Luke Rowe has earned his Tour de France debut thanks to some really strong rides for Team Sky this year, the Welshman stepping it up a level in 2015.

Rowe has been at Sky since 2012 and ridden the last two Vueltas a Espana, but has earned a maiden Tour start by establishing himself as an indispensable member of the Sky squad.

He kicked things off by narrowly missing out on the podium at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and followed it by finishing seventh overall at the Tour of Qatar.

A top-ten finish at the Omloop Het Niewsblad was followed by his biggest career result yet – eighth at Paris-Roubaix – those two proving how valuable he will be on the cobbles.

Rowe’s engine has been deployed to support Porte, Thomas and Froome for Team Sky this year and you can expect to see him drilling it on the flatter stages again at the Tour.

Luke Rowe at the Tour de France

2015 highlights: Tour of Qatar (seventh overall), Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (ninth), Paris-Roubaix (eighth)

Tour de France participations: none
Best overall finish: n/a
Stage wins: n/a

What to expect: Luke Rowe will be charged with firing up the peloton and leading the way on the flatter stages, while also setting the pace and keeping Chris Froome safe on the cobbled stage six. But individual opportunities are likely to be few and far between.