Team Sky TdF team - your views

For Classics week (what I'm calling week 1 of the Tour) you have to feel that Stannard would be a good pick. Poels did so much work for Froome in the Dauphine, he will be there for certain. Kennaugh and Thomas for sure.

As for Kiryi, I hope he is there. But he rode the Giro, so I guess it all depends on how well he has recovered. As for the rest...pretty close.

For me...

Froome (Of course)
Porte (Probably)
Poels
Stannard
Kennaugh
Thomas
Kiryi (Perhaps)

Can't call the last 2.

Froome
Poels
Stannard
Roche
Thomas
Kiriyenka
Sergio Henao
Kennaugh
Porte/Konig

Would not want many guys who have done the Giro, and Stannard has a much bigger chance than Pate, Knees or Eisel for the rouleur role.

Froome
Porte (if fit)
Konig/Poels
Kiryenka
Nieve
Knees
Thomas
Siutsou
Pate

I think the poor TTT performance in Dauphine will mean that Froome/Porte/Kiryyenka/Konig are nailed on and Thomas/kennaugh/Siutsuo have to pretty close. Eisel has to have a good chance as road captain and Nieve would be a strong pick. Boswell/Lopez/Rowe/Pate/poels and Knees are all good candidates.

I would not want the job of picking that's for sure but I would go

Froome
Porte
Konig
Kiryenka
Nieve
Rowe
Thomas
Siutsou
and the last place I would give to Kennaugh. But that is my heart talking and I think it will probably go to Knees or Pate.

The thing you have to remember here is that the Tour is 90% of the season for Sky, everything else is a bonus. So DB will pick his strongest team without sentiment

I think Konig will be spared for the Vuelta. Deignan has a chance over Boswell maybe. I would like to see Stannard in there too. He rode 100km on the front for Froome yesterday.

You'd imagine Konig would be there for super-domestique purposes also, was he not signed to be a mountain lieutenant as well as Poels?

Agreed on Roche, I know he's experienced and all but there's plenty of tour-winning experience in that team as it is.

I think Stannard will be in there after missing out last year.

Wow, except for Boswell, I can imagine any (!) team would love to have any of those riders on their team as a captain or a lieutenant! Como decimos en la isla , estan 'montaos'... 'As we say on the island, they're stacked!'...

I think Roche has ridden himself out of contention. He struggled in the TTT and didn't add anything in the mountains.

Looks good to me!