Matt White has confirmed that Orica-BikeExchange will attempt to win the Tour de France next season, although no decision will be made on which rider will attempt to do so until the Giro course has been revealed on Tuesday.
"We want to see the Giro [d'Italia] route. We have some ideas for next year but we definitely want to take someone to the Tour de France to challenge for the podium. Who that will be, we will find out in the next couple of weeks. We'll see the Giro route, sit down with our guys and then come up with a big picture plan," the OBE DS told Cyclingnews.
The riders he has at his disposal are Adam and Simon Yates (fourth overall in the 2016 Tour and sixth in the 2016 Vuelta respectively) as well as Esteban Chaves, winner of Il Lombardia and a rider who podiumed both the Giro and Vuelta this season.
New signing Roman Kreuziger is a deep back up option after taking tenth in the Tour de France. He was fifth overall in the same race three seasons ago but wont lead a Grand Tour provisionally in 2017.
"This year we targeted all three Grand Tours, and off the top of my head that will be the plan once again and with realistic chances of podiums," White said about the team’s Grand Tour goals next year.
White says he wont send one GC rider to the Giro as a helper then let him lead at the Tour, as it is too hard. He intends to have one rider lead the Giro and one lead the Tour, with the Giro leader either racing the Tour as a helper or getting to lead at the Vuelta with the third GC rider.
"The problem with doing the Giro and backing up for the Tour is that in you're in the hands of the gods with the weather. The Giro is hard physically with longer and steeper climbs. We've seen this year that the Giro-Vuelta and Tour-Vuelta is viable but the Giro-Tour double isn't a good idea for anyone."
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