Trek-Segafredo have announced their team for the upcoming Tour de France, with Bauke Mollema taking on the main leadership role in his 11th participation.
Former world champion Mads Pedersen and Milan San-Remo winner Jasper Stuyven will also take the start in Brest on June 26, with the pair set to target sprint stage victories. 2014 Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali also starts as he prepares for the Tokyo Olympic Games in August.
Dutchman Mollema has finished in the top 10 at the Tour three times in the past, with his last time coming in 2015, where he was seventh overall. He won the hilly stage 15 in 2017 to Le Puy-en-Velay, too.
Stuyven and Pedersen, who made his Tour debut last year, have both yet to win a Tour stage. Stuyven has taken three third places, including on stage 19 last year, while Pedersen was runner-up on both the opening and closing stages in 2020.
Kenny Elissonde, Julien Bernard, Toms Skujins, and Edward Theuns complete the eight-man squad for the US team.
"We have a good mix of riders coming to the Tour with the primary goal of winning a stage. Initially, Bauke will try for GC, but if we see that it's not looking possible to reach a top result he will change ambition and switch to stage hunting along with Vincenzo," said team directeur sportif Steven de Jongh.
"Despite the result [38th], Mads rode well at the Nationals although he probably needs a few race days to be fully up to speed again.
"Toms, Jasper and Edward have individually all shown they are in very good shape recently. With those guys, we have a very strong team for the sprints.
"Julien and Kenny will aim for breakaways, chasing the goal of a stage win, but also help out for the GC with Bauke where possible."
Team general manager Luca Guercilena said that the team will look to race aggressively, adding that the goal is to win stages. The team last won a Tour stage in 2018 with Joh Degenkolb.
"We travel to the Tour with an aggressive mindset, ready to animate the race and achieve success." Guercilena said. "Our chosen riders have proven they are in strong shape to be competitive across all the stages. The main objective will be to win stages and we have selected a team who we believe can make that happen.
