Team Giant-Shimano rider Ji is not unfamiliar with breaking new ground, having become the first man from his country to start in a Grand Tour, taking part in the Vuelta a España in 2012.

He also rode in last year's Giro d'iatlia and made his debut at the Tour of Beijing in the same year, finishing 69th in the general classification.

"Together with the team I have worked on a long-term plan to develop and be able to race at the highest level of the sport," said Ji, whose family live in Beijing.

"This then led to the goal of having the first Chinese rider at the Tour and for that to now actually be happening is amazing.

"It has been a lot of hard work to get here but with a good programme of training and racing, and having learned a lot from the other riders on the team I have made a step up and I cannot wait to start the Tour and I hope to inspire my compatriots back home in China."

The 26-year-old is one of the nine-man Team Giant-Shimano that hopes to win a stage, with the likes of German sprinters Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb in its ranks.

Cheng Ji, pictured leading the pack during a stage of last year's Giro d'Italia, said he "cannot wait" to ride in the Tour de France next month ©AFP/Getty Images



Team coach Rudi Kemma, who unveiled the squad today, said Ji will play a key role in helping the sprinters achieve the Dutch team's Tour de France goals.

"When we started working with him as a young talented rider back in 2008 we made a long-term plan and this has seen him develop into the highest level of the sport and we see him now playing an important factor in the sprint formations," Kemma said.

"Having Cheng in the team as the first Chinese rider ever to ride the Tour de France will be huge for him and his country and we look forward to seeing the impact this has on the Globalisation of the sport."

The other riders in the team are Dutchman Roy Curvers, starting his third Tour, Dries Devenyns of Belgium who starts his first Tour, and Dutch pair Koen De Kort and Tom Veelers, who will act as key lead-out members for Kittel and Degenkolb

Dutchman Albert Timmer enters his second consecutive Tour and countryman Tom Dumoulin returns for his second Tour.

Ji is a former runner who switched to the Chinese track cycling programme in 2002 before moving to the road.

He joined Team Giant-Shimano in 2008, when it was known as Skil-Shimano.

The 101st edition of the Tour de France is due to begin in Yorkshire on July 5 and is due to end on July 27.