These free agents smell their chances in chaotic first Tour week: 'When I look at the route book, I lose sleep'

One of the outsiders for a stage win in the punchy, hilly stages is Axel Laurance. The INEOS Grenadiers rider, who supported Van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen at Alpecin-Deceuninck in last year’s Tour, is now back for his second appearance — and this time, he’ll get more freedom to chase results.

“I’m confident and relaxed at the same time, which is cool,” he told Cyclism’Actu. His strong performances leading up to the race helped build that confidence. He finished second on stage five of the Critérium du Dauphiné, and placed fifth at the French National Championships. “It was a good Dauphiné for me, and I had good legs at nationals as well. So I’m heading into this Tour with real confidence.”

Laurance is especially excited about finishing on the Champs-Élysées — something he missed out on last year when the Tour ended in Nice. “I can’t wait to discover the Champs-Élysées. It’s such a legendary part of the Tour,” he said. “And with Montmartre this time, the tension might be even higher. It would be amazing to finish this Tour.”

INEOS Grenadiers brings a mixed squad of climbers and attackers, and Laurance knows how tough it will be to get into the breakaways. “We can’t afford to gamble at the Tour. Everyone is ready, and it’s really hard to get into a break,” he said. “We’ll need to avoid the traps. The start of this Tour will be more nervous than last year — there are a lot of dangers, especially in week one, but that also creates chances for riders like me.”

He’s under no illusion about the chaos of the first days. “Of course we’re a bit scared — everyone is nervous, the speed is insane, and there’s no room for error. Everyone is fighting for position, and if we want to win, we can’t be nice to everyone,” Laurance concluded.

In the Dauphiné, Laurance was beaten by Jake Stewart. The Brit from Israel - Premier Tech is also at the start of his second Tour, and has mixed feelings about the opening week, which should suit him. 'When I look at the route book, I lose sleep,' he laughs to Daniel Benson. 'I look at it day by day, and the second ride seems like it could be interesting for me. It always depends on how people want to ride the finale, but if a depleted peloton is going to sprint, I'd be up for that.'

Winning races can get the ball rolling, the young racer also knows. 'It gave me confidence more than anything, and gave me the confirmation of what I am capable of. I also won in Dunkirk. When you ride with confidence and you know the form is good, then you will also be good in the race.' In the flatter stages, Stewart will normally have to cover for Pascal Ackermann.

Laurance was narrowly beaten in the Dauphiné by Jake Stewart, another dark horse for stage success. The Brit from Israel – Premier Tech is lining up for his second Tour and sees opportunities in the first week — though the route has him slightly on edge.

“When I look at the road book, I lose sleep,” he joked to Daniel Benson. “I’m taking it day by day, but stage two looks like it could be interesting. It all depends on how teams ride the final — but if there’s a reduced bunch sprint, I’d be up for that.”

Stewart has already found success this season with wins in both the Dauphiné and the 4 Jours de Dunkerque. “Winning gave me more confidence than anything. It confirmed what I’m capable of. When you’re racing with confidence and you know your form is good, the results will follow.” In the flatter stages, Stewart is expected to support sprinter Pascal Ackermann, but he’ll be keeping an eye on any selective finales.

Unlike Stewart, Neilson Powless has no interest in sprinting — although his Dwars door Vlaanderen win suggests he has the kick if needed. The American from EF Education–EasyPost is targeting a classic-style Tour full of offensive racing.

“There are a handful of stages in the first half I’ve circled, but I can’t point to one specifically,” he explained. “It’s a long and unpredictable race, so we’ll have to try several times.” Back in 2022, Powless was one of the most aggressive riders in the Tour, constantly animating stages. “I’ll race more strategically this time, that’s for sure,” he said. “It was fun riding like that back then, but I didn’t get a win — and that’s still missing. Every day we’ll have to assess whether it’s a good opportunity for the breakaway.”

But winning from the break is harder than ever. The dominance of GC teams like Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates – XRG has made life much more difficult for attackers. “I think a lot of the breakaways that made it ten years ago wouldn’t survive today,” Powless said. “Especially in the mountain stages — the GC pace is so high. They’re riding like it’s a time trial, and that’s hard to match.”