Geraint Thomas has been named in the Team Sky squad to support Chris Froome at the 2017 Tour de France – but Pete Kennaugh and Ian Stannard have both missed out.
Thomas has recovered from the injuries sustained which led to his withdrawal from the Giro d’Italia to make the nine-man squad, with Luke Rowe’s inclusion ensuring three Britons will line-up for Team Sky in Dusseldorf on July 1.
Kennaugh was widely tipped to make his third Tour de France appearance, having won a mountain stage of the Criterium du Dauphine earlier this month and joined Froome on a high-altitude training camp last week, but is a surprise omission from the Team Sky squad.
Stannard, meanwhile, has been part of Froome’s support cast for each of the Kenyan-born Brit’s three Tour de France victories, helping to shepherd the 32-year-old through the race’s flat stages, but has been struggling with illness recently.
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Instead, Froome will receive the backing of Thomas, Rowe, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, Mikel Landa and Mikel Nieve.
