Greg Van Avermaat, Matteo Trentin, and Ilnur Zakarin will lead the CCC team in the Tour de France starting August 29 in Nice. The team, led by Jim Ochowicz, is looking for a sponsor to replace Polish shoe brand CCC, which is ending its contract at the end of the season, one year earlier than planned.

In addition to the Tour, Zakarin will also be in contention for the overall at the Vuelta a España (October 20-November 8), while Van Avermaert and Trentin will take on the classics, which will be held later in October.

"We now have a long list of 14 riders for the Tour de France, and we will make our final selection after the races in early August, when we can gauge how the riders are doing after such a long break," Ochowicz said in a statement released by the team on Tuesday. [The team is aiming for a stage win with three clear leaders, Greg Van Avermaat and Matteo Trentin.

Van Avermaet will restart his season on August 1 at Strade Bianche and will remain in Italy to ride Trittico Lombardo, Milan-Torino, and Milan-San Remo. The Olympic champion will also compete in the Tour de Wallonie and the Bretagne Classics before the Tour de France.

"I think these races will be good preparation before the Tour and will help me to be in my best condition. It's strange to line up without much racing in the legs, but at the end of the day it's the same for everyone," Van Avermaat said.

"After the Tour de France, I'll focus on the classics: Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Ghent-Wevelgem, Tour de Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix. For me, it doesn't matter what time of the year the Classics races are held, I just want to race them.

Trentin will return to competition at the Vuelta a Burgos later this month and then prepare for Milan-San Remo on August 8. After La Classissima, he will focus on stage hunting in the Tour before competing in the Classics with Van Avermaat.

"Early in the season I will concentrate on Milano-San Remo and the Tour de France, with the second block being the Classics," Trentin said. But there will be no breathing room. But there will be no breathing room. I'll be on the gas from start to finish, and I'm really looking forward to running with the guys again."

Zakarin, who moved from Katusha in the off-season, has only raced once in CCC team colors, at the UAE Tour in February. The Russian will now prepare for the Tour de France, competing in the Tour de Pollogne (August 5-9).

"There are about eight mountain stages, so I think there will be good opportunities for me, and as a team we will be able to play multiple cards on different terrain," Zakarin said.

"Then, if everything goes according to plan, we will be in line for the Vuelta a España. Of course, this is a special race for me, having been on the podium in 2017. I have to be thankful for all the race days this year, so I will take every day as an opportunity and try to get a good result for the team."

Alessandro de Marchi, Patrick Bevin, and sprinter Jakub Maleczko will headline the CCC Challenge at the Giro d'Italia (October 3-25). Bevin will also target the individual time trial at the World Championships.

"Patrick Bevin will set his sights on the time trial and the UCI World Championships time trial at this year's Giro d'Italia.

The CCC team is currently in Livigno, Italy for a training camp with 16 riders. CCC is a Polish brand that has announced that it will withdraw from the race at the end of the season, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business. Team riders faced pay cuts during the hiatus from racing activities, and several staff members were laid off from the team's management company, Continuum Sports.

After CCC announced its withdrawal in early June, Ochowicz told reporters that he believed the team would find a new patron before the Tour de France.

"We will find a sponsor before the Tour de France. I have a feeling about that. I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but I have a feeling they will."