Tour de France 2023 team guide: Start list, star riders for Jumbo-Visma, UAE Team Emirates, Ineos and all 22 teams

Twenty-two teams of eight riders have descended upon Bilbao for the grand depart of the 2023 Tour de France – including 18 WorldTour outfits and four UCI ProTeams. Once again, the Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates squads of race favourites Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar stand head and shoulders above the rest, while there is a Tour debut for Norwegian minnows Uno-X Pro Cycling.

In the second of our pre-race previews we look at the start list of the 2023 race and run through the star riders, memorable moments, racing style and tour goals of each of the 22 participating teams. In the spirit of gentle ribaldry, we also ask which French thing each team most resembles.

*Riders with an asterisk after their name are 25 or younger and qualify for the best young riders competition.

UCI WorldTeams

AG2R CITROEN

• Ben O’Connor
• Oliver Naisen
• Benoit Cosnefroy
• Nans Peters
• Felix Gall*
• Aurelien Paret-Peintre
• Stan Dewulf
• Clement Berthet*

Star rider: Ben O’Connor

Memorable Moment: It’s hard to overlook Bob Jungel’s win in Chatel last year, although Peters’ solo success in Loudenvielle in 2020 was special.

Racing Style: Keep on rolling the dice and hope to throw a six.

Tour Goals: O’Connor to return to the top five after his problems last year; a stage win in the mountains for in-form debutant Felix Gall; Paret-Peintre and Peters for the breakaways.

If they were something French: A jambon baguette owing to their ubiquity.

ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK

• Mathieu van der Poel
• Soren Kragh Andersen
• Quinten Hermans
• Michael Gogl
• Jonas Rickaert
• Jasper Philipsen*
• Ramon Sinkeldam
• Silvan Dillier

Star rider: Mathieu van der Poel

Memorable Moment: Dutchman Van der Poel’s win at Mur-de-Bretagne to take the yellow jersey in 2021.

Racing Style: Targeting breakaways and bunch sprints while doing their best to show that they are more than a one-man team.

Tour Goals: A return to form for Van der Poel after his horror show in 2022; sprint wins and a tilt at the green jersey for Philipsen.

If they were something French: L’Occitane shampoo.

ASTANA QAZAQSTAN

• Alexey Lutsenko
• Gianni Moscon
• Yevgeniy Fedorov*
• Mark Cavendish
• Cees Bol
• David de la Cruz
• Luis Leon Sanchez
• Harold Tejada

Star rider: Mark Cavendish

Memorable Moment: You can’t quite beat the internal scrap between Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong back in 2009 for drama.

Racing Style: Channelling their inner headless chicken.

Tour Goals: It’s all about that record 35th stage win for Cavendish, although expect Lutsenko to ghost his way to a top 10 finish again.

If they were something French: Bidet – you find them everywhere but no one is quite sure what their purpose is.

BAHRAIN-VICTORIOUS

• Mikel Landa
• Matej Mohoric
• Pello Bilbao
• Fred Wright*
• Wout Poels
• Jack Haig
• Nikias Arndt
• Phil Bauhaus

Star rider: Mikel Landa

Memorable Moment: Any of the numerous sideways glances given by Landa to the TV cameras when everyone awaits the Basque climber pulling the trigger after his team-mates have paved the way.

Racing Style: Going all-in to set up Landa for a seventh-place finish in key mountain stages.

Tour Goals: A top-five finish for Landa, the usual swashbuckling breakaways from Mohoric, Bauhaus for the sprints, and an elusive first Grand Tour stage win for Wright.

If they were something French: Dijon mustard – can pack a punch but not favoured by everyone.

BORA-HANSGROHE

• Emanuel Buchmann
• Marco Haller
• Jai Hindley
• Bob Jungels
• Jordi Meeus*
• Patrick Konrad
• Nils Politt
• Danny van Poppel

Star rider: Jai Hindley

Memorable Moment: Politt’s expert solo win in Nimes in 2021 was special and made up for Peter Sagan’s earlier withdrawal.

Racing Style: Pretty conservative after graduating from their earlier disruptive phase following Hindley’s win in the Giro in 2022.

Tour Goals: Hindley to push for the final spot on the podium in his debut Tour with Buchmann joining him in the top 10 and Meeus to justify his selection over Sam Bennett by taking a sprint win.

If they were something French: Disneyland Paris – promises much more than it delivers.

COFIDIS

• Guillaume Martin
• Anthony Perez
• Ion Izagirre
• Simon Geschke
• Bryan Coquard
• Alexis Renard*
• Axel Zingle*
• Victor Lafay

Star rider: Guillaume Martin

Memorable Moment: Trick question, surely.

Racing Style: Breaking away then being broken by the breakaway.

Tour Goals: A first Tour stage win since Sylvain Chavanel in 2008. Benjamin Thomas came close last year but was caught by the pack in Carcassonne with just 450m remaining.

If they were something French: Buffalo Grill – they’ve been around for ages and seem to be everywhere, all the time, without ever hitting the spot.

EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST

• Richard Carapaz
• Alberto Bettiol
• Rigoberto Uran
• Neilson Powless
• Esteban Chaves
• Magnus Cort
• Andrey Amador
• James Shaw

Star rider: Richard Carapaz

Memorable Moment: Cort’s win in Megeve last year was magical and made up for Stefen Bisseger’s time trial heartbreak.

Racing Style: Be seen and smile.

Tour Goals: Carapaz to push for the third spot on the podium while Powless picks up the big win he’s been promising; Cort to do what we’ve come to expect from the moustachioed breakaway artist of a sprinting persuasion.

If they were something French: A screw top bottle of crisp and sweet rosé from Provence with a really zany label.

GROUPAMA-FDJ

• David Gaudu
• Valentin Madouas
• Thibaut Pinot
• Lars van den Berg*
• Olivier Le Gac
• Stefan Kung
• Quentin Pacher
• Kevin Geniets

Star rider: Marc Madiot will try telling you it’s David Gaudu but we all know that, until he retires, Thibaut Pinot is the team’s GOAT.

Memorable Moment: Madiot hanging out of the team car as he cheered on Pinot to his first Tour stage win back in 2012 at Porrentruy.

Racing Style: Put all eggs in the single sentimental basket marked ‘Pinot’ while hoping Gaudu can cling on over the climbs.

Tour Goals: With no Arnaud Demare it’s all about Gaudu pushing for the podium and a fairytale finale for Pinot in his last Tour.

If they were something French: They already are pretty much the most French thing that exists. But if pushed – a bottle of Pinot Noir.

INEOS GRENADIERS

• Egan Bernal
• Michal Kwiatkowski
• Carlos Rodriguez*
• Daniel Martinez
• Thomas Pidcock*
• Jonathan Castroviejo
• Ben Turner*
• Omar Fraile

Star rider: Tom Pidcock

Memorable Moment: Pidcock winning on Alpe d’Huez after his daredevil descent of the Galibier last year made up for the continued absence of Bernal and the cautious podium push by Geraint Thomas.

Racing Style: Very different than the Sky team of old, Ineos send men up the road and give youth and inexperience a chance; it remains to be seen how they marry this with Bernal’s return to the Tour after a three-year absence.

Tour Goals: A promising return for Bernal after his injury nightmare, top 10s for Rodriguez and Martinez, at least one stage win for Pidcock.

If they were something French: Notre Dame cathedral – currently being rebuilt after catching fire.

INTERMARCHE-CIRCUS-WANTY

• Louis Meintjes
• Rui Costa
• Georg Zimmermann
• Dion Smith
• Mike Teunissen
• Adrien Petit
• Biniam Girmay*
• Lilian Calmejane

Star rider: Biniam Girmay

Memorable Moment: Taco van der Hoorn’s second place over the cobbles last year came tantalisingly close to delivering the team a maiden Tour stage win, ditto Louis Meintjes coming runner-up on Alpe d’Huez on his way to a career-high seventh on GC.

Racing Style: Jack-in-the-box, go-big-or-go-home – over any terrain.

Tour Goals: A debut stage win for Eritrean sprinter Girmay and another top 10 finish for veteran climber Meintjes.

If they were something French: Hmm… perhaps a leading chain of supermarkets like Carrefour or Auchan?

JUMBO-VISMA

• Jonas Vingegaard
• Wilco Kelderman
• Wout van Aert
• Tiesj Benoot
• Dylan van Baarle
• Christophe Laporte
• Nathan van Hooydonck
• Sepp Kuss

Star rider: Let’s be honest, Wout van Aert’s pull is far bigger than Jonas Vingegaard.

Memorable Moment: Van Aert, in green, leading out Vingegaard, in yellow, on the climb to Hautacam, distancing Tadej Pogacar, in white, in the process and securing not only the overall win but the polka dot jersey for the 2022 champion.

Racing Style: Supporting the team leader while letting Van Aert get up the road and compete for stage wins whatever the terrain.

Tour Goals: A second successive Tour win for Vingegaard and at least two stage wins for Van Aert before he has to attend his new baby (which could arrive at any point).

If they were something French: Lacoste – classic, ubiquitous, a market leader, and have jerseys in every colour available.

LIDL-TREK

• Giulio Ciccone
• Tony Gallopin
• Mattias Skjelmose*
• Jasper Stuyven
• Juan Pedro Lopez
• Mads Pedersen
• Alex Kirsch
• Quinn Simmons*

Star rider: Mads Pedersen

Memorable Moment: Both of Bauke Mollema’s solo victories (2017 and 2021) were a joy to watch, although Pedersen’s win from the break last year was immensely satisfying and showed a willingness to think outside the box from the young Dane.

Racing Style: On the front foot and taking their chances.

Tour Goals: More wins for Pedersen, maiden victories for Ciccone and Simmons, and a tilt at the white jersey for the in-form Skjelmose should Pogacar be below par.

If they were something French: Casino-Lapierre? Or one of those red French bangers that English exchange students can’t get enough of.

MOVISTAR

• Enric Mas
• Matteo Jorgenson*
• Ruben Guerreiro
• Nelson Oliveira
• Gorka Izagirre
• Gregor Muhlberger
• Antonio Pedrero
• Alex Aranburu

Star rider: An oxymoronic as it may sound, Enric Mas

Memorable Moment: Former leader Nairo Quintana soloing to victory at Saint Lary in 2018 – the last time Movistar won a stage on the Tour.

Racing Style: No longer the employers of the infamous “trident”, the team’s tactics remain as baffling as always, although Jorgenson’s potential from breakaways gives them hope.

Tour Goals: The American Jorgenson to build on his excellent spring with a stage win; Mas to be best of the rest in the battle for yellow; Aranburu to leave his mark in the Basque Country.

If they were something French: Vincent Cassel fills the remit, certainly in a literal sense.

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP

• Julian Alaphilippe
• Kasper Asgreen
• Yves Lampaert
• Remi Cavagna
• Tim Declercq
• Michael Morkov
• Fabio Jakobsen
• Dries Devenyns

Star rider: Julian Alaphilippe – but for how much longer?

Memorable Moment: More recent than Lou Lou’s 10-day stint in yellow in 2019, Lampaert’s “I’m just the son of a Belgian farmer” will take some beating from last year’s Tour after he took the first yellow of the race with a surprise TT win in Copenhagen.

Racing Style: The traditional focus on sprint-training to glory has been eclipsed in recent years by the buccaneering rise of Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel’s development. With the latter not expected to make his Tour debut until next year, Alaphilippe and sprinter Jakobsen provide the focal points.

Tour Goals: Sprint wins and a potential green jersey for Jakobsen; Alaphilippe to give Patrick Lefevere good reason not to pack him off to TotalEnergies next year; someone else to pick up a stage win. But who?

If they were something French: Kronenbourg – doesn’t taste as good as it used to.

TEAM ARKEA SAMSIC

• Warren Barguil
• Clement Champoussin*
• Anthony Delaplace
• Laurent Pichon
• Simon Guglielmi
• Jenthe Biermans
• Luca Mozzato*
• Matis Louvel*

Star rider: n/a

Memorable Moment: n/a

Racing Style: Flogging dead horses.

Tour Goals: Trying to keep some horses alive.

If they were something French: A savoury crepe from Brittany with an underwhelming filling (not horse meat).

TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH

• Romain Bardet
• John Degenkolb
• Matthew Dinham*
• Alexander Edmondson
• Nils Eekhoff*
• Chris Hamilton
• Kevin Vermaerke
• Sam Welsford

Star rider: Romain Bardet

Memorable Moment: He’s no longer on the team, but Soren Kragh Andersen’s double in 2020 – the same year Marc Hirschi, another former rider, also left his mark – stands out.

Racing Style: Swing-and-miss until finally making a connection.

Tour Goals: A stage win and the polka dot jersey for Bardet, who could also target the GC; a maiden Grand Tour scalp for promising sprinter Welsford.

If they were something French: The bespectacled and rather square French language assistant at your high school who came out of their shell at the leavers’ ball after a few glasses of punch.

TEAM JAYCO ALULA

• Simon Yates
• Dylan Groenewegen
• Luka Mezgec
• Elmar Reinders
• Lawson Craddock
• Luke Durbridge
• Chris Harper
• Christopher Juul-Jensen

Star rider: Simon Yates

Memorable Moment: Michael Matthews’ never-say-die win in Stage 14 at Mende last year was one for the ages.

Racing Style: A bit hit-and-hope when they’re not going all-in to lead out Groenewegen in the sprints.

Tour Goals: A top-five finish for Yates and some sprints for Groenewegen.

If they were something French: Le Louvre Abu Dhabi – fans not too sure about the latest collaboration.

UAE TEAM EMIRATES

• Tadej Pogacar*
• Adam Yates
• Vegard Stake Laengen
• Felix Grossschartner
• Mikkel Bjerg*
• Marc Soler
• Rafal Majka
• Matteo Trentin

Star rider: Tadej Pogacar

Memorable Moment: Pogacar coming from behind to beat compatriot Primoz Roglic on the final time trial at La Planche des Belles Filles will take some beating. Although the Slovenian’s sporting handshake with rival Vingegaard last year after his crash on the descent of the Spandelles will be an iconic image for years to come.

Racing Style: Supporting Pogacar’s push for yellow while allowing for the odd off-piste foray from the mercurial Soler.

Tour Goals: Helping Pogacar to ride back into form and prise the yellow jersey from Vingegaard’s shoulders. Should that fail, then a push for the top five for Plan B Yates.

If they were something French: Napoleonic France – a one-man team, and that man in possession of a dodgy hand.

UCI ProTeams

ISRAEL-PREMIER TECH

• Michael Woods
• Dylan Teuns
• Nick Schultz
• Krists Neilands
• Simon Clarke
• Guillaume Boivin
• Hugo Houle
• Corbin Strong

Star rider: Michael Woods

Memorable Moment: Overlooked because of the Jumbo-Visma calamity behind, but Clarke’s win on the cobbles at Arenberg last year had everyone – except Taco van der Hoorn fans – screaming at their screens in appreciation. As did Houle’s emotional win at Foix two weeks later.

Racing Style: Let’s get the old band back together – a blend of The A Team and New Tricks on bikes. Or, at least, it was until they got their act together and started winning things last July by infiltrating the right breaks.

Tour Goals: More of the same, plus a return to form for Teuns and a win for Schultz after coming so close last year.

If they were something French: Well, it would have been the 2022 French film Maison de Retraite? Then they made some bold selection decisions, so we’ll opt for a hunk of French Gruyère cheese, the holes provided by missing trio Chris Froome, Jakob Fuglsang and Daryl Impey…

LOTTO DSTNY

• Caleb Ewan
• Victor Campenaerts
• Jasper De Buyst
• Pascal Eenkhoorn
• Frederik Frison
• Jacopo Guarnieri
• Florian Vermeersch*
• Maxim van Gils*

Star rider: Caleb Ewan (albeit three years ago)

Memorable Moment: Those halcyon days when Adam Hansen used to ride every Tour – or, more specifically, Thomas De Gendt’s win at Chalet Reynard on Mont Ventoux.

Racing Style: Total dedication to Ewan, followed by total panic if/when the Australian crashes out.

Tour Goals: Keep Ewan out of trouble and deliver him to the home straight so that he can get back to winning ways on the Tour again. It’s been three years since his last success…

If they were something French: FDJ (France’s national lottery that is, not Marc Madiot’s rival team).

TOTALENERGIES

• Peter Sagan
• Daniel Oss
• Edvald Boasson Hagen
• Pierre Latour
• Anthony Turgis
• Mathieu Burgaudeau
• Steff Cras
• Valentin Ferron*

Star rider: Peter Sagan (albeit the one they thought they were getting when he joined from Bora)

Memorable Moment: Thomas Voeckler’s 10 days in yellow from the team’s Europcar days is the only correct answer.

Racing Style: Watching old videos of what Bora-Hansgrohe used to do in the Tour four years ago and then trying to emulate with roughly 1/4 of the same cast.

Tour Goals: Give Sagan a fitting send-off with a 13th stage win – and first in four years.

If they were something French: Societe Generale – often involved in crashes.

UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM

• Alexander Kristoff
• Torstein Traeen
• Soren Waerenskjold*
• Jonas Abrahamsen
• Anthon Charmig*
• Jonas Gregaard
• Tobias Johannessen
• Rasmus Tiller

Star rider: Alexander Kristoff

Memorable Moment: n/a

Racing Style: Let’s find out.

Tour Goals: Creating a bit of chaos on their Tour debut, the Norwegian minnows will hope to lean on Kristoff’s experience to lead the veteran to a fifth Tour stage win; Danish duo Charmig and Gregaard to dovetail in the mountains; TV time for the sponsors.

If they were something French: A rainy camping trip in the Pas de Calais.

The third and final of our Tour de France 2023 previews will look at the battle for the yellow jersey, complete with a form guide and predictions.

– – –