With no Canadians at the 2017 Tour de France who should you cheer for?

Antoine Duchesne raced the Tour de France in 2016 but was not on Direct Energie’s roster for 2017 making him the last Canadian of a 10 year streak to race La Grande Boucle. Hugo Houle, Michael Woods, Ryan Anderson and Svein Tuft were also not on the startline of the 2017 Tour de France perhaps leaving some Canadians scratching their heads on who to cheer for. Well if you haven’t already got a soft spot for a rider contenting for a jersey, hunting for stage victories or lighting up the breakaway, here are a few suggestions on who you could back for the 104th edition of the Tour de France.

Rigoberto Uran

While not a prolific winner and not a significant threat to the genegral classification, Rigoberto Uran is on the Cannondale-Drapac squad which is sponsored by the American bike company that is owned by Montreal-based Dorel Industries. If that isn’t enough to get you behind him, Uran has also found success on Canadian soil winning the 2016 Grand Prix Cycliste Quebec. The Cannondale-Drapac squad for the Tour look to be composted of an assortment of stage hunters so if you don’t fancy Uran maybe get behind Taylor Phinney who is making his Tour debut after recovering from injury.

Robert Gesink

Like Uran, Gesink has success on Canadian soil in the form of wins at the GP Quebec in 2014 and before that the GP Montreal in 2010. These wins may be part of the reason the Dutchman is fond of the country though he has always arrived and raced in Canada with a smile. He is particularly fond of the old Quebec City with it’s more historic charm. Gesink will look to build off his success from last year’s Vuelta where he won his first Grand Tour stage.

Peter Sagan

Success in Canada isn’t Sagan’s only calling card. Remember when he was so excited to be in Canada the first thing he wanted to do after the Grand Prix Cyclist de Montreal in 2016 was head straight to the Bell Center for a World Cup hockey game with former teammate and friend Guillaume Boivin? He couldn’t keep quiet about it in the post-race press conference after winning the GP Quebec. What’s more Canadian than getting really excited about hockey. Sagan’s personality attracts many fans but of course it’s his legs that also make him fun to cheer for. He already has five concecutive Tour de France green jerseys and two world championship titles.

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka

Cervelo is a Canadian-based bike company that produces frames you’ll see under many on the group ride. They sponsor the Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka WorldTour team. While Mark Cavendish gives the squad a real threat for the sprints, it’s the charitable cause the team supports that may be attractive enough just to draw your support. Quebeka is a not-for-profit organisation that donates bicycles through the World Bicycle Relief. If you don’t fancy cheering on Cav the squad will look to the breakaways on the stages that don’t suit the fast Brit.

So who will you be cheering on during the Tour de France and do you think other Canadians should rally behind this rider? Let us know in the comments below.