Lampre-Merida has announced its squad for the 100th Tour de France. The blue-fuchsia-green jerseys will be worn by Damiano Cunego, Matteo Bono, Davide Cimolai, Elia Favilli, Roberto Ferrari, Adriano Malori, Manuele Mori, Przemyslaw Niemiec and José Rodolfo Serpa Perez.

Only three riders have ridden the Grande Boucle before: All nine have previous Grand Tour experience, but for Cimolai, Favilli, Ferrari, Mori, Niemiec and Serpa this will be their first Tour de France.

Team leader Damiano Cunego had some bad luck during the Critérium du Dauphiné, but with an 11th place on the final mountain stage to Risoul, he looks ready to challenge for the Tour’s overall classification. His best result came in his last Tour participation two years ago, when he finished in 7th place (he was later moved up to sixth place when Alberto Contador’s result was erased).

Cunego will count on José Serpa and Przemyslaw Niemiec, who both have the Giro d’Italia in their legs. Niemiec finished 6th in the Italian race and will now support his teammate in the French mountains. If his form is anything like that in the Giro, Cunego will have a strong helper in the Pole. Although this is his first Tour, Serpa is an experienced mountain domestique who can be counted on to perform when necessary.

Roberto Ferrari rose to (in)famous prominence during the 2012 Giro, when he brought down Mark Cavendish on the final kilometre of stage three in Horsens and was later accused of irresponsible sprinting by the then world champion. He won the stage to Montecatini Terme later in the same race, and will certainly bring an element of unpredictability to the sprint finishes around France.

Adriano Malori comes fresh off a third place at the Italian ITT championships and recently won the Bayern-Rundfahrt. The team will depend on his time trial skills during the stage 4 TTT in Nice.

Lampre-Merida line-up for the Tour de France:
Damiano Cunego, Matteo Bono, Davide Cimolai, Elia Favilli, Roberto Ferrari, Adriano Malori, Manuele Mori, Przemyslaw Niemiec, and José Rodolfo Serpa Pérez