With Mark Cavendish and world champion Julien Alaphilippe missing from the Quick-Step Alphaville Tour de France team, the Belgian team is holding out hope with sprinters Fabio Jacobsen, Casper Asgreen, and Mattia Cattaneo

Cavell is the only one to make it to the top of the Tour de France.

Cavendish won the British national road race championship on Sunday and took four stages and the green points jersey in 2021, but Quick-Step Alfa Vinyl always planned Jacobsen as the only sprint option. Cavendish has been named as a reserve and is on standby to move to Copenhagen if needed. New French national champion Florian Senechal has also been named as a reserve.

Alaphilippe ran the French national championships but struggled to find the form needed for the three-week Grand Tour after a high-speed crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The eight riders selected are: Caspar Asgreen, Andrea Bagioli, Mattia Cattaneo, Tim Declercq, Mikel Honoré, Fabio Jacobsen, Yves Lampert, and Michal Morcoff.June 28 Update: Declercq tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Florian Sénéchal.

Alaphilippe suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, and a fractured scapula in a high-speed crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, forcing him to rest for several weeks. he participated in a 3-week high altitude training camp in May, but recently his stomach problems have kept him off the pace and he only tested his strength at the French National Championships. He only tested his fitness at the French national championships.

"It's a shame I won't be able to compete in this year's Tour de France. I will be very sad to miss the opportunity to wear the beautiful rainbow jersey in my home country and I knew that this decision would be a difficult one for the team. At the same time, I don't want to be at the start of the race if I can't be there at my best, so I completely understand this decision," Alaphilippe said.

"I want to wish my Quick Step Alfa Vinyl teammates the best of luck. I am highly motivated for the second half of the season and will now focus on getting back to my best."

Quick-Step Alfa Vinyl described Jacobsen as "the most successful sprinter of the year" with 10 wins in 2022.The 25-year-old Dutch rider is making his Tour de France debut, but won five stages in the Vuelta a España

"He has won five stages at the Vuelta a España.

"We have riders who can support Fabio, riders who can climb, and riders who can do something on breakaways," said direction sportif Tom Steels, describing the Quick-Step-Alfavinir lineup.

"Kasper, Yves, and Michaela form a solid lead-out train for Fabio.

"Tim will help Fabio not only on the flats but also in the mountains.

Cattaneo finished 12th overall in the 2021 Tour de France and will be looking to improve this year. Fausto Masnada will not be available, and Honoré and Bazioli will be making their first Tour de France appearances.

"Mattia is very flexible and experienced and can be in a breakaway group where Andrea and Mikkel can support him. Andrea is a winner and has proven she has the mentality to fight for the best," said Stiels, who will lead the team from inside the car with Klaas Lodewijk and Wilfried Peters.

Caspar Asgreen and Yves Lampère will be looking for stage wins on the cobbled stages and other test stages.

"It will be a tough race, over 3300km and 55,000m in elevation. After the first ITT, there are two days for sprinters in Denmark. The cobbled stages will be very tricky. Everyone will want to be at the front, and after that there will be the iconic climbs that have come to define the Tour de France," Stiels predicted.

"Climbers and punchers will get plenty of opportunities in this event, while sprinters will have to fight against the time limits in many stages. Overall, there is something for everyone in this race.