Jumbo Visma's Steven Kruijswijk sees no problem with his team sending three leaders to the Tour de France this summer. The Dutch rider, who finished third in last year's Tour, told Dutch media that the final result was inevitable.

Kruijswijk was last on the podium in Paris last July, behind Team Ineos' Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas. Like many others, he expects to be up against the Ineos and Jumbo Visma teams again this time around.

"If you look purely at the lineup of our team and Team Ineos, we are definitely the two strongest and biggest contenders. Hopefully, we will go the longest distance."

Jumbo Visma had already decided on its team composition before the start of the season, with New Zealand rider George Bennett replacing Belgian rider Laurens De Plus.

Defending champion Bernal and 2018 winner Thomas will participate, but there is a question mark over the participation of four-time winner Chris Froome. It was widely believed that Ineos would match Jumbo Visma's approach of bringing three leaders to the Tour following the news that he will move to the Israeli startup nation next season.

Although he is currently immersed in intensive training for the Tour, Kruijswijk has yet to compete in the 2020 race. The same goes for his teammate and compatriot Dumoulin, while Slovenian Roglic won the national championship road race late last month and finished second in the time trial.

By now, Kruijswijk and his teammates would be competing with Team Ineos in the Tour de France, but the race was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, and the riders are busy preparing for the Grande Pearl in Nice at the end of next month.

"It's a new situation for all of us, so we are curious," Kruijswijk said of the calendar change. But the goal is to win the Tour as one team."

"Of course, every sportsman wants to win and one of us can take that victory.

"Ultimately, the strongest athlete wins the Tour. If it's going to be a tactical game, I'd rather have three people sitting up front."

The 33-year-old will start the 2020 season at the Tour de Ain in France (August 7-9) and will remain in France to resolve issues related to COVID-19 and international travel, running the Criterium du Dauphiné (August 12-16) and then in late August He plans to race the Tour de France.