The Tour de l'Avenir is supposed to show the next champions of the Tour de France. The rule has many exceptions, though. Several young riders who crushed the race never did the same in the Grande Boucle and some dull participants of the now-Under 23 event shone later in July.
This is why it's hard to predict the potential of Spain's Marc Soler, 21, who took victory Saturday in the 52nd edition of the Tour de l'Avenir ahead of Australian Jack Haig (Orica-GreenEdge next year) and Russian Matvei Mamykin.
Among his Spanish predecessors, who is the one he could like the most? Miguel Indurain, the 1986 victor and five-times crowned in the Tour de France? Or Ruben Fernandez, who tried his luck in the second division with Caja Rujal after he captured 'L'Avenir' in 2013 before joining Movistar this season?
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Spain's national coach, Pascual Momparler, confuses the issue. "Soler is like Wiggins", he tells Cyclingnews.
Bradley Wiggins? The reference comes as a surprise, although Marc Soler, in the same way as the first British winner of the Tour de France, experienced the cobbled races like the U23 of Flanders, a perfect step to become an all-rounder and never got trapped on a Grand Tour. The 2015 'maillot jaune' race included echelons and 'pavé' sections that could break all chances of the pocket climbers.
Both men also have in common a taste for climbs under 8 percent. Saturday, on the final ascent to les Bottières, near la Toussuire (Alps), the Spaniard was suffering and got dropped in the final kilometre, while Matvei Mamykin was playing and launching attacks. "I wasn't sure I could keep the jersey until the last two kilometres maybe," he told Cyclingnews. "Really I thought I was about dying..."
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