For the first time since 2020 the first yellow jersey of the Tour de France should be won by a pure sprinter. Saturday's opening stage begins and ends in the northern city of Lille and while nothing is a given in a race as unpredictable as the Tour, it would be a huge surprise if it didn’t end in a bunch sprint.

Tour de France prediction 1: Tadej Pogacar to win General Classification - 4/11 Bet365 Remco Evenepoel is the favourite on most betting apps to retain the white jersey he won 12 months ago, but he has struggled to find his best form in 2025, which opens the door for 24-year-old Florian Lipowitz.

More financially stable set-ups would also go some way to compensate for the power wielded by Amaury Sport Organisation, which owns the 122-year-old Tour — the only cycling event which most sponsors truly care about.