Cavendish headlines Dimension Data long list for Tour de France

Cavendish, who has won 26 stages at Le Tour to put him third on the all-time list behind only Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault, is expected to be the focal point of the team before turning his attentions to the track as he looks to win an elusive Olympic medal at Rio 2016 later this summer.

The in-form Cummings has soloed to victory three times at WorldTour level already this season and also gave Dimension Data their first-ever Tour de France stage win on stage 14 last year.

The 13-rider list will be cut to nine after this weekend's national championships, ahead of the start of the Tour on July 2.

And Dimension Data's head of performance Rolf Aldag believes he has the squad to cause some damage in this year's race.

"The team achieved remarkable success so far and we are confident that the group of 13 selected riders will represent our team values and team spirit throughout the 21 days of racing," said Aldag.

"The Tour de France gives us the opportunity to showcase our team, to raise awareness for Qhubeka and to fight on every single day for the best possible result.

"We are highly motivated and believe that the race holds chances for all of our riders to make a difference, right from day one."

Sportsbeat 2016