PARIS - German sprint king Marcel Kittel returns to the Tour de France next month with his new Etixx-Quick Step team.
German cyclist Marcel Kittel, of the Etixx-QuickStep team, crosses the finish line and wins the 2nd stage of the 99th Giro d'Italia, Tour of Italy, on May 7, 2016
Kittel won four stages in each of the 2013 and 2014 editions but injury and illness ruled him out of last year's race.
He has since moved to Etixx from Giant, replacing the man he surpassed as the world's best sprinter in the process, Briton Mark Cavendish.
Etixx picked a team with the view of winning stages that includes German three-time world time-trial champion Tony Martin and punchers Dan Martin of Ireland and France's Julien Alaphilippe.
Etixx team for the Tour de France:
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA), Iljo Keisse (BEL), Marcel Kittel (GER), Dan Martin (IRL), Tony Martin (GER), Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), Fabio Sabatini (ITA), Petr Vakoc (CZE), Michel Vermote (BEL)