Team News: Alaphilippe & Bennett lead Quickstep

Julian Alaphilippe and Sam Bennett will lead the Deceuninck – Quick-Step team at the season’s first Grand Tour – the Tour de France (starts Aug 29)

Team News: Alaphilippe & Bennett lead Quickstep

Two months later than scheduled, the Tour de France is set to start from Nice, the sun-soaked French Riviera city which will host the Grand Depart for the second time in history, after 1981. This 107th edition is widely regarded as one of the toughest in recent memory, with the summit finishes to Orcières-Merlette, Grand Colombier, Villard-de-Lans, Méribel and La Planche des Belles Filles (where the race’s sole individual time trial will take place on the penultimate day) being just some of the highlights.

Picture: Photosport International

The man who lit up last year’s edition with two memorable stage wins and a superb 14-day spell in the prestigious yellow jersey, Julian Alaphilippe returns to the race, having shown some strong form in his last appearance before travelling to Nice – the French Championships held in Grand-Champs.

Having raced the Tour de France twice, in 2015 and 2016, Sam Bennett will be back on cycling’s biggest stage after four years with the goal of taking at least one win and completing a set of Grand Tour stage victories. The Irish Champion will rely on the services of Michael Mørkøv, one of the most experienced and valuable lead-out men in the peloton, who will be making his 11th Grand Tour appearance.

Newly-crowned Danish Champion Kasper Asgreen, Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, Bob Jungels – who two years ago came just outside the top 10 overall – and 2015 Le Havre stage winner Zdenek Stybar will round out Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s roster for what will be the season’s first Grand Tour.…. continued after the advert.

“For Julian it will be very difficult to repeat last year’s Tour, but at the same time, it’s not necessary to do it. We will take it with him day by day and see what happens. There are some nice opportunities for him, but I can tell you we aren’t thinking of a scenario similar to that of the previous Tour. In Sam, we have a contender for the bunch sprints, which won’t be so straightforward as in the past, the route being one of the toughest in recent memory. I think there are maximum four clear stages for sprinters spread over the three weeks.”

“Michael will be Sam’s last man and will guide him through those hectic final kilometers, but also Kasper and Styby will play an important role in his lead-out train, while at the same time keeping an eye on breakaway opportunities. Bob and Dries are both riders who can support Julian, they have a lot of experience and can help him in the finale. Last but not least, Tim will do what he does best: control the race. He is a world-class domestique and has the power and knowledge to do it”, concluded Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.

29.08–20.09 Tour de France (FRA) 2.UWT

Riders

Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Kasper Asgreen (DEN)
Sam Bennett (IRL)
Tim Declercq (BEL)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Bob Jungels (LUX)
Michael Mørkøv (DEN)
Zdenek Stybar (CZE)

Sports Director Wilfried Peeters (BEL)
Tom Steels (BEL)
Rik van Slycke (BEL)

Website www.letour.fr

Stages
29.08.20 Stage 1 Nice – Nice 156.0 km
30.08.20 Stage 2 Nice – Nice 186.0 km
31.08.20 Stage 3 Nice – Sisteron 198.0 km
01.09.20 Stage 4 Sisteron – Orcières-Merlette 160.5 km
02.09.20 Stage 5 Gap – Privas 183.5 km
03.09.20 Stage 6 Le Teil – Mont Aigoual 191.0 km
04.09.20 Stage 7 Millau – Lavaur 168.0 km
05.09.20 Stage 8 Cazères-sur-Garonne – Loudenvielle 141.0 km
06.09.20 Stage 9 Pau – Laruns 153.5 km
07.09.20 Rest Day
08.09.20 Stage 10 Île d’Oléron Le Château-d’Oléron – Île de Ré Saint-Martin-de-Ré 168.5 km
09.09.20 Stage 11 Châtelaillon-Plage – Poitiers 167.5 km
10.09.20 Stage 12 Chauvigny – Sarran 218.0 km
11.09.20 Stage 13 Châtel-Guyon – Puy Mary 191.5 km
12.09.20 Stage 14 Clermont-Ferrand – Lyon 194.0 km
13.09.20 Stage 15 Lyon – Grand Colombier 174.5 km
14.09.20 Rest Day
15.09.20 Stage 16 La Tour-du-Pin – Villard-de-Lans 164.0 km
16.09.20 Stage 17 Grenoble – Méribel Col de la Loze 170.0 km
17.09.20 Stage 18 Méribel – La Roche-sur-Foron 167.5 km
18.09.20 Stage 19 Bourg-en-Bresse – Champagnole 166.5 km
19.09.20 Stage 20 Lure – La Planche des Belles Filles 36.5 km (ITT)
20.09.20 Stage 21 Mantes-la-Jolie – Paris Champs-Élysées 122.5 km