Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team (France) – Saturday, the 7th of July 2018, edition 105 of the Tour de France will start from Île de Noirmoutier, a small island off the Atlantic coast of France. It will be the first stage of 21 for a total of 3,351km including the traditional finish line, on the 29th of July, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

La Grand Boucle is one of the most important sporting events of the season as General Manager Brent Copeland explains: “Selecting the team for such an important event as the Tour de France is taken very seriously at Team Bahrain Merida therefore a lot of meticulous considerations have been taken into account.Thanks to the help of the technical staff and trainers we believe that we have put together the most competitive team in order to make the racing as exciting and competitive as possible for all cycling fans”.

“We will guarantee – adds Copeland – going into the race at the best of our level in order to be competitive in all areas, but for us it is not all about the results, it’s important to make for three weeks of a great sporting spectacle for all to enjoy. Thanks to our fantastic partners and professional hard working staff we have been able to cover every aspect of the race preparation in order to get to the start of the race in the best condition without denying anything, not only the physical condition of the athletes but also the organization of the team in order to create the great image which we have proudly created in the past few years”.

Vincenzo Nibali will be the team leader. “I’m very happy to go back to the Tour. I liked the route right from the start and the charm of the Grand Boucle is indisputable. I’m going to France with a lot of serenity and with the knowledge that I have done everything possible to achieve the best result”.

“The team that will be with me in France is one of the strongest ever. We will be competitive on all kinds of routes: from the climbs to the time trial. I am convinced that we will entertain our fans and the millions of cycling fans who will follow the Tour“.

TBM’s line-up for the Tour de France: Vincenzo Nibali, Domenico Pozzovivo, Gorka Izagirre, Ion Izagirre, Franco Pellizotti, Heinrich Haussler, Sonny Colbrelli and Kristijan Koren.