Despite the first week of the Tour being a huge disappointment for Alexander Kristoff, his Katusha team are keen to emphasise they still believe in him, saying a stage win is more than just possible.

"We, of course, would have liked to win a stage with Alex. All the stages for sprinters we started with those ambitions and we believe that he can win, and he's one of the favourites on these stages," Katusha's team manager Jose Azevedo told Cyclingnews.

"For Alex, the second or third week is usually better for him as people start to feel more tired. So, normally he can keep his level for the whole race and until Paris, we're going to try and win with him."