Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) looks set to tackle the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double this season, according to his team sports director.
Speaking on Dutch cycling podcast De Rode Lantaarn, Team Sunweb's Aike Visbeek confirmed that Dumoulin would be heading to the Giro in May before attempting to win the Tour in July.
'At the moment we have a clear plan. Tom will go for the General Classification at the Giro and he will also go for the Tour,' said Visbeek before confirming that Wilco Kelderman would ride the Tour before going to the Vuelta a Espana in August.
However, conflicting reports have been released suggesting the team and Dumoulin will not make a decision on the Tour until after he has raced the Giro.
A reporter from Dutch newspaper De Limburger claims that after speaking with the team that Visbeek's claims were 'premature'.
Dumoulin initially stated that he would be focusing on defending his Giro title while remaining coy regarding his Tour participation. He stated that he believed the Giro course suited his skillset more than that of the Tour.
However, if this report becomes true it will see the individual and team time trial World Champion Dumoulin pit himself head-to-head with Chris Froome (Team Sky) who is also looking to win this historic double.
That is also working on the assumption that Froome is permitted to race come this May. The four-time Tour champion is currently under investigation for an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol returned at the 2017 Vuelta a Espana.
Froome kicked off his season at the Ruta del Sol earlier this month as he prepares to tackle these two Grand Tours, however this could be in vain If the UCI and WADA decide to sanction Froome.
It is possible that this ban could be 12 months therefore ruling out his participation at both Grand Tours.
Of course, Froome could have this AAF overturned by proving that his abnormal return of salbutamol was not due to the excessive consumption of the substance.
If Froome is permitted to ride, he and Dumoulin will be looking to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and Tour in the same season.