Velogames Preview – VELOGAME 2024

Le Grande Boucle is here! The second grand tour of 2024 is upon us and oh boy, I’m so excited. The route is pretty fantastic and the line-up even more so. Nearly all the top general classification (GC) riders are down to race, including the ‘big 4’ of world tour stage racing. We’re maybe lacking in a few top sprinters, but even that battle should be hotly contested. There will be some cracking fights for stage wins along the way with several teams opting to leave the yellow jersey alone and have some fun. Plenty of outstanding riders on the start list are yet to win at the Tour de France so we’re in for a cracking scrap! As always, we’ll review the route and then dive right in to the who’s who.

The Route

This year’s race begins in Italy for the first time ever, and the opening stages follow the same theme of recent grand tours, including last year’s Tour de France in the Basque Country, with a double header of hard, hilly stages. Overall, we can expect seven flat stages, four hilly stages, two individual time trials, and eight stages in the high mountains with five of these being summit finishes. There’s potential for up to eight sprints, with most of these opportunities not offering many difficulties for even the heaviest of sprinters. That means we should get a clean fight for the green points jersey, and only the true fastest sprinter in the race will take home the prize. Both of the individual time trials are fairly hilly, with the stage 21 finale being the first time the race has ended in a time trial since 1989. It is also the first time in history that the race will be finishing outside of Paris, and the steep, twisty roads from Monaco to Nice offer a tantalising final act, meaning the race will not be decided until the final turn of the pedals. The medium stages are scattered throughout the race offering several chances for opportunistic break wins, and maybe the most interesting of these is the gravel stage in Troyes on stage nine. The mountain stages are quite simply monstrous, with four finishing after massive climbs. Let’s highlight the key stage now, and the ones you won’t want to miss.

Stage 1: There are nearly 4000m of vertical ascent in this 206km curtain lifter. The climbs aren’t too steep and the last one tops out 25km from the finish line. The door is wide open for a whole host of possible first yellow jersey wearers.

Stage 2: The highlight of stage two is the double ascent of the San Luca climb, which has been used in the Giro d’Italia before and is the focal point of the one-day Giro dell’Emilia race held towards the end of the season.
Stage 3: This is the first opportunity for the fast men.
Stage 4: The race heads back to France, and the only way to do this is to go over the Alps. So as early as stage four, we go to 2633m of elevation over the Col de Galibier. Talk about a baptism of fire. There are over 10,000m of vertical metres in the opening four stages, anyone coming into the race slightly undercooked could find their race over before it’s really begun.
Stage 7: The first time trial (TT). 25.3km over some slightly undulating terrain. I suspect the top 10 will be half GC men and half TT specialists.
Stage 9: The gravel stage around Troyes. None of the climbing is especially steep, but gravel will give the GC boys plenty to think about. This is no place to be nervous, and being uncomfortable here might see a drop in the overall standings.
Stage 14: The race enters the Pyrenees as we go over the Tourmalet and we finish up the 10.6km 7.9% Pla d’Adet.

Stage 15: The second of the Pyrenean double header with nearly 5000m of climbing. It’s spread out throughout the 197km and finishes with the 15.8km 7.9% summit of Plateau de Beille.
Stage 19: The beginning of the end and another huge mountain day. The race reaches 2793m of elevation with three climbs all over 15km in length.
Stage 20: All the makings of an absolute classic. Up and down all day, over 4500m of climbing and a finish up 15.7km at 7.1%.

Stage 21: The race will be decided with a 33.7km time trial from Monaco to Nice over tricky terrain. Last chance saloon for anyone wanting to maximise their gains from the overall leader board.

Velogames Category Guide

The difficulty of the route for the overall contenders whilst still having plenty of opportunities for the sprinters offers a range of possible tactics for the race. A two sprinter strategy is very viable, as is choosing your favourite expensive riders and filling the team with talented bargains. Such is the pricing for this race that all kinds of fantasy rosters are on the table, and we should see a vast array of team make ups. I’ve played with around a dozen such drafts so far and that’s conservative compared to some players I’m sure! Let’s dive right into the categories and see who’s who at this year’s big lap of France.

All Rounders

Tadej Pogačar, 28 Credits: Comes in as the race favourite after dominating the Giro d’Italia albeit with a slightly decreased price tag because of his improved competition here. We all know what this lad is capable of. He comes in injury free and hungry for more success. Almost guaranteed around 3000 points if he finishes the race in one piece.
Jonas Vingegaard, 24 Credits: The defending champion hasn’t raced since a horror crash at the Itzulia Basque Country race in April that left him with broken ribs and a punctured lung, among other things. He’s been training for the last month or so and posting good numbers. The team have been downplaying his chances, but have always said they’d only bring him if he was 100%. He might ease his way into the race, but he won’t be able to if UAE go crazy on the opening stages.
Primož Roglič, 20 Credits: He also crashed hard in Itzulia, but recovered well enough to take victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné. It was looking like a vintage Roglič performance until the final stage where the former Vuelta and Giro champion showed some signs of cracking. But if he’s improved since then, he’ll put in a good shift.
Remco Evenepoel, 18 Credits: Remco’s first outing at the Tour de France and another rider to crash at Itzulia. He too returned to racing at Dauphiné, but he had a somewhat muted time. He did take victory in the time trial showing he’s still got the legs, but then suffered in the mountains. He’ll be very motivated for his first time here though.
Matteo Jorgenson, 14 Credits: A rider who’s taken a huge leap forward this year. He won Paris-Nice in March, beating Remco Evenepoel, then he pushed Roglič very close at Dauphiné. He’s here to learn and to support Jonas, but if Jonas isn’t quite there, then Jorgenson will be the man to step up. A huge if. He may end up having a good race anyway.
Juan Ayuso, 14 Credits: Still only 21, but his two outings at the Vuelta have netted him over 1600 points each time. He’s here to support Tadej primarily, as are all of the UAE riders, but there’s no reason he can’t put in a good showing himself.
João Almeida, 12 Credits: Another of UAE’s super team. He and Adam Yates destroyed the recent Tour de Suisse so his form is right where it needs to be. He’s never raced the Tour before, but he should be worth a good few points whilst he supports the team.
Geraint Thomas, 10 Credits: I wouldn’t put huge faith in Thomas to score big points. He’ll be slightly cooked after the Giro and he has at least two team leaders to support.
Enric Mas, 10 Credits: On alright form so far this year, but he always seems to be at his best in the Vuelta and not the Tour.
Pello Bilbao, 8 Credits: He’s supporting Santiago Buitrago for Bahrain, but is also keen for his own chances. He was 8 credits last year and scored 1434 points. I suspect he won’t score quite that many this year, but should score enough to be good value.

The rest of the all rounders offer something of a gamble. If you were really keen on taking a 6 crediter in this slot or as a wildcard, then I’d look at Tobias Halland Johannessen or Neilson Powless. But the real bargain in this category is Bilbao in my opinion. And there should be good points to be had from all of the top four and then those at 14 and 12 credits, so that’s where I’ll be picking from.

Climbers

Carlos Rodríguez, 14 Credits: This is Carlos’ 3rd grand tour outing and he has been remarkably consistent so far. 6th in the 2022 Vuelta and 5th in the 2023 Tour netted him 1339 and 1375 points respectively. The latter even included a stage win. Are these totals par for the course for him, or is there something more to come? Two world tour stage wins so far this year and an overall win in Romandie highlight the progression he’s made this year.
Adam Yates, 14 Credits: 4th highest scorer last year riding to 3rd overall in support of Tadej Pogačar. His form suggests he’s more than capable of repeating that this year, but the competition is fierce. If Pogačar wins this race comfortably then he may be willing to pay back his lieutenants in kind.
Egan Bernal, 12 Credits: The 2nd part of the Ineos GC charge. He’s been slowly recapturing good form after his horror crash in training two years ago and I think a top 10 is a reasonable goal for him. 3rd in Volta Catalunya and 4th in the Tour de Suisse this year show that he’s back.
Simon Yates, 12 Credits: The best climber from the 2023 edition, hands down, but he has no real form to speak of heading into this year’s race. A repeat of last year would be unlikely, but he’s a proper grand tour rider and he’ll give it a good go.
Jai Hindley, 10 Credits: The 2nd best climber last year when he was team leader. This year he has one very clear leader to support and another teammate probably ahead of him in the pecking order so his scoring potential is fairly limited.
Felix Gall, 10 Credits: A surprise package in 2023 with a stage win, 8th place overall and 2nd place in the king of the mountains (KOM) competition. This year hasn’t been stellar from the 26 year old Austrian, but there’s always time to turn things around.
Santiago Buitrago, 8 Credits: He’s been chosen by Bahrain Victorious to lead a grand tour for the first time in his career and not just for opportunistic shots at stage wins. The Colombian is 24 years old and already has 5 grand tours under his belt, with stage wins in two of them. A good overall result would be a big step up for him, but he is capable of it.
Aleksandr Vlasov, 8 Credits: More then likely the last man for Roglič and he’s had an impressive year so far. A stage win in Paris-Nice and several high GC placings highlight his potential. Doesn’t usually hit it big in terms of Velogames points, but for 8 he could be a bargain.
Richard Carapaz, 8 Credits: He’s had a tricky year so far so the team insist he’s here for stage wins, maybe a shot at the KOM jersey. If he was on top form then he’d be a steal at this price, but there are too many unknowns. Still a top rider on his day though!
David Gaudu, 8 Credits: He’ll be desperate for a good performance here to turn his year around because he’s not been good. He has had his fair share of bad luck along the way. His race will be a success if he makes it through and maybe fights for a stage or two.
Lenny Martinez, 8 Credits: I think it’s a year too soon for the 20 year old Frenchman. He has definitely improved from last year, but the competition is too harsh for him to make an impact on GC here and his time trialing is not great. 2nd and 3rd week raids in the mountains is what he’ll be aiming at.
Giulio Ciccone, 8 Credits: His recent punchy display at the Critérium du Dauphiné was very impressive, but he’s been ill since then. For me, he should ease into the race and then see about defending his KOM jersey from 2023, but that only got him 697 points, so he has to fight for stages as well to be worth it.
Romain Bardet, 8 Credits: Part of a stage hunting DSM team. Expect to see him in all the mountain breaks. He had a decent Giro this year and has often scored good, but unspectacular points in the last couple of years.
Mikel Landa, 8 Credits: Another rider who crashed in Itzulia. He returned to racing in the Dauphiné, but he’ll be all in supporting Remco.

I am not tempted by any of the 6 credit climbers here, but there are a couple who stand out if you’re really looking for a bargain. Wout Poels, Oscar Onley, Louis Meintjes, and Guillaume Martin are the ones I’d consider. I doubt they’ll score amazing points, but might get up towards 600, so okay if you wanted to compliment a top heavy team. There are just too many good options for 8 credits for me, so that’s where I’ll be spending my budget.

Sprinters

Jasper Philipsen, 16 Credits: The defending green jersey champion with four stage wins in the 2023 edition of the race. Four wins to his name this year including the monument classic, Milano-Sanremo. He hasn’t been imperious this year, but those who’ve regularly got the better of him aren’t here and he has his best leadout man in Mathieu van der Poel here to guide him home.
Wout Van Aert, 14 Credits: Wasn’t originally due to race the Tour this year, but a bad crash in Spring has altered his race calendar. He looked impressive in the recent Belgian national championships, but I would be surprised if he gets involved in too many sprints. He’s much more likely to pick his best chance or two and build into the race. Job number one is to keep Jonas in the hunt for yellow.
Mads Pedersen, 12 Credits: He’s scored over 1000 points in his last three grand tours and one of those he didn’t even finish. He’s won a stage in each of this last four grand tours so you can count on him to try and grab another. There are fewer stages that suit him this year with more proper flat sprints, so he’ll have to mix it up with the bigger lads if he’s to taste success.
Arnaud De Lie, 10 Credits: The 22 year old newly crowned Belgian national champion won that title beating Philipsen, Van Aert, and Merlier in the sprint. He’s a brilliant classics rider with an amazing turn of pace. He just hasn’t turned that into stage race sprint results yet. What better place to start then eh?
Dylan Groenewegen, 10 Credits: Never worth massive Velogames points and he hasn’t won at a grand tour since the 2022 Tour de France. He too has four wins this year with the Dutch national championships the most recent of those.
Mark Cavendish, 8 Credits: Returns to his final Tour in search of the elusive win number 35. Astana have assembled a really strong leadout to aid in this quest. Mark represents a romantic choice for those who believe in magic.
Phil Bauhaus, 8 Credits: Also never scores too well despite several top 5s every grand tour. He’s also only finished one grand tour out of five and with no sprint royale in Paris this year, that trend is likely to continue.
Bryan Coquard, 8 Credits: Excellent value at 6 credits last year scoring 938 points. If he does that again he might be worth it even at 8 credits. He has never won at the Tour so you can bet good money he’ll try everything possible to correct that.
Sam Bennett, 8 Credits: Hasn’t been at his best for the last couple of year, but he used to be a bit of a monster in grand tours. His leadout is not phenomenal, and he has fierce competition, but he’s won at least one stage at all five grand tours he’s raced since 2017.
Biniam Girmay, 8 Credits: His Giro d’Italia didn’t last long this year and he’ll be sharing sprinting duties with Gerben Thijssen, who’s also 8 credits. So expect them to split the points.
Fabio Jakobsen, 8 Credits: Why DSM is sending him to his 2nd grand tour of the year after the Giro was a disaster I don’t know, but I hope he has a competitive race.
Michael Matthews, 8 Credits: There aren’t many Matthew’s-esque stages this year and the team will be sprinting with Groenewegen.
Alexander Kristoff, 8 Credits: Uno-X are sending a monster leadout so expect Kristoff to benefit despite who he’s up against.
Arnaud Démare, 6 Credits: Woeful form all year, and hasn’t raced and grand tour since the 2022 Giro.
Pascal Ackermann, 6 Credits: Another rider searching for some sort of comeback. No wins this year, but has been competitive at times. Historically has scored well, but it’d be a bolt from the blue if he were to shine this July.
Marijn Van Den Berg, 6 Credits: Building nicely on a good 2023 when he scored 709 points in the Vuelta. He prefers hillier terrain and a reduced bunch, but he is EF’s man for the sprints.
Fernando Gaviria, 6 Credits: Scored 681 points in the Giro, but with only one top 5 to his name. If he improves on that then he could be a bargain for 6.

These are the guys I’ll consider, but realistically, I’m choosing one of Philipsen, Pedersen, or De Lie. It all depends who I can fit in. If I have some sort of meltdown between now and Saturday and can only afford a cheap sprinter, then it’s between Ackermann, Marijn Van Den Berg, and Gaviria.

Unclassed

As always, I won’t cover every unclassed rider, so there will be riders I leave out. I accept no responsibility if a rider I fail to mention ends up having a blinding race, but that has never happened before…..(cough cough, Derek Gee). Anyway, here’s a rundown of the riders I’m considering at each price level.

10 credits

Mathieu van der Poel: I’m not really considering van der Poel, but I need to mention him. He’ll have the Olympics on his mind and his primary role here is to leadout Philipsen, just as it was last year.
Tom Pidcock: Is in fine form and seems very keen to improve on previous performances.

8 Credits

Alberto Bettiol: Looks incredibly strong this year highlighted by victory in the Italian national championships last weekend. He’ll be target the opening stages and there are a few others that could suit him later on too.
Ben Healy: Needs to work on his race craft, but you can bet he’ll be trying everything. His teammate, Bettiol, is likely a better option.
Romain Grégoire: I’m not sure what stages suit him, but he’s been going well again this year. FDJ aren’t bringing a sprinter so he’ll get his own opportunities for sure.
Derek Gee: A huge Giro last year and 3rd at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné prove that this lad has got it. I’m backing him to have another bonkers, attacking race and, spoiler alert, he’s the only guaranteed rider in my team thus far.
Maxim Van Gils: Another rider having a super 2024. He too, will be active in the opening stages as well as the big breaks later on in the race.
Oier Lazkano: And another rider who’s stepped up this year. He’s had some very encouraging results and was 2nd at the Spanish national championships.
Christophe Laporte: Support is his main role, but if Wout isn’t sprinting much, then maybe Laporte will be let off the leash for a few goes. A bit of a gamble.
Magnus Cort: Will be in as many breaks as he can might fancy the first couple of stages too.

6 credits

Axel Laurance: A cracking young rider, but will have to take his chances when Philipsen isn’t.
Cristián Rodríguez: Mountain breakaway guy for Arkea. 513 points in the 2023 Vuelta.
Kévin Vauquelin: Will want to make more of an impression than his grand tour debut at the 2023 Vuelta. He’s improved this year and I’m excited to see how he goes.
Matej Mohorič: Top scored amongst the 6 unclasseds last year. He’s highlighted stages 9 and 18 as potential targets for a win.
Paul Lapeira: Recently crowned French national champion and having a monster year. It’s hard to say which stages suit him and he might just be here to learn. Has actually raced both the Giro and the Vuelta before, but with no standout results.
Valentin Madouas: His 2023 Tour wasn’t great, but scored 642 points in 2022.
Laurens De Plus: 5th in the Dauphiné show his climbing is on point. If he hangs about in GC in support of Rodríguez and Bernal, then he could wrack up a few points. He managed 716 points in the 2023 Giro doing just that.
Stephen Williams: Having a cracking year, let’s just see if that carries on through the Tour.
Harm Vanhoucke: Showing good climbing form, will be trying his luck in the mountains.
Tiesj Benoot: 2nd highest 6 unclassed scorer last year with 593. Might get this again if he tries for a break or two.
Jonas Abrahamsen: Was last year’s highest scoring 4 credit rider. Has had a really strong classics campaign this year, so he’s in good shape.
Søren Wærenskjold: On leadout duties, but can perform if given his own chances.

4 credits

Daniel McLay: I’m not really a fan of any 4 credit rider here, but McLay has scored a few points in the past.
Johannes Kulset: The newest climbing sensation for Uno-X. He just has a stronger teammate in Tobias Halland Johannessen to contend with.

So there you have it. This absolute unit of a guide is finally done. Let me know in the comments or on Twitter if there are other riders you want advice on, or if you think I should add anyone to these lists. In terms of strategy, I might be going GC heavy including two of the big four, but a two sprinter strategy is absolutely viable here too. For the unclasseds, I’d suggest going an 8 and two 6s, or if you have the budget, two 8s. I think the points will be spread out quiet nicely under the obvious points hoarders at the top. Thursday night will be the discussion stream. I’ll go live at 8pm UK time here: https://www.twitch.tv/andytheciderman. I’ll put a Twitter post up a hour or so before the start. Happy picking as always, and enjoy when the race gets going! Oh, and here’s the league code for anyone who hasn’t joined up yet: 914475121