Tour de France 2019: Team Ineos name Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal as joint-leaders on road to Paris

Chris Froome's absence has shifted the make-up of the team

Team Ineos have named the reigning champion Geraint Thomas and the talented 22-year-old Egan Bernal as joint-leaders in their bid to win a first Tour de France since changing sponsor from Team Sky.

Chris Froome was set to line-up alongside Thomas at the head of the team until his serious crash at the Criterium du Dauphine which ruled him out of the rest of the season.

Bernal is one of the best young talents in road cycling, having impressed last year as a domestique, and he clinched the Tour de Suisse impressively earlier this month, where Thomas crashed out.

“It’s no secret my build-up has been affected by the crash at Tour de Suisse, but I’ve had a good block of training since and I feel ready,” Thomas said of the decision.

“Discussing with the team, we believe it makes sense to go into the race with joint leaders as it gives us more options.

“Egan and I will work hard for each other and the team over the three weeks of the race.

“Winning the Tour de France last year was the highlight of my professional cycling career and racing with the number one on my back is going to be special this year. The memories of 2018 will remain with me forever, but now I’m ready to create more with the team this year.”

Bernal will be making just his second appearance in the Tour de France, but is confident he can draw on his experience and lead the charge for Ineos, alongside rather than behind Thomas in the pecking order.

“Last year’s experience taught me a lot,” Bernal said.

Yellow jersey holder Geraint Thomas follows Egan Bernal during the twelfth stage of last year’s Tour de France (Getty)

“As a bike rider, whatever you might think about the Tour from the outside you don’t really know it until you have raced it.

“Now I know what to expect, I can be more relaxed about what lies ahead and even more focused on the racing. The most important thing for my development is to enjoy racing over the next three weeks, give my best, and be happy with my performance.

“I am looking forward to sharing leadership responsibilities with G and doing everything we can together to help Team Ineos win its first Tour.”

Team Ineos for the Tour de France: Egan Bernal (Col), Geraint Thomas (GBr), Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa), Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol), Gianni Moscon (Ita), Wout Poels (Ned), Luke Rowe (GBr) and Dylan van Baarle (Ned).