Team Ineos is just weeks away from announcing its leader for the 2020 Tour de France, with defending champion Egan Bernal, four-time winner Chris Froome, 2018 champion Geraint Thomas, and newcomer Richard Carapas, Dave Brailsford is confident his team can succeed in winning its eighth title in nine years.

At the 2020 Tour de France route launch in Paris, Brailsford told Cycling News that his next challenge will be to fully analyze the route before formulating a plan of action.

Bernal and Froome have both expressed a desire to lead the team in next year's race, as Froome is seeking a record-breaking fifth title after a major crash at this year's Criterium du Dauphiné.

The lineup and roster are not yet complete, but Brailsford at least knows the parcours the team will have to deal with. This year there will be no team time trial and only a 36-km individual time trial on the final stage; the fact that all 36 kilometers will take place in the local mountain time trial of Thibaut Pinot's home town will be hard for Brailsford to comprehend, but he is hoping that the 2020 Tour de France's entire When it comes to controlling the race in the mid-mountain stages that will color the route, he believes that Ineos' strong field will be enough.

"I think there will be fewer time trials and flats," Brailsford told Cycling News in Paris.

"The time trial at the end is interesting, but it's interesting that they spread the climbing kilometers throughout the race instead of concentrating them in the Alps and the Palene. It's an all-rounder route in the intermediate mountains. That said, I don't think it's difficult to control. It's a different puzzle to solve every year. It's a different puzzle every year. We have guys who are good climbers, guys who are good time trialists, and guys who can cover all the bases no matter how the Grand Tour unfolds."

While Geraint Thomas has hinted at competing in the Giro d'Italia, Brailsford will wait until the Italian Grand Tour and Vuelta a España announce their routes later in the year before confirming Team Ineos' plans.

"Right now it's a matter of looking at the Giro and the Vuelta and then deciding who will race the season," he said.