Ineos Grenadiers head to the Critérium du Dauphiné with a strong squad that includes 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, 2020 Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Richie Porte.
The eight-day race which takes place between May 30 and June 6 is typically used as a stepping stone towards the Tour de France by several Grand Tour contenders, and, although last year's Tour winner and runner up Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo Visma) will not race the Dauphiné, the event still has a stellar line-up.
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome and Michael Woods will lead Israel Start-Up Nation, with Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic), David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) also set to feature.
Thomas is likely to lead Ineos into the Dauphiné having won the Tour de Romandie in April. He will also lead the team at the Tour de France at the end of June, and won the Dauphine back in 2018 before going on to win the Tour a few weeks later.
The 35-year-old will be supported by Porte who has finished second in both the Tour de Romandie and the Volta a Catalunya after rejoining the team at the start of the year. Geoghegan Hart, who has been slower to find his form this season, will make his Tour de France debut next summer and will be looking for a morale-boosting performance in the Dauphiné.
The rest of the Ineos Grenadiers team comprises of 2015 road world champion Michal Kwiatkowski, Dylan Van Baarle, Andrey Amador, and Carlos Rodríguez.
Richard Carapaz, another potential leader for the team at the Tour de France, will race the Tour de Suisse later in June.
