Simon Yates and Dylan Groenewegen will lead Jayco Arla in the Tour de France, which begins in Bilbao on Saturday, July 1.

The Australian team announced its lineup Friday morning, confirming the omission of multiple Tour stage winner Michael Matthews.

Yates skipped the Giro d'Italia for the first time in five years, putting the Tour at the center of his 2023 season. He started the year by finishing second overall in the Tour Down Under and fourth in Paris-Nice, but has not raced since retiring from the Tour de Romandie in late April with stomach problems.

Yates will support Australian Chris Harper and American Lawson Craddock. Australian road captain Luke Durbridge and Denmark's Chris Juul Jensen will provide experience and support on the flat stages.

"We have a well-rounded team and clear objectives.

"This year we have fewer races and more training going into the Tour.

Yates' best finish at the Tour was seventh overall in 2017, with two stage wins in 2019. His last Tour appearance was in 2021, when he crashed on stage 13 and abandoned.

"I'm really looking forward to this year's event because on paper it looks really good and it's a course that suits me very well," Yates said.

Groenewegen won one of the few group sprints at last year's Tour, but it appears that the 2023 edition will give more chances to the fastest riders.

He warmed up for the Tour with two wins at the Tour de Slovenia, and in July he will again team up with Luca Mezgek and another Dutchman, Elmar Reinders, in a sprint train for his Tour de France debut.

"Working with Luca Mezgek and the other lead-out trains, I have grown more and more.

Luke Durbridge will be making his ninth Tour, while Lawson Craddock, Chris Juul-Jensen, and debutant Chris Harper will be among the Jayco Alura selections. Harper, who moved from Jumbo Visma in the off-season, will play a key role in leading Yates in the mountains.