Rohan Dennis may make his long-awaited return to the Tour de France next year, as Jumbo-Visma has confirmed that he will compete for a starting position among the eight registered riders. Dennis has signed a two-year contract with a Dutch team to ride for Jumbo-Visma after leaving Ineos Grenadiers. Jumbo-Visma usually announces its Tour de France roster in December, and despite the fact that Denis has not yet stepped on the pedals, he could be part of an eight-man roster that is believed to include Primoš Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, and Wout van Aert.

Dennis has not competed in the Tour de France since 2019, when he abandoned mid-race under controversial circumstances with Bahrain McLaren. He spent the past two seasons with Ineos Grenadiers and proved to be an integral rider in Tao Geoghegan Hart's 2020 Giro d'Italia victory.

With Tony Martin retiring at the end of the season, Jumbo Visma's management sees Dennis as a potential filler for the German rider who often controlled the Tour peloton on the flat stages. A capable climber, Dennis can also cover in the mountains, and with two time trials in the race, the Australian could be in line for another yellow jersey and a time trial on the final day. He has only finished in the Tour once, but his qualities as a bike rider make him at least a possibility for the Tour.

"Last week, Rohan accompanied the team for the first time and was with the performance director in the wind tunnel. It was great to meet him and talk to him for the first time. We want to get to know him a little better and hear his own preferences," Merijn Zeeman, Jumbo-Visma's sport director, told Cyclingnews.

"As for the Tour, he has a great chance. It is clearly our ambition for Rohan to be a key rider in the team and to compete in the biggest race for us. His participation in the Tour is definitely something that is being considered."

While Dennis' qualities on the bike are never in doubt, one of the key challenges will be choosing the right targets for the 31-year-old next season; the home road world championships in September will be high on the target list. Zeman believes the rider can match his personal goals with the needs of the team.

"The original plan remains the same, and for Rohan it will be a combination of races that will allow him to be an important helper to the leaders, but also give him a chance to be a leader himself. There is also the World Championships in Australia, which is a big goal for Rohan. We want to provide a balanced program so that he can play both roles and be an important part of the team. It's a shame that a race like Catalunya doesn't have a time trial. We want to create the best program for him."

Jumbo Visma's management is currently formulating plans and lineups for next year. Tom Dumoulin could take a leadership role in the Grand Tour, and the team could give Van Aert more freedom in the Tour. According to Zeman, some riders are hoping to lead the team in the Giro d'Italia in May, but no significant decisions have been made at this time.

"We are discussing the plan with all the riders, but as you can imagine, it is like a big puzzle with a lot of work to have the right team goal. We are looking at the ambitions of each rider and team. A lot of people seem to think that winter is a quiet time, but we're still going full steam ahead."

"This week we have a proposal regarding the teams and next week we will talk to all the coaches to get their input. Then in December we will discuss it with the players. Because a large part of this plan involves commitment."