The rider

Mathias Vacek arrives at his first Tour as Lidl-Trek's machine, a label that fits both his build and his job description. At 188 centimetres, with a second straight sweep of the Czech road race and time-trial titles behind him, he brings the sort of all-purpose power that can plug gaps everywhere. The Tour de Suisse podium in June showed he is more than a flatland engine. He can survive hard terrain, recover between efforts and still produce speed late in races.

That breadth makes him one of Lidl-Trek's most important structural riders. In Barcelona, he is a major piece of the team time trial. In sprint stages, he can help position Pedersen and keep the train fast before the final specialists take over. On rolling or medium-mountain stages, he can drag the group, cover moves, or join a break if the team's GC cards are secure. Few debutants arrive with so many useful ways to spend themselves.

The challenge is learning Tour economy. Vacek has the strength to do too much, which is both a gift and a danger for a young rider in a three-week race. Lidl-Trek have him locked up through 2029 because they believe that strength can be shaped into a central part of their future. This Tour is the first big test of how he distributes it. If he manages the effort well, he could become the rider teammates quietly rely on every single day.