Cavendish pulled out of Tour of Denmark as Quick-Step reveal GC-oriented lineup

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team have revealed their team for the upcoming Tour of Denmark, and unlike the expected, Mark Cavendish will not be at the start, with the team putting their chips on Mauro Schmid and Zdenek Stybar's GC chances.

The decision comes as a surprise as Cavendish was in the preliminary startlist for the race, set to be the team's option for the sprints. With his absence, aswell as Great Britain's absence from the European championships, the veteran sees himself out of competition whilst his fellow sprinters are headlining several races. He experienced a disappointing Tour de Pologne, but will still likely ambition other events in the coming weeks. Ethan Vernon will instead lead the team's sprint ambitions, with the support of Michael Morkov.

Josef Cerny and Tim Declercq will also provide support for the leadouts, whilst James Knox will support the GC riders mostly. Zdenek Stybar is coming in with great form and will be a strong fit for the classics-type racing that's set to be present throughout the week, and Baloise Belgium Tour winner Mauro Schmid will be the other leader of the team, with the queen stage in Vejle being the priority.

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team for Tour of Denmark: Josef Cerny, Tim Declercq, James Knox, Michael Morkov, Mauro Schmid, Ethan Vernon and Zdenek Stybar.