‘Pog and Rog’ among 5 to watch at the 2022 Tour de France

The Tour de France is set to be the ‘Pog and Rog show’ once again as Primoz Roglic seeks to deny fellow Slovenian Tadej Pogacar a third consecutive title.

Pogacar may only be 23 but, given how easy he makes everything look, the UAE Team Emirates rider enters the race as the overwhelming favourite.

But Roglic will not be the only challenger as the Ineos Grenadiers look to regain a title they once made their own and new pretenders arrive on the scene.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at five contenders for the yellow jersey.

Age: 23Nationality: SlovenianTeam: UAE Team EmiratesPrevious appearances: 2020 (first), 2021 (first)Stage wins: Six (2020 – stages nine, 15, and 20; 2021 – stages five, 17 and 18)

The short opening time-trial aside, the first real test for the general classification contenders at this Tour comes on stage eight to La Planche des Belles Filles. It was on this climb that Pogacar dramatically snatched the Tour away from Roglic in 2020. And since then, it has been hard to think of anyone else winning it. Still only 23, Pogacar makes everything look so easy, from stage racing at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico to one-day classic Strade Bianche, though he did blow a podium finish at the Tour of Flanders. He is once again the man to stop in France.

Age: 32Nationality: SlovenianTeam: Jumbo-VismaPrevious appearances: 2017 (38th), 2018 (fourth), 2020 (second), 2021 (DNF – withdrew after stage eight)Stage wins: Three (2017 – stage 17; 2018 – stage 19; 2020 – stage four)

Expect to see plenty of repeats of that haunting image of Roglic, helmet askew, eyes searching for a finish line that would not come on La Planches des Belles Filles, as a 2020 Tour he had dominated slipped away on that time-trial. Roglic’s