Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen and Kaden Groves - Alpecin-Deceuninck go all-in to strike big at Tour de France

Alpecin-Deceuninck have shared their Tour de France lineup and it could've hardly been any stronger. The Belgian team has decided to take all it's leaders to France this summer and will be going to fight for stage wins in the sprints and hills with Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen among others.

The team, coming in without climbers or overall classification ambitions, follows the same format and leaders of past years: Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen. Van der Poel comes in to find a route that for the first time since 2021 suits his abilities, and the Dutchman will have many opportunities to win a stage throughout the entire race as it suits the classics riders. On week 1, grabbing a stage and yellow jersey is a very realistic prospect for the Dutchman - who will also be a big contender to win the final stage to Paris, now that the Montmartre circuit was introduced.

The team will be backing up Jasper Philipsen in the sprint stages and it is possible that this year van der Poel will not be taking on a leadout role, but instead focus on his own stages. This is because for the first time the team is using the Philipsen-Kaden Groves combination in a Grand Tour. The Australian is a novelty on the lineup, and could be a potential luxury leadout man - as well as breakaway stage hunter later in the race. The 26-year old comes from a stage win at the Giro d'Italia.

Otherwise the team has it's traditional figures present at the start, with SIlvan Dillier the expected man to work throughout the flat stages to control breakaways; Gianni Vermeersch being van der Poel's right-hand man on the hilly days; Jonas Rickaert being a key part of the leadout (even with his yellow card risk); and the lineup is completed by Xandro Meurisse and cyclocross specialist Emiel Verstrynge who should be breakaway hunters on the hilly days.

Alpecin-Deceuninck for Tour de France:
Mathieu van der Poel
Jasper Philipsen
Kaden Groves
Jonas Rickaert
Emiel Verstrynge
Xandro Meurisse
Silvan Dillier
Gianni Vermeersch