Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Geraint Thomas lead Team Sky at Tour de France

The line-up consists of Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe, Richie Porte, Leopold Konig, Nicolas Roche and Woet Poels.

There were no major surprises in the nine-man line-up, with five British riders - Froome, Thomas, Kennaugh, Stannard and Rowe - in the squad.

The only real question-mark was over the inclusion of Australian rider Porte, whose quality is not in question but whose fitness was a worry after a string of problems saw him cut short his attempt at winning the Giro d'Italia earlier this season.

Sky's team leader is raring to get back to the Tour after his attempt to defend his title went so wrong so quickly 12 months ago.

"I’m ready and I’m fortunate to have a strong team around me selected to meet the many different challenges of this year’s race – from the cobbles to the climbs.

"There’s a great spirit in the group and we’re ready to give our best for every kilometre of every day over the three weeks of the Tour."

Froome earned a hugely impressive win in the recent Criterium du Dauphine, picking up victories in the final two stages to carry off the overall crown and boost his morale going into this year's Tour.

Thomas also comes into the race on the back of good form, having won the E3 Harelbeke and earning a podium spot at Gent-Wevelgem, as well as being very narrowly by Simon Spilak in the recent Tour of Switzerland.

He, along with Rowe, will be key men in keeping Froome safe in the early stages of the race in the Netherlands and northern France - and with Froome having gone out injured after a crash last year, the cobblestones awaiting on stage four will have the 2013 champion nervous already.

"The Tour is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years and we’ve chosen a team of talented riders for the race," said team boss Dave Brailsford.

"We've studied this year’s route carefully and have selected the riders who we believe will best deliver our race strategy.

"Inevitably it is always a difficult decision. We're all looking forward to a great race and we have a strong team – led by Chris Froome – that’s hungry for success.

"I’m confident that Team Sky will be competitive but of course we can take nothing for granted.

"One thing we can say for certain is that it’s going to be a great contest and a great three weeks of racing for the fans. That is fantastic for the sport of cycling."