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Tour de France: Astana confirm Aru and Nibali in line-up

By Cycling News

published 27 June 2016

Astana's TDF team

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Fabio Aru (Astana)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Giuseppe Martinelli, Vincenzo Nibali and Paolo Slongo on the podium together(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Tanel Kangert on the stage 4 podium at Giro del Trentino(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Alexey Lutsenko (Astana)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Thumbs up from Fabio Aru at the start(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Astana head to the Tour de France with the last two Grand Tour winners, Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali, as its leaders. Aru makes his Tour debut and will lead the team, with 2014 Tour winner Nibali set to line up in something of a free role.

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Aru has had a mixed season so far in 2016, with his stage win at the Criterium du Dauphine his best result yet as he finished 45th overall. Sixth place at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana has been Aru's best overall result yet.

Twice a podium finisher at the Giro d'Italia and winner of last year's Vuelta a Espana, will target a high overall finish in Paris on his Tour debut.

While Aru will lead the team, Nibali will support his younger teammate and hone his form and condition ahead of the Rio Olympic Games road race on August 6. Aru is set to ride in the service of Nibali in Rio.

Jakob Fuglsang and Tanel Kangert will both the start the Tour having helped Nibali to the Giro d'Italia in May.

Diego Rosa is the other debutant in the team, and Aru's closest gregario Paolo Tiralongo is also on board, but there is no place on the team for Dario Cataldo, who has formed part of the group around Aru at races and training camps throughout the season to date.

Astana Pro Team for 2016 Tour de France: Fabio Aru, Vincenzo Nibali, Jakob Fuglsang, Tanel Kangert, Alexey Lutsenko, Luis Leon Sanchez, Diego Rosa, Andriy Grivko and Paolo Tiralongo.