Team Sky Announce Strong Side

Last updated : 02 June 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Team Sky will are sending out the big guns for the two main races in June before the national championships and the Tour De France starts.

Sir David Brailsford will have 2013 Tour De France winner Chris Froome defending his Criterium du Dauphine title and will send Sir Bradley Wiggins to the Tour de Suisse. 

Froome, who has been training in Tenerife will be joined by Richie Porte who was runner up to Froome in the race twelve months ago, Bayern Rundfahrt winner Geraint Thomas, with Vasil Kiryienka, David Lopez, Mikel Nieve, Danny Pate and Xabier Zandio for the week long race which starts on Sunday.

Wiggins will have a mixture of the team that helped him win the Amgen Tour Of California and three riders who competed in the Giro D'italia and his team comprises of Joe Dombrowski, Christian Knees and Luke Rowe,  Dario Cataldo, Philip Deignan, Ben Swift  and Pete Kennaugh for the race which is from June 14-22nd.

Team Sky Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said to his team's website: "Both the Criterium du Dauphine and Tour de Suisse are WorldTour events and we are looking to perform in both races.

"Bradley heads to Switzerland with a strong team after a great win in California and we've got the right group for the Dauphine, especially considering the nature of the course."

Brailsford explained that the races will also form part of a larger picture when it comes to picking the nine riders for the Tour de France in July.

"Both of these races will form part of our selection for the Tour" he added. "We have to name 13 riders in a long list during June and we'll do that from across the squad, including riders at the Route du Sud, not only those in the Dauphine and Tour de Suisse groups."