The chief pre-Tour de France tune-ups are now complete and we will soon know the identities of all the men set for the start line in Leeds on Saturday July 5.
With just the national championships to go for many of the Tour hopefuls, directeurs sportif will be dotting the i’s, crossing the t’s and delivering the good or bad news throughout the week.
Team Sky will be no different – having previously declared that their team announcement is to be made upon completion of the Route du Sud and Tour de Suisse, both of which finished yesterday (Sunday June 22).
But it has hardly been a straight-forward process for the team, with the three final tune-ups – the Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Suisse and Route du Sud all beset by crashes and abandonments.
If Sir Bradley Wiggins’ recent comments are anything to go on, the planned team for the Tour has already taken shape, with the team merely taking stock and testing form this month.
But with plenty to ponder, Sir Dave Brailsford and staff have much to consider before finalising the nine-man team set to lead the charge for the yellow jersey.
Read our thoughts on Team Sky’s selection issues over the following pages.
