Thursday 31 May 2018 17:52, UK
Geraint Thomas will lead Team Sky in the Criterium du Dauphine which begins in south east France on June 3.
Chris Froome is not in the squad following his win at the Giro d'Italia, but Thomas is joined in the Team Sky lineup by Jonathan Castroviejo, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Michael Kwiatkowski, Gianni Moscon, Luke Rowe, and Dylan van Baarle.
This year's race, which has difficult climbs and team trials, takes place from June 3 to June 10, beginning in Valence and finishing in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains.
Team Sky will be using the Criterium du Dauphine as part of their preparations for the Tour de France which begins on July 7.
Team Sky Sport Director Servais Knaven said: "There are a few challenges this coming week, there is a TTT - a nice challenge, as well as four summit finishes so it is going to be a tough Dauphine.
"Every day you have go for it until the finish - the finishes will be very tough and it will be hard race to control with a lot of mountain stages.
"Together with Tour de Suisse it is important to get some miles in the legs - there aren't too many stage races with so many stages in the mountains this race is important preparation for the Tour de France."
Knaven also confirmed that Geraint Thomas and Michal Kwiatkowski will be the team's main contenders for the race, although he is aware the pair have recently finished an intense training camp at altitude.
He added: "Geraint and Kwiato are our guys for GC and we have to see where they are at the moment as they have just come back from altitude camp, so we will see how things go.
"They will be our main guys."
