After he crashed in the sprint at yesterday's French championships, Nacer Bouhanni had expressed concern that he would have to skip the Tour de France. However, after any fractures were ruled out, Cofidis have confirmed that he will be at the start in Utrecht.

"The absence of fracture suggests that Nacer will be present at the Tour," the team tweeted. "The evolution of the pain caused by the contusion of the costal cartilages will be decisive. The bruising and abrasions from the crash will upset his build-up for the Tour and make his chances smaller, at least initially."

Furthermore, the team finalized their selection for the race after they had announced an 8-rider roster last week. Kenneth Vanbilsen and Cyril Lemoine were in contention for the final spot and it was the former who got the nod from the team management. Being a fast rider, he is expected to be a key rider in the lead-out train.

Lemoine and climber Rudy Molard are the reserve riders who may still have a chance if Bouhanni's recovery evolves unfavourably.

You can read about the initial selection here.

Cofidis for the Tour de France

Nacer Bouhanni, Geoffrey Soupe, Kenneth Vanbilsen, Christophe Laporte, Julien Simon, Florian Senechal, Daniel Navarro, Nicolas Edet and Luis Angel Mate