While, of the wildcard teams, Team Europcar are the more experienced Tour de France squad, newcomers MTN-Qhubeka will also be looking to make a big impression on their Tour debut.

Eritrean Daniel Teklehaimanot won the King of the Mountains classification at the Criterium du Dauphine, making his mark in a series of long breakaways early in the race and then scrapping for points in the latter stages to win by a commanding margin.

But winning the jersey at the Tour is another matter entirely, and if Teklehaimanot is unable to deliver it for the African team, his South African team-mate Louis Meintjes could be the man.

Meintjes, winner of the Coppi e Bartali and best young rider at the Giro del Trentino, put in some impressive performances at the Dauphine, not least finishing third on stage seven. He knows his way around a breakaway, he can climb, and if he continues the form he has shown so far this season then you can expect to see plenty of Meintjes at the Tour.