OPINION: Kiwis George Bennett, Jack Bauer, Patrick Bevin and Dion Smith are set to battle it out with the likes of favourites Chris Froome and Richie Porte in this year's Tour de France.
Here's what you need to know about them.
NAME: George Bennett
TEAM: Team LottoNL-Jumbo
Previous appearances: 1 (2016)
The Kiwi with the best chance of winning a stage, the 27-year old claimed a stunning breakthrough victory at the Tour of California this year, becoming the first New Zealander to win a World Tour event.
He's taken the last couple of weeks off to hopefully enter with fresh legs, and is hunting a stage win in the mountains. A climber who has shown he can match it with the world's best in the hills, he's been given free reign by his team.
While the route doesn't suit him perfectly this year, he'll look to make his mark in the second and third week of the Tour. Keep an eye out for him in Stage 8 and 9 - he's one to watch in the field.
NAME: Jack Bauer
TEAM: Team Quick-Step Floors
Previous appearances: 3 (2015, 2014, 2013)
Bauer is the most experienced New Zealander in the field. The 32-year old came agonisingly close to a stage win back in 2014, but his role will be slightly different this time around. Bauer will be part of the lead-out train tasked with getting talented German sprinter Marcel Kittel stage wins.
Bauer's likely to finish near the top of the leaderboard in the sprint stages, but he won't be looking to be the first one across the line. He is part of strong all-round team which features the aggressive Dan Martin and Belgian Philippe Gilbert, who will be looking for a high finish in the general classification.
NAME: Patrick Bevin
TEAM: Team Cannondale-Drapac
Previous appearances: Zero
The 26-year old is riding the Tour for the first time after impressing in the Tour de Suisse with a trio of Top 10 stage finishes. He has experience riding in a Grand Tour, although he had to pull out of last year's Vuelta a Espana with injury.
The team is balancing stage wins with general classification hopes for American Andrew Talansky and Colombian Rigoberto Uran. Bevin has showed he has a good kick of speed and might look to get out in a breakaway and see what he can do.
NAME: Dion Smith
TEAM: Team Wanty-Gobert
Previous appearances: Zero
The 24-year old is making his debut in a Grand Tour as part of an inexperienced team, which is the second youngest in the field. It is the first time the team has competed in France, with all nine members rookies in the prestigious race.
Not an out-and-out sprinter, Smith describes himself as having punchy speed, with his best chance coming in slightly hilly stages that will wear the pure sprinters out.
He's also targeting the breakaways and hopes to mix it at the front of the field. Part of a free-range team that's willing to give everything a crack, it should be a tough three weeks for Smith but he's up for the challenge.
Henry Rounce is a reporter for RadioLIVE.
