Who are the favorites for this year's edition? 

I would say that there are three cyclists who are the main favourites. Egan Bernal, Roglic and Dumoulin are for me the main candidates to win the Tour de France this year, although we already know that anything can happen in a race like this.

Are there any riders you feel will make a breakthrough this year? 

I think there are many cyclists who arrive at a good time. For example, Quintana is doing a great season as well as Pogačar which can do great things in this Tour de France. Enric Mas with the quality he has can also be one of the important cyclists of this year without forgetting Miguel Angel Lopez of course. Alaphilippe is another big name that should always be on the radar.

Do you see Jumbo Visma and INEOS as favourites? 

Absolutely. Both teams have earned enough of a reputation to be considered as favorites for the Tour and probably for many other great races of the year.

INEOS abdicated Froome and Thomas for this edition. Was this a surprise? 

It's a bit surprising because both have won the Tour de France and they are a big hit with the peloton. Even more so seeing the team that presents the Jumbo Visma but I understand that this decision must have been chosen internally and for the team's own interests. Taking into account that Froome will change team next year I do not know to what extent I would work for Egan Bernal as I would do for Thomas. In the end we only know very few things about what happens within the teams.

Do you think INEOS has made a mistake by not picking either rider? 

The team will have its reasons for having decided this. Last year between Froome and Thomas we already saw some friction for calling it something and I don't know if that could have influenced it. This decision is for the well-being of the team and to face the Tour de France in a more united way.

Has Astana made a mistake by not picking Jakob Fuglsang for the TDF-squad - or is Giro d'Italia and Fuglsang a better fit? 

We are seeing different decisions that follow this line. Some teams opt for alternative calendars and perhaps with Jakob they are looking for a different goal than in other years such as focusing on the Giro d'Italia. Miguel Angel Lopez as I said before, is an important name for the Tour after the great Dauphiné he did.

Should sprint arrivals change after what happened at the Tour of Poland between Fabio Jakobsen and Groenewegen?

Sprinting is part of this sport. In fact, they are a very important part, although fans enjoy mountain stages very much, but the excitement and what you experience in a key race sprint is very difficult to describe in words. They are moments that you never forget.

What is your favourite memory from the Tour? 

I would say that the victory in Plateau de Beille. I remember it very fondly because it was undoubtedly one of the moments when my professional career began to take off, so yes, it is one of my favorite memories if not most of the Tour de France.

What makes the Tour de France so special? 

Without a doubt it is a race without equal. 80% of the return on a team fighting for the Grand Tours comes from a Tour de France win. The rest of the races are also important such as the Giro d'Italia or La Vuelta, but the status and what the Tour de France means is far above the rest of the races.

Alberto Contador is part of Eurosport's Tour de France coverage, which starts on Saturday 29 August LIVE on Eurosport, the Eurosport App and the GCN App across Europe.