Team Europcar have been near ever-presents in the breaks during their first season as a fully-fledged WorldTour team.

And it is unlikely they will change tactics for the Vuelta a Espana – with the mid-season signing of former Rapha Condor JLT and IG Sigma Sport man Dan Craven a clear indication of their ambitions.

But, while Craven will undoubtedly be among the riders happy to bury themselves in a day-long break, 26-year-old Romain Sicard has found his climbing legs of late and could compete for the King of the Mountains title.

Second in the same classification at the Tour of the Basque Country, Sicard was impressive at the Tour de l’Ain as he finished seventh overall in a high-class field.

If Europcar want a man for the mountains, Sicard is certainly one who fits that billing and as a result the polka dot jersey does not seem too far out of reach for the Frenchman.

With his team-mates likely to be in the mix to disrupt proceedings when he is not up the road, if Sicard – or any of his team-mates – can pick up the jersey early on they seem well-equipped to defend it.