for his second Tour de France, with the squad set for a hectic start on home soil on the first three stages. Jorgenson emerged as a breakaway staple during the race last year, getting out front three times and finishing in the top five on each stage, including on the Megève summit finish, where he was within 10 seconds away from his first Grand Tour victory.
While his role is still to support GC contender, Enric Mas, Jorgenson has new confidence that could push him onto the podium on a stage, most likely one that showcases his climbing ability. Celebrating his 24th birthday during stage 1 in Bilbao, the rider from Idaho captured his first overall GC title at Tour of Oman in February. He rode a strong Paris-Nice and then finished second overall, plus a best young rider crown, at Tour de Romandie.
He’s poised to prove himself at this year’s Tour and move up from his 21st overall placing in 2022.
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) at the 2023 Tour de France teams presentation (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Another rider from the small town of Durango is Quinn Simmons, the new US Pro road race national champion who loves to be aggressive. In his first Tour in 2022, he charged ahead in five different stage breaks during the race, getting up the road five times, and by stage 19, he was rewarded as the most combative rider. While Colorado rider did not get on the podium, he helped teammate Mads Pedersen to a breakaway victory on stage 13, a rolling day in the Alps from Bourg d’Oisans to Saint-Etienne, Trek-Segafredo’s only victory in the Tour that year.
Wearing his new Lidl-Trek kit with the blue and white US stars on the shoulders and red stripes on the lower chest, Simmons will support team GC leader Mattias Skjelmose and look to create sparks on climbing days and any opportunities from a breakaway. He demonstrated his ability to climb at his first Grand Tour in 2021, taking third on stage 19 at the Vuelta.
When Team dsm-firmenich takes the start at the Grand Départ in Bilbao, US rider Kevin Vermaerke will return for his second Tour de France in support of Frenchman Romain Bardet.
Vermaerke, just 22 years old, was named to the team as one of three riders who can pound out the kilometres across the mountainous terrain spread across all three weeks, and improve Bardet’s 2022 finish from sixth overall. If anything, Vermaerke would like to make it to Paris for his second Tour, as he crashed hard on stage 8 last year and had to abandon with a broken left collarbone.
The young California climber is in his fourth season at the WorldTour level and looking for his first big win at the top level. This season he has helped Bardet to a fifth-place GC finish at Tour de Suisse and seventh overall at Paris-Nice.
The 31-year-old Texan made his Grand Tour debut in the 2014 Vuelta a España in his first year on the WorldTour level riding for Giant-Shimano, and two years later arrived at the Tour de France. It was at the Vuelta in 2021 and 2022 that he carried the stars-and-stripes jersey to a pair of top 10 stage finishes as US Pro time trial national champion.
While there is just one time trial at this year’s Tour on stage 16, Craddock has proven his versatility in stage racing over the past 12 seasons. He had a podium on stage 11 at the 2019 Vuelta and a fifth on a rolling course into Bilbao on stage 5 last year. Jayco AlUla will count on Craddock to support Simon Yates when the road begins to climb, be it in the opening, familiar terrain of the Basque Country or in the final week in the Alps.
Michael Woods on his way to GC title at 2023 La Route d'Occitanie (Image credit: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
Michael Woods has already shown great form in France this season, winning La Route d’Occitanie for a second time. He also confirmed he is still one of the top climbers in the peloton with a second place at CIC-Mont Ventoux.
The veteran Canadian on the team, now 36, helped Houle to his stage 16 victory at the Tour last year and finished on the podium in third after having struggled through the early part of the Tour following a crash. He lines up for his fourth Tour as a co-leader on Israel-Premier Tech alongside Dylan Teuns.
“I’m really excited for this year’s Tour de France. The course suits me quite well, especially the opening stages in the Basque Country. This is an area I’ve had a lot of success in, with my two Vuelta a España stage wins both taking place there. I really enjoy racing in this area,” Woods said, saying his ambition was to win a stage, which would be his first at the Tour de France.
Hugo Houle became a Canadian rock star at last year’s Tour de France, riding to a solo victory on stage 16 and becoming the first Canadian to win a Tour stage since Steve Bauer’s monumental ride in 1988. He also was part of a three-rider breakaway on stage 13 and finished on the podium, third in the sprint to Saint-Etienne. When he arrived in Paris, he was 24th overall.
Israel-Premier Tech came away with two stage wins last year in the Tour, the second notched on stage 5 across the Arenberg cobbles by Simon Clarke. The team has said it looks for stage wins again this year, and a versatile rider like Houle has chances on any undulating terrain. LIke Woods, Houle is a veteran at 32 years of age and rides to support his compatriot in any GC hopes.
Guillaume Boivin brings a fast finish for his third consecutive appearance in the French Grand Tour. The 34-year-old from Montreal will primarily serve as a lead-out for New Zealand sprinter Corbin Strong, who makes his Grand Tour debut. However, Boivin, now in his 14th season, is very capable of fighting for a stage win himself.
Source: Cyclingnews
