With the Tour de France on the horizon and a volley of teams starting to announce their eight-man rosters for the race, Cyclingnews sits down with EF Education First Drapac – powered by Cannondale’s Tom Southam to analyse and pick apart the race route. The profile of this year’s Tour can be neatly divided into two halves with the first portion dominated by sprints, cross-winds, cobbles and the team time trial. The second half of the race will see the peloton – or rather what’s left of it – head into the mountains with the Alps followed by the Pyrenees. Even the transition stages could be key in the battle for the yellow jersey. There is of course the final time trial on the penultimate day but this year’s Tour de France is set to be brutally tough race with no let up through the early stages in the Vendee or as the race travels through Brittany.

 Along with looking at the route the team of Southam, Cyclingnews’ Daniel Benson, and Procycling editor Ed Pickering pick out the standout riders for the race, from the sprinters to the climbers and GC candidates. Southam also discusses what goes into picking a Tour de France roster, and provides is expert opinion on how the race might unfold.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Prendas Ciclismo, Pinarello, and Floyds of Leadville.