Kwiatkowski warns colleagues after recon of first Tour stage: "If you can win the Tour, you can win this stage too"

Kwiatkowski must have been the first rider to set foot on Basque soil this week, as he completed the entire 182-kilometer stage around Bilbao on his own on Tuesday. Why did he choose to do that? "I was very curious about the start. When you look at the finale, it could be a finale for the best climbers of this Tour."

The Polish rider had a tough time on the route, as he testified two days later. "On those two climbs, we will immediately see where things stand. If you can win the Tour de France, you can also win this stage by going full throttle on the final hills." He immediately mentioned Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. "I'm curious to see if Jumbo-Visma and UAE-Team Emirates will take control of the race all day lang, and if not, what will happen then."

According to Kwiatkowski, the stage is much tougher than it appears, provided that the pace is high. "Right from the start, we encounter two climbs, and if the race intensifies there, it will be one of the toughest days of this Tour de France. It's truly up to the favorites for this Tour: Pogacar and Vingegaard."

"Purely on paper, Mathieu van der Poel and the others can handle that last kilometer towards the finish, and then it's looking like an open finale, but the stage as a whole is really challenging. I believe there are only a few real favorites for this stage," repeats the experienced rider.

What does that mean for the approach of INEOS Grenadiers? "It's one of those days for which you can make a plan, but things can still move in any direction. We might arrive at the top as a group - or one by one. It depends on many factors, but on the first day of the Tour, there is always pressure. With 3,500 meters of climbing on the schedule, I expect a very tough stage," says the man who is starting his ninth Tour.

Within INEOS, the focus is likely to be on Tom Pidcock, but Kwiatkowski has a warning for him, along with all the other contenders. "Tom is one of the guys who should be able to handle this. We know how much talent he has, but all eyes will likely be on Pogacar and Vingegaard. Many riders are already thinking about the second and third week, but it's possible that some of them will be surprised here. It's full-on climbing, you have to be ready right from the start."