There are some teams that have neither GC nor sprint ambitions at this year’s Tour de France. Instead, these teams will target stage victories with their talented lineup of all-around riders.
Simply winning a stage of this year’s Tour de France spells success for these squads. Thus, they build their lineup with riders capable of racing in breakaways, or surviving long and punishing days in the mountains.
CCC Team is among the list of opportunistic teams at this year’s Tour. In years past, the squad (formerly BMC) chased the GC with Richie Porte. Now, the team has its sights squarely set on stage wins with Greg van Avermaet, an all-rounder who can sprint and win on flat and hilly terrain.
Another potential opportunistic team is Bahrain-Merida, which may chase stage wins with Vincenzo Nibali and Sonny Colbrelli, if those riders’s ambitions in the GC and sprint competitions fizzle.
Below, we analyze this year’s opportunistic teams.