Before the start of Tour de France 2026: the favorites to win the White Jersey

• First, Delc Touro and Ayuso will compete for the White Jersey of Tour de France 2026 after the end of the season with the status of the strongest newcomers of the race.
• At Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Delc will start the race for Tour AURA, and Ayuso will finish third in the standings, after the end of the stage, with the best young rider.
• Three other riders are also considered contenders for the White Jersey: Woutelenna, Uijtde-Brooksa, and Réicciottello, who could challenge the favorites with their consistency throughout the race.

In 2026, the White Jersey at Tour de France will be fought over by a handful of young riders, such as Florian Lipowitz of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, who will be entering the third year in the category. Meanwhile, German, who will be 26 by then, will be in the oldest age group, which means he might not be eligible for the title.

Among the key contenders is Pola Seixsa from Decathlon-CMA CGM. At 19 years old, 9 months and 10 days, he is currently the youngest participant in Tour de France since 1937. At Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, he was riding for the win from the start on the climb to Crest-Voland (Stage 6), and Aizak Del Toro also did not hold back, attacking from the very beginning—so that he could break away from the group.

Also worth noting is Aizak Del Toro, who has proven his class on the climbs. At the same time, he could be a serious threat to the favorites. In the red jersey at Tour AURA, he was the one who rode the fastest on the climbs, and the same could happen at Tour de France 2026.

Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek has a contract that says “no” to the “summer” plan. He has a tendency to stay away from leadership, but at Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes he was already in the lead, and he will be ready for the start of Tour de France. Kevin Vokelen of Netcompany-Ineos has not planned any major results in advance, but could surprise with an unexpected outcome. Jian Uijtde-Bruck at Movistar, who has shown his strength in time trials, could surprise with his form, and the “young” at the start of the Tour could be Matthew Ricciottello from Decathlon-CMA CGM, who is a Frenchman who has been dealing with physical problems.

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