Team Sky's Wout Poels says that he is confident of being selected to support Chris Froome at the Tour de France, despite having only ridden one race since February.
The Dutchman, who was a key domestique in Froome's 2016 Tour triumph, suffered a knee injury at the Ruta del Sol in mid-February, putting him out of action for a number of months until he returned at the Route du Sud last week.
However despite this lengthy spell on the sidelines, Poels remains upbeat about making Sky's nine-man squad.
>>> Team Sky's Tour de France team: which nine riders will make the cut?
"I'm confident that I'm in the team," Poels told De Telegraf (opens in new tab). "The progress has been clearly visible in recent weeks.
"As one of Froome's domsetiques, I do not have to be good on the first day. Instead I have to be fresh in the third week in the Alps."
Watch: Tour de France contenders - Chris Froome
Poels completed the four-day Route du Sud race in the Pyrenees, where he worked in support of Kenny Elissonde who finished third overall.
>>> Wout Poels has to prove form at Route du Sud if he wants to race Tour de France
"I'll stay in the Pyrenees for a few days now to explore some of the climbs," he continued "Those are signs that the team trust in me.
"It has also been mentioned that I will will also start in Vuelta a España. Because I've been out for three months, that might be a good idea as I'll still be fresh."
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