Philip Deignan has never ridden the Tour de France but Team Sky's first big selection of the year puts him in the hunt for the French showdown this time around.
Team Sky has been busy; first revealing Chris Froome has extended with the squad until the end of the 2018 season and then unveiling its Giro d’Italia line-up already.
The big news from an Irish perspective is that neither Nicolas Roche nor Philip Deignan have been included in the list of 10 men to be reduced by one as the race in May draws nearer.
Roche’s absence is not a surprise as he was expected to feature in the Team Sky’s plans for the Tour de France in July.
And having assumed the role of road captain during last year’s Tour he would be expected to fill a key role again this time around.
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It means the team was unlikely to put him into the Giro first for fear of wearing him out.
Deignan’s exclusion is perhaps slightly more surprising as he has performed well in the race in the past.
He rode the event in his first season with Team Sky in 2014.
And when its intended designated leader, Richie Porte, was withdrawn from the line-up before the race started attacking opportunities opened up for Deignan.
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The Irishman went on to finish 3rd in the mountains on stage 18.
Deignan was not included in the team’s Giro plans for last year, increasing hopes at the time he was being rested with a view to riding the Tour; a race he has never contested.
However, despite enjoying some fantastic form he was not selected.
He broke his elbow in a crash at the National Road Race Championships in Omagh the weekend before the French race got underway.
Deignan crashed last month at a training camp and broke his elbow again, meaning his training has been interrupted.
However, that mishap does not fully explain his omission from the Giro line-up.
He crashed and broke his collarbone in France in February, 2014, and still went on to ride the Italian event three months later when it began in Belfast.
If he can get back into top form in the months ahead and show himself as one of the team’s strongest climbers as he has done in the past, his crash and omission from the Giro team may well put him in the hunt for the Tour this time around.
The team’s selection for the Giro is unusual in that it features no British riders.
Team Sky’s new signing Mikel Landa will be its leader for the first Grand Tour of the year.
Also included in the line-up are: Leopold Konig, Sergio Henao, Beñat Intxausti, Sebastian Henao, world TT champion Vasil Kiryienka, Ian Boswell, David Lopez, Christian Knees and Elia Viviani.
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