Cycling - Tour de France - Team INEOS News Conference - Brussels, Belgium - July 5, 2019 - Team INEOS team manager Dave Brailsford attends a news conference. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Welshman Geraint Thomas will find himself in the unusual position of being defending champion but not even the outright leader of his team when the Tour de France starts in Brussels on Saturday.
It was always likely to be the case, but rather than sharing the honour with four-time winner Chris Froome, it is 22-year-old Colombian Egan Bernal who will get equal billing.
