Jumbo-Visma "keep some more options open" as internal battle for Tour de France spots ramps up

Jumbo-Visma are putting all their cards towards the Tour de France this year, as they are heading with an absolutely stacked team to face the three weeks of racing. There are 11 riders in the shortlist to be a part of it, but three will have to be left out, and it is in these crucial weeks that the team will make it's decision.

Team DS Merijn Zeeman has told AD that "we want to keep some more options open. We have looked at the course in great detail in recent months and have to arrive at the best composition." There is a nucleus composed of Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard - second placed at the last two Tour's - and Wout van Aert which is confirmed to be at the race, if nothing out of the ordinary occurs.

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There will be five more spots in the lineup. Towards mountain support there will be five options: Rohan Dennis, Sepp Kuss, Tiesj Benoot, Steven Kruijswijk and Robert Gesink; whilst for the flat terrain at least one spot should be occupied by the following three riders: Christophe Laporte, Mike Teunissen and Nathan van Hooydonck.

Taking into consideration performances this year, three of the positions are likely to be filled by Laporte, Kruijswijk and Dennis. Zeeman adds though that "all these riders are ready for the Tour, but unfortunately we have to disappoint some of them. That is hard, but also top sport. At the same time, it is also a logical consequence of the development within the team. The level is very high." Most of the block has been training at altitude at Mount Teide recently, and they're set to come down very soon so as to ride the Critérium du Dauphiné which starts this Sunday.

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“Nothing changes in their preparation. The chance for those eight riders is still high that they will go. It was also explained to them that we want to have the widest possible group that is ready to perform. A place in the Tour is very expensive," he concluded. The Critérium du Dauphiné will be a crucial step towards the race, whilst some of the other options will race the Tour de Suisse. After these there will be another altitude camp for the team likely, in which the final decisions will be made.