Simon Gerrans confirmed for Tour de France

AUSTRALIAN cycling will have a small but pivotal contingent in this year's Tour de France.

AUSTRALIAN cycling will have a small but pivotal contingent in this year's Tour de France.

Simon Gerrans has become the third confirmed starter so far for the July 2-24 race, while Mark Renshaw's message of congratulations showed he will be in the race field as well.

But well-known Tour names Robbie McEwen, Mick Rogers and Baden Cooke have all missed out on starts and Allan Davis is unlikely to gain a berth.

BMC team leader Cadel Evans is the main Australian hope this year as he tries to go one better than his runner-up placings in 2007 and 2008.

Richie Porte will be a key lieutenant at Saxo Bank for defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain, while Team Sky leader Bradley Wiggins will call on Gerrans as one of his main helpers on the climbs.

While Evans, Porte and Gerrans are noted climbers, Renshaw will be prominent in the Tour's high-speed sprint finishes.

Renshaw is the main leadout rider on the HTC-Columbia team for British sprint ace Mark Cavendish.

Soon after Gerrans' Tour start was confirmed this afternoon, Renshaw sarcastically wished him well for their trip around France.

"Happy to hear simongerrans will be joining me for a three-week holiday in France this July, lots of free food and real good hotels," Renshaw posted.

Gerrans has endured mixed fortunes at the Tour, winning a stage in 2008 and then surprisingly missing out on a start in 2009.

Last year, he suffered shocking luck before crashing out in stage eight with a broken arm.

Gerrans made it clear his top priority next month will be to help Wiggins, who was fourth overall in 2009.

"Team Sky has put together an excellent group of guys that will play various roles to support Brad in the general classification and I expect to play a key support role especially in the medium mountain stages," Gerrans said in a statement.

"If the opportunity arises to look for a stage win then I will take it, however this will be a secondary priority to the team's main goal of the general classification."

Rogers and Mat Hayman were two other Australian contenders for berths on Sky's Tour team.

Rogers has battled illness in the last few weeks, while Hayman again missed out.

Hayman has a great reputation as a domestique, or team helper, but he has ridden a Tour de France.

HTC-Columbia is yet to confirm its Tour line-up and Matt Goss could yet join Renshaw in the nine-man squad.

Earlier this year, Goss became the first Australian to win the Milan-Sanremo one-day classic.