Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) will as soon as once more be the main target for Lidl-Trek on the Tour de France because the Dane eyes a stage win for the third yr in succession.
The previous World Champion was the headline identify introduced on the American squad’s damage and illness-affected roster, with a help squad constructed round delivering him both in dash finishes or the breakaway.
Final yr’s King of the Mountains from the Tour, Giulio Ciccone, is again on the beginning record after a tricky bout with saddle sores in the beginning of the season.
The Italian will lead the climbing ambitions with out their deliberate GC chief Tao Geoghegan Hart, who missed out on the roster because of a fractured rib and falling sick with COVID-19 final week.
Alongside leaders Pedersen and Ciccone, Jasper Stuyven, Carlos Verona, Ryan Gibbons, Tim Declercq, Julien Bernard and Toms Skujins will take the beginning on June 29 in Florence.
“Regardless of having to make some adjustments to our preliminary line-up because of sickness and damage, I’m extremely assured within the power of our Tour de France workforce,” mentioned directeur sportif Steven de Jongh in a workforce launch.
“With Tao Geoghegan Hart sadly now not in a position to race, we now have added further help for Mads [Pedersen] to go for stage wins but additionally put collectively a workforce that has a wealth of expertise and a depth of expertise in their very own proper.
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“A gaggle of riders that we all know, and have seen on limitless events each this yr and in earlier years, can work exceptionally properly collectively.”
Ciccone arrives on the Tour off the again of a powerful return to type on the Dauphiné the place he took second on stage 6 and third on stage 7 and would have completed larger than eighth total if not for a poor time trial.
“Giulio [Ciccone] has been proper on monitor after getting back from his well being points in the beginning of the yr and he was racing impressively at Critérium du Dauphiné, particularly on these three ultimate climbing levels,” mentioned De Jongh.
Gibbons can be final man within the lead-out for the Dane, recent off the again of their spectacular win on stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, however they are going to be with no key a part of the practice and shut good friend to Pedersen, Alex Kirsch.
“Jasper [Stuyven] additionally is available in to interchange an injured Alex [Kirsch] however we all know after his Giro d’Italia efficiency after which the way in which he races in Belgium after, that he can be a invaluable asset,” mentioned De Jongh
A Milan-San Remo winner in Stuyven is not any unhealthy alternative, nonetheless, even off the again of the Giro the place he performed a help function for Jonathan Milan. And the Belgian will hope that Pedersen can repeat Milan’s success for Trek in taking three stage wins and the factors jersey in Italy.
Pedersen’s two earlier wins on the Tour have been vastly totally different, one from a three-man breakaway dash into Saint-Etienne forward of Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and the opposite an uphill dash into Limoges forward of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
His versatility makes him a powerful choice for quite a lot of levels and after successful a stage at his earlier 4 Grand Tour appearances, that can be a report he desires to maintain up.
Lidl-Trek 2024 Tour de France workforce
• Mads Pedersen
• Giulio Ciccone
• Jasper Stuyven
• Carlos Verona
• Ryan Gibbons
• Tim Declercq
• Julien Bernard
• Toms Skujins
