Irish fastman Sam Bennett has shared the big news Irish fans have been waiting to hear.
Ireland's Sam Bennett will ride his second Tour de France next month, the Carrick fastman confirming the news on social media this evening.
And his team has also said it is applying for a WorldTour licence for next year and will have an increased budget to strengthen its squad.
Bennett's participation in the Tour was expected and he has already decided to forego the National Road Championships this week in a bid to start the Tour as fresh as he can.
Last year he fell ill just before the race and was ultimately forced out of the event on stage 17.
And while he has complained in the earlier part of this season of feeling the effects of pushing himself too hard in training, he looked to be in mint condition at the recent Criterium du Dauphine where he took 3rd on a stage.
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Bennett has already been a winner this season, taking the opening stage and first yellow jersey of the Criterium International in France back in March.
And he will go into the Tour de France looking to take a stage and finish the event he was forced to abandoned last year.
The three-week race starts on Saturday week, July 2nd, in Mont-Saint-Michel.
Meanwhile, news of Bennett's team going up to WorldTour level, which has been flagged in the past, seems much firmer now, with the German-based squad saying today the step to the next level was already underway.
“It would be a dream come true to be at the Grand Départ in Düsseldorf as a WorldTeam,” general manager Ralph Denk said of the Tour France start on German soil next year.
“We will apply for a WorldTour license, and we are confident that we will get one. With regards to the four categories, that decide the awarding - sports, administration, finance and ethic - I think we have to get one.
“Our loyal partner BORA will remain our first title sponsor. For the moment we cannot say anything about new sponsors.
“But with the budgets that are at our disposal for 2017 we will be able to significantly strengthen our squad.
“We aim to play an important role at the WorldTour races on the one hand, on the other we still want to support young, especially German talents and guide them to the top level of cycling.”
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