French fans will be hoping Tejay van Garderen is not the only rider who manages to challenge the ‘big four’ particularly after the performance of the home riders last year.

Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was second overall, while Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) bagged third and the white jersey.

Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale), meanwhile, finished sixth and along with Pinot has been in good form this year too.

Both will be contenders for the white jersey, but face a huge task on their hands to beat Nairo Quintana – however, it is not beyond either of them to push him close.

Bardet was a stage winner at the Criterium Du Dauphine, on the stage to Pra-Loup that will be repeated at the Tour, where he showed some fearless descending.

Pinot, meanwhile, rides on the back of a stage win at the Tour de Suisse, where he held the yellow jersey up until the final individual time trial.

With no big time trial on the Tour de France route, though, that will not be a problem for the young Frenchman.

Away from the home favourites, Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) continues to show strength in the week-long races – a stage winner and third overall at the Dauphine – but is yet to prove himself in a Grand Tour.

Costa’s former Movistar team-mate Alejandro Valverde will be ready to step in for the Spanish team, meanwhile, should anything happen to Quintana.

He did so in similar circumstances at the Vuelta a Espana and went on to claim third overall.