Philipsen, who finished six times in the podium last year in the race's sprints, will be trying to turn that into a win here. Although a brilliant rider in positioning, his leadout won't be as strong as some of the rival teams.
Kristian Sbaragli and van der Poel himself will be crucial figures, as will
Alexander Krieger.
Silvan Dillier will be a wildcard for breakaways on the rolling stages mostly, he and
Guillaume van Keirsbulck are also set to be important support riders for the sprint stages.
Alpecin-Deceuninck for Tour de France: Mathieu van der Poel, Silvan Dillier, Alexander Krieger, Edward Planckaert, Jasper Philipsen, Guillaume van Keirsbulck, Kristian Sbaragli and Michael Gogl.
