French team built around GC and sprint ambitions for July
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Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) waves(Image credit: ASO)
FDJ's Sébastien Chavanel at the 2015 Tour Down Under(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnaud Demare on the stage 3 podium.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Steve Morabito (FDJ)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Arthur Vichot (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alexandre Geniez (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Arnold Jeannesson (FDJ)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mathieu Ladagnous (FDJ)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Jeremy Roy (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Anthony Roux (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Michael Delage (FDJ)(Image credit: Sirotti)
Benoît Vaugrenard (FDJ - Big Mat)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
FDJ have announced a 13-rider long list for the 2015 Tour de France to be led by last year's best young rider at the race Thibaut Pinot and current French national champion Arnaud Démare. The final team selection is expected to be made after the French national championships to be held on the final weekend of June.
Pinot won stage 5 of the Tour de Romandie last month as he finished fourth overall to match his result in March at the Tirreno-Adriatico. The 25-year-old was tenth overall at the other WorldTour race he's started in 2015, Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, and finished runner-up at the Critérium International. Pinot will fine tune his Tour preparation at the Tour de Suisse for the third straight year having finished 15th and fourth at the last two editions.
Having finished third overall and the best young rider's jersey in 2014, FDJ will be aiming to deliver Pinot to another high overall position in July although the team will also look to Démare for bunch sprint stage wins who will test his condition at the Tour de Suisse.
Démare made his Tour debut last year with his best stage results third place in Lille and Saint-Etienne. After several top-ten finishes in the early-season, Démare broke his 2015 drought with back-to-back wins at the Tour of Belgium and with the inclusion of lead out men Sebastien Chavanel, William Bonnet and Mickaël Delage on the long list, will be looking to a debut grand tour stage win.
Pinot is likely to be able to call upon Steve Morabito, Arnold Jeannesson and Alexandre Geniez, who was ninth at the Giro d'Italia, for support in the high mountains.
Arthur Vichot and Jérémy Roy will provide options for breakaways with Matthieu Ladagnous and Anthony Roux important in keeping their two leaders safe on the flat roads.
FDJ's long list for the 2015 Tour de France: William Bonnet, Sébastien Chavanel, Mickaël Delage, Arnaud Démare, Alexandre Geniez, Arnold Jeannesson, Matthieu Ladagnous, Steve Morabito, Thibaut Pinot, Anthony Roux, Jérémy Roy, Benoït Vaugrenard and Arthur Vichot.
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