Meet the top American cyclists in this year's race

An overall victory may be out of reach for the American riders in the Tour de France, but ending a three-year drought of stage wins is well within their reach.

Sepp Kuss, 29, was the last American to win a stage when he won Stage 15 of the 2021 Tour de France. The Durango, Colorado, native is the best rider the country has seen in a decade. Last year, Kuss finished as the top American in 12th place at the Tour de France and won the 2023 Vuelta a España to become the first American winner of a Grand Tour since Chris Horner won the same race in 2013. However, despite being slated to be Jonas Vingegaard’s top support rider for the 2024 Tour de France, Kuss withdrew from this year’s edition after testing positive for COVID-19 in the run-up to the race.

Greg LeMond remains the only American to have won the overall classification of the Tour de France, in 1986, 1989 and 1990. American Lance Armstrong won the Tour from 1999 to 2005, but was later stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping by the International Cycling Union in 2012.

So who is left in the running this year to give the United States a chance at victory, at least for one stage? Here’s a look at the three Americans in contention for the 2024 Tour de France.

Matteo Jorgenson (UCI WorldTeam Visma-Lease a Bike)

Jorgenson, 25, is having a breakthrough season with an overall win at Paris-Nice 2024 and a second-place finish at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné.

Jorgenson is a serious contender for this year’s white jersey, which is awarded to the best young rider under 26. A versatile rider, Jorgenson – alongside Kuss – is fast becoming the United States’ best hope for a future Tour de France overall winner. But for now, he’ll step in from Kuss as the primary support for teammate Jonas Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 Tour de France winner.

This year, Jorgenson will be competing in his third Tour de France. The Idaho native finished 20th overall in 2022 and was forced to withdraw in 2023 due to injuries sustained in a crash on the course.

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

A top mountain biker growing up in California, Powless, 27, transitioned to road racing and turned professional in 2018.

Powless made history in 2020 by becoming the first Native American to compete in the Tour de France. He has continued to improve since then, coming off his best season yet with overall victories at the Grand Prix La Marseillaise and Étoile de Bessèges in 2023.

In Kuss’ absence, Powless is the American’s best hope for a stage win, as he is known for his breakaway success and climbing ability. Last year, Powless led the climbers’ classification for the first half of the Tour, but was eventually overtaken by Italian Giulio Ciccone. This year, he will be looking to finally capture the polka dot jersey before the Tour ends. Big loop.

Sean Quinn

Hailing from Los Angeles, Quinn is a 24-year-old cyclist on the rise who is racing his first Tour de France in support of EF Education-EasyPost team leader Richard Carapaz. Fresh off a win at the U.S. National Road Race Championships in May, Quinn is a versatile rider who excels on the climbs and can produce powerful sprints. Quinn will certainly be a rider to watch in the coming years.