The French team FDJ will take part in the 42nd Volta ao Algarve (February 17-21) with a team led by Thibaut Pinot, number 10 of the World Ranking. The French climber is one of the four top 10 riders of the World Ranking expected in the Portuguese race.

Thibaut Pinot is winner of the 2015 Alpe D’Huez stage in the Tour de France, a race he finished in third position one year earlier. He can fight for the best places in the Volta ao Algarve.

Alexandre Geniez is another man for the top positions in Algarve. In 2014 he was fourth in the Portuguese race. In 2015 he won the Tour de l’Ain and the Tro-Leo Bon.

In general, the team will have numerous GC options in Algarve. Kenny Elissonde, Steve Morabito and new signing Sebastien Reichenbach all have the cllimbing skills to do well in Australia. Murilo Fischer and Yoanne Offredo will provide support of the flats whils TT specialist Jeremy Roy will use his versatility in every terrain.

Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), Fabio Aru (Astana), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) and Thibaut Pinot are the four men of the World Ranking top 10 expected in the Volta ao Algarve, a race that will have 24 teams on the starting line:

WorldTour: Astana, Cannondale, Etixx-QuickStep, FDJ, IAM Cycling, Katusha, Lotto Soudal, Lotto NL-Jumbo, Movistar, Team Sky, Tinkoff and Trek-Segafredo.

Pro Continental : Bora-Argon 18, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Gazprom-RusVelo, Novo Nordisk, Roth and Verva ActiveJet.

Continental: All the Portuguese teams (probably six)