VN Podcast, ep. 205: No Chris Froome at the Tour; Contenders analysis

There will be no Chris Froome or Geraint Thomas at the Tour de France this year. The bombshell news was dropped by Team Ineos this past week, and on today's episode of The VeloNews Podcast we discuss every angle of the decision. What does this mean for Froome's legacy and his attempt to win a fifth Tour? Why did Thomas look so bad at the Critérium du Dauphiné? And what does this milestone mean for Team Ineos and its era of dominance at the Tour de France? Plus, the Tour de France revealed a new rule for COVID-19 safety, stating that teams will be booted from the race if they have two or more riders or staffers who test positive for the virus or show symptoms. We analyze this rule, and what impact it could have on the race. Then, our countdown to the Tour de France concludes this week as we analyze our top-five contenders for the yellow jersey. Froome's omission threw off our top-10 list, and we discuss which second-tier contenders deserve a spot on the list of top favorites. All that and more on this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast! Live bike racing is back, and FloBikes is your home for live and on-demand coverage of the biggest events of the year including the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, Tirreno Adriatico, and much, much more. Go behind the scenes with exclusive interviews, in-depth documentaries, and a host of other cycling-focused content. Additionally, Canadian viewers get access to the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, and the World Championships. Subscribe today by going to flobikes.com/velonews.