Rohan Dennis is set to line out alongside Vincenzo Nibali at the Tour de France in 2019, his debut season at Bahrain-Merida. The time trial world champion last rode the Grande Boucle in 2016 and instead competed at the Giro dīItalia and Vuelta a Espaņa in each of his final two years at BMC. Following the Rio 2016 Olympics, Dennis set himself the objective of exploring his potential as a general classification contender, and he was handed a protected role by BMC at the Giro. After being forced out by a crash in the opening week in 2017, Dennis performed solidly to place 16th overall at the corsa rosa this year, wearing the pink jersey and winning the stage 16 time trial along the way. Dennis acknowledged that he would not be afforded the same freedom on a Tour team led by Nibali, but his likely role as a deluxe domestique nonetheless tallies with his long-term plans to continue his improvement as a stage race rider.ADVERTISEMENT `With Bahrain, Nibaliīs the guy and I may have to take a bit of a backseat role, but I havenīt lost focus on eventually riding for GC,` Dennis told Cyclingnews at a team training camp in Hvar, Croatia this week. `I look at guys like Geraint Thomas or Richie Porte, who were working for Wiggins and Froome. They were the last guys in the mountains for one of those guys, so maybe thatīs the step I need to take before I go for GC myself. Dennis will play a pivotal role in Bahrain-Meridaīs effort in the stage 2 team time trial in Brussels, but the Australian also plans on being among Nibaliīs key supporting riders in the high mountains. Nibali confirmed this week that he will attempt the Giro-Tour double in 2019. Dennis has competed in the Tour on three previous occasions, claiming the yellow jersey after winning the opening time trial in Utrecht in 2015. `Anything can happen in the Tour,` Dennis said. `We need to be making sure Nibali isnīt losing time in the team time trial, but Iīll also be trying to make sure Iīm there late in every cl ...
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