Tour de France 2019: White jersey guide – Egan Bernal the clear favourite

Updated 28/06/2019 at 13:45 GMT

The first of our Blazin' Saddles Tour de France guides focuses on the white jersey youth classification – and a certain Colombian called Egan Bernal seems to be a shoo-in. Felix Lowe runs through the regulations and looks at the main contenders for the maillot blanc.

Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale)

Image credit: Getty Images

Introduced in 1975, the white jersey is awarded to the race's best young rider, with notable winners being Francesco Moser (1975), Laurent Fignon (1983), Greg LeMond (1984), Marco Pantani (1994, 1995), Jan Ullrich (1996-1998), Denis Menchov (2003), Alberto Contador (2007), Andy Schleck (2008-2010), Nairo Quintana (2013, 2015) and Thibaut Pinot (2014).

Four riders have won both the white and yellow jersey in the same year: Fignon in 1983, Ullrich in 1997, Contador in 2007 and Schleck – albeit retrospectively – in 2010.

Last year, Frenchman Pierre Latour won the white jersey after finishing 13th in the general classification – the lowest placed rider to do so since Russia's Vladimir Karpets in 2004. Before Latour, British brothers Adam Yates (2016, 4th) and Simon Yates (2017, 7th) won a white jersey each.

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Pierre Latour (AG2R - La Mondiale) in the white jersey during the 2019 Tour de France

Image credit: Getty Images

The rules have changed slightly over the years and no longer is the jersey applicable to any rider under 26 years of age. Currently, riders must be born after 1 January 1994 to be eligible – so anyone under 25 or who turned 25 this year. Incidentally, this means that man Latour, although still 25, cannot qualify.

In reverse chronological order of birth, let's now take a look at the riders in the frame to wear white in Paris…

Egan Bernal (Team Ineos, 22) *****

The second youngest rider in the 106th edition of the Tour – provided Jasper Philipsen of UAE Team Emirates starts – is the outright favourite to win the white jersey primarily because he's many people's favourite to secure the yellow jersey in his second Tour.

Fifteenth in his maiden Tour last year, Bernal shone in the mountains while riding very much in the service of leaders Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas. But with Froome out and question marks over the form of defending champion Thomas, Bernal is a decent bet to go one better than Nairo Quintana and deliver Colombia its first Tour victory.

There are no question marks over Bernal's form following commanding victories in both Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse. It may prove too early for the relatively inexperienced Bernal to win the Tour, but whether riding for Thomas or himself, the Colombian should easily take the white jersey.

Egan Bernal of Team Ineos in the white jersey ahead of stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse 2019

Image credit: Getty Images

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ, 22) ***

The bespectacled Frenchman Gaudu winning the maillot blanc would be a match made in heaven seeing that the jersey is sponsored by Krys, a retail chain of opticians. Think of the marketing opportunities… far greater than Marcel Kittel and Alpecin.

But even a pair of rose-tinted spectacles can't hide the fact that, on paper, Gaudu is not a match for Bernal. But should the Colombian implode in support of Thomas or crash out of the race, Gaudu is an attractive bet to pick up the pieces.

That said, never has Thibaut Pinot had a better chance to win the Tour, and much of Gaudu's role in July will come down to supporting his team-mate. 34th in his maiden Tour last year, Gaudu's form was patchy in the Dauphine, although he was fifth and won the youth classification in the Tour of Romandie.

TDF - Interview David Gaudu

Image credit: Eurosport

Lennard Kamna (Team Sunweb, 22) *

With Tom Dumoulin ruled out, the German youngster may have more of a free role in what, if selected, will be his maiden Tour. Overlooked last year, Kamna made his Grand Tour debut in 2017 but withdrew deep into the Vuelta when in 98th position. Very much an outsider here.

Laurens De Plus (Jumbo-Visma, 23) *

Results have been frustrating for the Belgian since making waves with a solid 24th place in the 2017 Giro, his maiden Grand Tour. De Plus has since failed to finish La Vuelta in 2018 and the Giro last month, but the experience will put him in good stead should he be selected.

De Plus' role would be to ride in support of Jumbo-Visma's GC duo of Steven Kruijswijk and George Bennett – so don't expect any fireworks.

Kasper Asgreen delivers on Stage 2 in California

Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep, 24) *

A rider of the Dane's quality could feasibly win a stage on the Tour where it not for his team's expansive roster of stars, who cover all bases – sprinting (Elia Viviani), climbing and stage hunting (Julian Alaphilippe), and GC (Enric Mas and, possibly, Bob Jungels).

Only in his first year as a full pro, Asgreen's job will be to get to Paris while helping others achieve their goals; the white jersey is not simply impossible, it won't even be on his radar.

Enric Mas (Deceuninck-QuickStep, 24) ***

Third in the Vuelta last September, the Spaniard tipped to be his nation's hair to Alberto Contador is perhaps the only realistic threat to Bernal winning the white tunic – although by the way the Colombian rode clear of Mas in the Swiss mountains in June, you'd be forgiven having a chuckle at that one.

And yet, Mas should be able to ride his own race and won't have to look after a team leader in the same way that Bernal may be called to heel for Thomas. So it's not infeasible that we see Mas target a stage win or two while riding stealthily up the standings.

Enric Mas wins a stage in La Vuelta 2018

Image credit: Eurosport

Odd Christian Eiking (Wanty-Gobert, 24) *

A maiden Tour for the Norwegian, who finished 77th in his first Vuelta back in 2016 and was in line for a top 50 finish a year later before withdrawing on the final day of the race. He's been quiet since, and his aim will be to get to Paris, not cause any upset in a competition that's well beyond his grasp.

Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo, 24) **

Given how he rode the Giro in May, you would think that the young Italian will be targeting the white jersey with the red spots on it rather than anything else.

With leaders Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema going for GC, Ciccone may have less of a free role in his maiden Tour. But he improved in each of his three Giri, finishing a solid 16th place in Verona last month, so he could benefit were Bernal, Mas and Gaudu to slip up. That's a long list of banana skins, mind.

Watch Ciccone outsprint Hirt to take deserved stage win

Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Merida, 24) **

Yes, go on, you'd better check if you're not sure… But when you do, you'll see that the Slovenian champion is still only 24 and therefore qualifies for the white jersey once again.

If it seems like Mohoric has been around the block, it's because he has: amazingly, this will be his sixth Grand Tour, albeit his first in France. With stage wins in both the Giro and Vuelta – and top 30 finishes now in both – Mohoric will be gunning to complete the Grand Slam while finishing as high as possible.

A lot will depend on the form of Vincenzo Nibali and how much work Mohoric will need to put in for the Italian veteran. But he's a good outside bet for the white jersey should the others falter.

Matej Mohoric of Bahrain Merida

Image credit: Getty Images

Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma, 24) *

The Belgian's much anticipated Tour debut comes with a modicum of expectation given his brace of wins and the green jersey in the Dauphine earlier in June. A sprint win and one against the clock underlined Van Aert's versatility; he's certainly a rider in the mould of Peter Sagan who can consistently rack up top 10 finishes.

While that may be a good omen for the points classification, it's hard to see Van Aert as playing any role in the battle for white – besides during the opening week of racing. The high-altitude finishes won't suit him; besides, he'll no doubt be in domestique mode for Kruijswijk and Bennett.

Van Aert doubles up with stunning sprint victory

Soren Kragh Andersen (Team Sunweb, 24) **

The Dane would have prepared for his second Tour very much with a view to helping Tom Dumoulin's bid for the yellow jersey. But the Dutchman's absence may open the door for the promising all-rounder, especially if Wilco Kelderman's bid stutters. He was 52nd last year so expect an improvement on that. But winning white? You've got to be kidding.

Gregor Muhlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe, 25) *

Runner-up to Julian Alaphilippe in Stage 6 of the Dauphine and fifth on the opening day, Austrian Muhlberger comes into the Tour with some form – although he was a DNF on the penultimate stage and his place in Bora's strong squad is far from guaranteed.

Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal, 25) ***

An impressive twentieth in his debut Tour in 2017, the Belgian never got the chance to build on that last year after crashing out early on.

Although deemed a classics rider, Benoot finished fourth in the Tour de Suisse and was the second-best young rider both in Switzerland and at Tirreno-Adriatico earlier in the season. The big problem is that the man who beat him to white in Suisse is the man many think will win the Tour.

Tiesj Benoot in the white jersey at Tirreno-Adriatico 2019

Image credit: Getty Images

Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe, 25) **

Last but by no means least (although not exactly most, either), the man with the infeasibly ch-heavy surname scrapes through the qualification criteria by just nine days. The German finished tenth in both the Tour of California and Itzulia Basque Country either side of an impressive Ardennes campaign, capping two fifths with third in La Doyenne.

He's solid, dependable and has huge potential, although set against the likes of Bernal and Mas in the mountains and its very much chalk and cheese (with Schachmann being the chalk in a world of white boards).

Prediction: Bernal, by a country mile

Our Tour de France 2019 previews continue on Monday with the polka dot jersey guide for the best climber.

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