A Grand Départ in Florence and a finish in Nice rather than Paris will not please traditionalists, but there is plenty of familiar terrain in between
Twelve months ago, the Manxman went into what he thought was his final Tour seeking a stage win which would be the 35th of his career.
The Tour de France is one of the three grand tours – the others being the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España – that form the backbone around which the cycling season is structured.
The squad features 10 Olympic debutants across the track, road and mountain bike disciplines.