2016: Dumoulin in all-terrain mode

Heir of the Skill-Shimano team, which then became Argos-Shimano before taking on the moniker Giant-Shimano, the German team of Dutch origin has won eight of its eleven bunch sprint victories thanks to the power of its former star sprinter Marcel Kittel. The team managed by Iwan Spekenbrink quite naturally gambled on the skills of Tom Dumoulin, the rising star of Dutch cycling, who came very close to winning on home turf, with 4th position, when the Grand Départ took place in Utrecht in 2015. A major favourite on the time-trials, in fact it was on a mountain stage that the stocky frame of Dumoulin stood out for the first time on Le Tour, when, on the road to Andorra-Arcalis, he got rid of breakaway partners such as Pinot, Majka and even Costa. At an altitude of 2,240 metres and in the pouring rain, Dumoulin won convincingly, foreshadowing his status as a future winner of the Giro d’Italia, a feat which he accomplished several weeks ago.

Sunweb riders to watch out for on Le Tour 2017: Michael Matthews (Aus), Warren Barguil (Fra)