Ineos Grenadiers selects its top riders for the Tour de France every year and such is the squad's strength in depth that getting into the line-up is an achievement, even for proven winners.
Given the demands of the race, riders have to be able to either challenge to win the event or be capable of pulling hour after hour on all terrains to be considered for selection by Ineos Grenadiers.
The tough competition for places on the team and the secrecy within Ineos Grenadiers around the selection always means the media and cycling fans pour over any clues that may offer insight into what the selection is going to be.
Geraint Thomas - who won the final yellow jersey in 2018 and has claimed three stage victories in the French Grand Tour - has shared a picture of himself with seven of his team mates training in Tenerife. Ineos Grenadiers - Team Sky in a former life - have used Mount Teide on the island for altitude training since the team hit the road in the winter of 2009.
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And so any photo at this time of year - especially one featuring eight riders, the same number of cyclists on a Tour team - is going to lead to speculation the riders in the shot are the team for the upcoming Tour de France.
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The quality of the riders with Thomas only gives credence to the theory this is the Tour team. Also in the shot are, from left to right: Dylan van Baarle, Filippo Ganna, Luke Rowe, Thomas, Omar Fraile, Adam Yates, Carlos Rodríguez and Michał Kwiatkowski.
It's highly unlikely Thomas - who turns 36 years today - will be the out-and-out team leader on the Tour. Ineos Grenadiers will likely go in with he and Yates as their protected riders - though Rodríguez may surprise if circumstances conspired to give him a chance.
As well as those three riders, Omar Fraile and Michał Kwiatkowski would make ideal domestiques for the mountains. Ganna - who will target the opening TT in Copenhagen - can pull on the the flat and going up many of the climbs. Van Baarle and Rowe are more suited to the flatter terrain; especially to keep the GC leaders out of trouble in the crosswinds. Rowe would also double as road captain.
Eddie Dunbar is absent from the team photo and that does not come as a surprise. The Irishman said after his Tour de Hongrie win the weekend before last that he was looking forward to returning home to take a break. The 25-year-old was not expected to be picked for the Tour, though hopefully he will get a shot at La Vuelta later this season.
