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Australian star Richie Porte, fresh from his brilliant Criterium Dauphine triumph, has been named in a powerful Ineos Grenadiers team for the Tour de France.

Richie Porte has been chosen in a formidable Ineos Grenadiers team to compete in his 11th successive Tour de France, with high hopes that Australia's top road racer can enjoy another stellar three weeks in cycling's greatest event.

Now 36 and supposedly in the dazzling-looking team largely as key helper to former champion, Britain's Geraint Thomas, Porte's recent form, which saw him take the prestigious Criterium Dauphine title, means he cannot be discounted in any battle for the yellow jersey.

Ineos have, potentially, four riders in their ranks who could challenge in the general classification, with last year's Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart joining the 2019 Giro champ Richard Carapaz, 2018 winner Thomas and last year's third-place finisher Porte.

They're also backed by Michal Kwiatkowski, a previous world champion, Jonathan Castroviejo, Luke Rowe and Dylan van Baarle.

If anything befalls Thomas, Porte would look the next likely team leader, but the Brtish outfit are playing their cards close to their chest, with team principal Dave Brailsford teasing that rivals would have to "expect the unexpected".

"We have changed our race philosophy this season to being more open and aggressive," said Brailsford.

"This more adventurous approach has led us to fearless racing and this is exactly how we will hit the Tour.

"We will seek out every moment in every stage where the race is on and try to exploit it. Key for us this Tour is our collective strength and camaraderie to the end.

"Expect the unexpected."

After winning one of the key pre-Tour races, the Dauphine, Porte played down his hopes of overall victory in the grand tour, accepting that his key role will be as a 'super domestique' to aid Welshman Thomas.

"I'm under no illusions what my job is at the Tour," he said. "But to win this race means so much to me, it's a race I've always enjoyed so to finally win it at 36 years old is a sweet moment."

There will be plenty of stiff challenges for Ineos at the Tour, which begins on June 26 in Brest, with reigning champion Tadej Pogacar, of UAE Emirates, and Spanish Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic, of Jumbo-Visma, posing a huge double threat from Slovenia.