Tour de France 2017: 10 riders to watch - Video

Defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome remains the man to beat in 2017, but the Team Sky rider will need to get the better of several high calibre rivals. Ahead of the 104th Tour, Cyclingnews takes a look at the top-10 contenders for the yellow jersey.

With a team stacked full of general classification riders to support Froome, Team Sky's defence is looking formidable ahead of July. Although Froome is yet to win a race in 2017, he has consistently proved himself in July.

BMC's Richie Porte knows Froome almost better than anyone in the peloton after his time at Sky and the Australian comes into the race in winning form. The Tour Down Under and Tour de Romandie winner receives full backing in 2017 and will be confident of beating his fifth place of 2016.

Colombian Nairo Quintana has finished on the podium in his three Tours but is yet to wear the yellow jersey. With the second place Giro finish still in recent memory, Quintana will be keen to turn the pedals over in anger and ride to a debut Tour victory. He already has wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana and victory would see him join the exclusive club of riders to win all three Grand Tours.

Frenchman Romain Bardet joined Froome and Quintana on the podium last year, and the AG2R-La Mondiale rider will again be a protagonist at the race as his palmares proves. Criterium du Dauphine Jakob Fuglsang had a coming out party at the Tour dress rehearsal and can't be discounted for another strong GC showing on French soil.

Watch the video to see who else we selected for our 10 riders to watch and click here to subscribe to the Cyclingnews video channel.