Tour de France 2016: How Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and co have done in 2016
Wednesday 13 April 2016 11:04, UK
The build-up to this summer’s Tour de France takes a break for the next couple of weeks, which presents a good opportunity to review how the leading contenders for the yellow jersey are shaping up so far.
All of them have taken part in at least two stage races this year, with some impressing but others struggling for form.
Here, we give their seasons a mark out of 10…
Chris Froome (Team Sky)
Froome has raced only twice in a quiet start to the season. He opened the year by winning a stage and the overall title at the Herald Sun Tour in Australia, but given that he was up against very few climbers, let alone grand tour contenders, it was difficult to use the race as a gauge of his form.
His next outing was the Volta a Catalunya in March, but he was off the pace and finished only eighth, 46 seconds down on the winner.
However, there is no reason for Froome fans to panic. He fared even worse in Catalunya last year, finishing 71st due to illness, but had recovered and built enough form to win both the Criterium du Dauphine in June and Tour de France in July.
It's a safe bet that he is following a similar, late-blooming trajectory this year.
2016 rating so far: 5/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1), Criterium du Dauphine (June 5-12)
Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
Quintana has had a strong start to the season, finishing third at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina, winning the Volta a Catalunya and then finishing third at the Tour of the Basque Country.
His victory in Catalunya was particularly impressive given that all of the Tour de France contenders were racing and he crushed every one of them with an imperious display of climbing on the race's key mountain stage.
However, he was slightly off the pace in the mountains in the Basque Country and only snatched a place on the podium thanks to a strong ride in the race-ending time trial.
2016 rating so far: 8/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1)
Alberto Contador (Tinkoff)
Contador has been one of the busiest grand tour riders of the year so far, taking part in four stage races and clocking up 25 race days. He has also enjoyed a steady stream of success.
A third-place finish at the Volta ao Algarve in February was followed by second places at Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya in March and then an overall victory at the Tour of the Basque Country.
However, the consistency of his results glosses over inconsistencies in his performances in the mountains.
He has, at times, been untouchable, such as his stage win in the Algarve. At others, he has been well off the pace, such as his defeat to Quintana in the 'queen' stage in Catalunya.
On the whole, though, he has so far looked good and appears set for a strong Tour.
2016 rating: 8/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Criterium du Dauphine (June 5-12)
Fabio Aru (Astana)
The 2015 Vuelta a Espana winner is set to lead Astana at the Tour for the first time, but he will need a drastic improvement in his form if he is to challenge for a place on the podium.
Aru has raced four times in 2016 and started well enough, finishing sixth at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain in February and then ninth at the Volta ao Algarve.
However, his performances then regressed with a disappointing 14th-place finish at the Volta a Catalunya last month and an abandonment of the Tour of the Basque Country last week when placed only 20th overall.
It leaves him with a lot of ground to make up on his rivals ahead of the Tour, although he has plenty of time.
2016 rating: 3/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Criterium du Dauphine (June 5-12)
Richie Porte (BMC Racing)
Like Contador, Porte has had a busy start to the year, racing on 28 days and in four stage races.
The Australian finished second at the Santos Tour Down Under in January and third at Paris-Nice in March, but in between he finished a disappointing 49th at the Tour of Oman. In his latest outing, he finished fourth overall at the Volta a Catalunya.
Porte has so far looked strong in the mountains but not outstanding, having not yet been able to break clear of a main group of favourites on a summit finish.
2016 rating: 7/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1), Criterium du Dauphine (June 5-12)
Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing)
Van Garderen is set to co-lead BMC Racing at the Tour alongside Porte, but on evidence so far, he looks the slightly weaker of the two.
The American finished second at the Ruta de Sol in February and fifth at the Volta a Catalunya, but he was off the pace in the key mountain stages of both. He also raced Tirreno-Adriatico, but the cancellation of the key mountain stage due to snow denied him the chance to climb up the general classification and he ultimately finished 25th.
He will need to improve considerably if he is to challenge for a place on the Tour podium.
2016 rating: 6/10
Remaining stage races before Tour de France: Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1), Criterium du Dauphine (June 5-12)
Geraint Thomas (Team Sky)
Thomas has enjoyed an excellent year in terms of results, having won back-to-back overall titles at the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice.
However, there have also been causes for concern, not least the manner in which he cracked in the mountains on the final stage of Paris-Nice and saved overall victory only with a superb descent to the finish line.
He was still feeling the effects of that exertion at the Volta a Catalunya, which he opted to abandon after four stages in order to rest up and recover fully.
2016 rating: 8/10
Next stage race: Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1), Tour de Suisse (June 11-19)
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