The Tour’s 21 stages provide ample opportunity to dream. For stage hunters, for sprinters, for climbers, for yellow-jersey contenders. Everything is possible, and it’s on the sport’s biggest stage.
“The objective is quite simple,” Jonathan Vaughters, the team’s CEO, says. “We start the race trying to win the Tour de France. Is that optimistic and is that pushing the limits of our team? Absolutely. But we were second place last year. We have a little bit stronger team this year, and we have a parcours more suited to Rigo than last year. We have Rigo, who is stronger than he was last year. So we’re going in with the idea of trying to win the race.”
Below, find comments from each of our Tour riders, head sport director Charly Wegelius, and Vaughters, on each rider’s selection.
Allez Argyle.
Rigoberto Uran:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “The first rider on our Tour de France selection is the most obvious one – Rigoberto Uran, second place in the Tour last year and someone that truly believes he can win the race. We built this team around helping him fulfill that objective.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Our leader, on and off the bike. He is a reference for the whole group for his tranquillity and professionalism. We are backing him 100 percent.”
Rigoberto Uran says: “The importance of the Tour is easy to explain. Everything in July is top level – every rider, every stage, every second. It all matters. I need to focus for 21 days. It’s important to focus in the race, at the dinner table, for the sleep. From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep, it’s like the World Championships every single day for three weeks.”
Pierre Rolland:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Pierre Rolland is going to be a key climbing domestique for Rigo in the Tour. He just finished a great eighth place in the Dauphiné, so we know he’s coming onto some of the best form he’s had in years. We expect him to be right there with Rigo.”
Charly Wegelius says: “As the summer weather begins to heat up, you can always see a slow transformation in Pierre as ‘his’ race approaches. We saw the first signs of this at the Dauphine, and I am sure there is more to come. He has experience and passion for racing the Tour that will take him a long way.”
Pierre Rolland says: “It’s always a pleasure to race the Tour, but the main thing isn’t only to participate in the race but to be a main actor. I want to be present in the mountains with Rigo, and if the chance presents itself, to win a stage, but first and foremost, I want to arrive without any problems to the first rest day, to pass all the complicated stages of the first week in the best condition possible.”
Dani Martinez:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Dani Martinez was just off the win in Tour of California last month. I would put him on par, people might argue with me, in terms of talent coming out of the young Colombian ranks with Egan Bernal (Team Sky). This will be his first Tour de France. I think Dani will be a key component in both the team time trial and the mountain stages.
Charly Wegelius says: “Dani is young but already has a solid experience behind him. He has shown signs of great promise this season, but the Tour is another kettle of fish. He is a smart, aware kid, who learns very quickly. This Tour will be another step on his learning experience, and he has all the tools to make an impact while he is learning.”
Dani Martinez says: “Being selected for this Tour team is a great achievement. There are a lot of deserving riders on this squad. Being chosen to race, to help Rigo as much as possible, makes me incredibly proud. To start the Tour is to fulfill a piece of my dream.”
Simon Clarke:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Simon Clarke is going to be our on-the-road captain. With a great deal of experience, he knows how to read the races incredibly well, knows how to position his leader in front when it needs to happen. He’s also a handy climber and good at sneaking into breakaways, so a multi-purpose rider and a great leadership figure on the road and at the dinner table.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Simon has a great nose for moving a leader around a peloton, an instinct for finding the right position at the right time. This is not easy to find in pro cycling and is of great value at a race like the Tour. You may not see it on TV, but his contribution is fundamental.”
Simon Clarke says: “My role is to take leadership on the road, and this becomes more and more important the better Rigo is riding, which became really evident last year in the Tour. When a Tour de France podium is at stake, every decision takes on a new sense of importance. I had a massive learning curve last year, riding in a team where a bad decision could impact our ability to achieve a great result. I learned a lot last year that I’ll bring into this year’s race, behind the scenes, to try to provide Rigo with the best opportunity to ride to an even better result than last year.”
Sep Vanmarcke:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Sep obviously on the team is to help Rigo on the cobblestone stage. I don’t think we could ask for a better rider to show Rigo how to ride the cobbles and to stay with him over the stones. We think this is going to be a great opportunity for us to gain time on our rivals.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Sep’s performance at Suisse and recent national champs show that he is on song. He will be a great asset to have over the first week, of course, over the cobblestones.”
Sep Vanmarcke says: “In theory the cobble stage would suit me perfectly, but I go to the Tour to help Rigo, so there are no personal goals except to help him as best I can. I’ve had five Tour starts, and this is the first time I’m going with a team fighting for the podium. It’s also the first time I do the Tour with #PinkArgyle, so that’s exciting.”
Tom Scully:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “This will be Tom’s first Tour de France, and he’s going to be a powerhouse in the team time trial. He’s also going to be great on the cobblestone stages and is an irreplaceable domestique as far as getting the lead rider, Rigo, in key positions at key moments. He’s done a great job of that with Sep Vanmarcke doing just exactly in the Classics in the last couple years, so it will be fun having him do his first Tour de France with us.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Tom’s reliability and racing skills have made him a must for big events in our team over the last 18 months. He takes everything in his stride, and never lets an occasion get the better of him. This is a much welcome asset in the stressed bubble of the Tour.”
Tom Scully says: “It’s the race that everyone knows. If you ask someone about cycling, they say ‘Oh like the Tour de France?” so everyone can relate to it, cyclist or not. I’m there to ride the wind, get the bottles or whatever – domestique duties. I’m taking my first Tour day-by-day, ready to do whatever they need me to in support of our general classification ambitions.”
Taylor Phinney:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Taylor Phinney is back for his second Tour de France. He’s going to be an incredible asset in the team time trial and great on the cobblestone stages as well. Taylor will be a key rider in keeping Rigo positioned well in the first nine stages, making sure Rigo loses no time whatsoever in the first week.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Taylor is someone who always gives something extra at the biggest events. You can always count on getting the best out of him when the stakes are high. We saw this at Roubaix this year, and his mindset over the last month suggests that we will see the same in July.”
Taylor Phinney says: “I think my role is chief vibration officer. I have to keep the vibes up, make sure the frequencies are calibrated. Mostly I’m there as team player, looking after Rigo and the rest of the guys on the flat stages. If there’s some sort of a window where I can go for something myself, I’ll take that opportunity but that’s not what I’m going to the Tour to do – but you never know what can happen over three weeks.”
Lawson Craddock:
Jonathan Vaughters says: “Lawson Craddock can fit a couple different roles. He can climb quite well on the medium mountain stages, and he’s also proving to be one of our better riders in the team time trial. He’s a multi-faceted rider that we can use in a lot of different aspects, and it’s great to have him back at the Tour.”
Charly Wegelius says: “Lawson has definitively put his 2017 season behind him, and has shown signs of his capabilities in California and Amstel. He has been particularly driven in his preparation for this race, and we expect to see that determination push him to excel in the race.”
Lawson Craddock says: “Racing the Tour in 2016 was a huge learning experience for me. There’s a ton of things that I was able to take away from the race that I can bring to this year’s Tour. My role will be to help out Rigo to put him on the top step of the final podium in Paris. He’s a great leader that instills confidence in the people around him. Being a part of a team that has a legitimate chance to win the Tour de France is not an opportunity that comes around very often.”
EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale for the 2018 Tour de France:
Sport Directors:
- Charly Wegelius (GBR)
- Andreas Klier (DEU)
- Tom Southam (GBR)
Riders:
- Rigoberto Uran (COL)
- Pierre Rolland (FRA)
- Dani Martinez (COL)
- Simon Clarke (AUS)
- Sep Vanmarcke (BEL)
- Tom Scully (NZL)
- Taylor Phinney (USA)
- Lawson Craddock (USA)
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