The teams in alphabetical order with a few comments on rosters and riders looking at possible stage winners with past stage winners in red, Aussies in Blue.
AG2R La Mondiale
o 1 José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa)
o 2 Cyril Dessel (Fra)
o 3 Hubert Dupont (Fra)
o 4 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus)
o 5 Stéphane Goubert (Fra)
o 6 Lloyd Mondory (Fra)
o 7 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita)
o 8 Christophe Riblon (Fra)
o 9 Nicholas Roche (Irl)
French team with lots of French riders, Vladimir Efimkin was 10th last year on the back of some good efforts in the hills, he may well be a KOM contender with Valjavec as well who was 9th last year. If they work together with Dessel and Goubert anyone of the them could chase a stage win or KOM points. Nicholas Roche, son of 1987 winner Tony makes his debut here.
Agritubel
o 11 Maxime Bouet (Fra)
o 12 Sylvain Calzati (Fra)
o 13 Brice Feillu (Fra)
o 14 Romain Feillu (Fra)
o 15 Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa)
o 16 David Lelay (Fra)
o 17 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra)
o 18 Christophe Moreau (Fra)
o 19 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra)
Another French team, this one a wildcard. They do have ex French Champ Christophe Moreau though, he was a contender once upon a time (4th overall in 2000). Romain Feillu can ride and like the rest of the team, they have nothing to lose, they will be looking to get in breakaways and sneak a stage win. Feillu wore Yellow last year courtesy of a breakaway on stage 4 that got him a heap of time, he lost it the next day.
Astana
o 21 Lance Armstrong (USA)
o 22 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa)
o 23 Andreas Klöden (Ger)
o 24 Levi Leipheimer (USA)
o 25 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)
o 26 Sergio Paulinho (Por)
o 27 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
o 28 Grégory Rast (Swi)
o 29 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa)
Um Yep. The Big guns. 5 ex stage winners, with 2 ex-winners, 2 others that have been on the podium and 2 others that have been in the top 10. Very hard to contend with, they will go for the GC win but Popovych could have a shot at the KOM (not that he did much to help Cadel last year!) if they wanted although i doubt it. They will try and win it overall and get the team win as well. Johan Bruyneel is one of the best managers in the game (its him or Riis), certainly he is the most successful. Guided Lance to 7 tour wins and has had contador for his 3 grand tour wins. Tactics will not be a problem and as we saw last year, team strength has a lot to do with winning this race.
BBOX Bouygues Telecom
o 31 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn)
o 32 William Bonnet (Fra)
o 33 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra)
o 34 Saïd Haddou (Fra)
o 35 Laurent Lefevre (Fra)
o 36 Alexandre Pichot (Fra)
o 37 Pierre Rolland (Fra)
o 39 Thomas Voeckler (Fra)
French Team who specialise in escape attempts, Voeckler and Fedrigo are probably the best riders, both trying to get away and stay away for as long as possible. Voeckler actively pursues KOM points every year. Other than that not much to offer.
Caisse d'Epargne
o 41 David Arroyo Duran (Spa)
o 42 Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por)
o 43 Arnaud Coyot (Fra)
o 44 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa)
o 45 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa)
o 46 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa)
o 47 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa)
o 48 Luis Leon Sánchez Gil (Spa)
o 49 Rigoberto Uran (Col)
Caisse d'Espargne are a Spanish mob sponsored by a French bank. They are missing team leader Alejandro Valverde (top 10 last 2 years) becasue he is banned from riding in Italy - an the tour spends a day or two there. So Past winner Oscar Pereiro will probably be leader although i think Luis Leon Sanchez and David Arroyo are the best riders and with young gun Luis Rodriguez they will be looking to be agressive and win a stage or two in the Pyrenees. Chances of a stage win are good for one of those 4 mentioned but i can't see them having anyone 10 top in the overallclassification.
Cervelo Test Team
o 51 Iñigo Cuesta Lopez De Castro (Spa)
o 52 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa)
o 53 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr)
o 54 Heinrich Haussler (Ger)
o 55 Thor Hushovd (Nor)
o 56 Andreas Klier (Ger)
o 57 Brett Lancaster (Aus)
o 58 Hayden Roulston (NZl)
o 59 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa)
They left out Simon Gerrans. What a waste. A bloke who is a super domestique and was head hunted. The take Inigo Cunesta a 40yo who i doubt will finish the race. This is one reason sastre will struggle, he will not get the help he needs in the hills. I rated Gerrans stage win last year in my top 5 favourite sporting moments (the others were Hawthorns AFL grand Final win, Usain Bolt at the Olympics, Phelps at the Olympics and aussie cricketer Brett Lee breaking down and missing a few tests). Sastre will be high up in the GC, Hushovd and Haussler can win stages. Aussie Brett Lancaster rides in his 3rd tour here after previously being a lead out man for Petacchi and Erik Zabel at Milram - he is a quality lead out man and will be looking to put Hushovd in the right spot in the bunch finishes.
Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
o 61 Stéphane Auge (Fra)
o 62 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra)
o 63 Leonardo Duque (Col)
o 64 Bingen Fernandez Bustinza (Spa)
o 65 Christophe Kern (Fra)
o 66 Sébastien Minard (Fra)
o 67 Amaël Moinard (Fra)
o 68 David Moncoutie (Fra)
o 69 Rémi Pauriol (Fra)
Doumolin won a stage last year when he led an escape group inot Nantes, that will be his aim again. Duque was 10 top in 7 sprint stages last year and is improving and Mouncoutie will be chasing KOM and is a chance for stage wins as well.
Euskaltel - Euskadi
o 71 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa)
o 72 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa)
o 73 Koldo Fernandez De Larrea (Spa)
o 74 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa)
o 75 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa)
o 76 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa)
o 77 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa)
o 78 Amets Txurruka (Spa)
o 79 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa)
The spanish men in Orange. They Climb. They have left their best rider - Olympic Gold Medalist and 6th overall last year Sammy Sanchez at home. Tey will attack in the mountains, Igor Anton and Amets Txurruka will be taking off in the pyrenees and looking to stay away. They are agressive and thats all we expect of them.
Française des Jeux
o 81 Sandy Casar (Fra)
o 82 Jérôme Coppel (Fra)
o 83 Anthony Geslin (Fra)
o 84 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr)
o 85 Sébastien Joly (Fra)
o 86 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra)
o 87 Jérémy Roy (Fra)
o 88 Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra)
o 89 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin)
Another team of Frenchmen with not a whole heap going for them. Attempt the obligatory breakaways, hope to stay away. Sandy Casar can ride and was 13th overall ast year, he will chase stage wins with Geslin.
Garmin - Slipstream
o 91 Julian Dean (NZl)
o 92 Tyler Farrar (USA)
o 93 Ryder Hesjedal (Can)
o 94 Daniel Martin (Can)
o 95 David Millar (GBr)
o 96 Danny Pate (USA)
o 97 Christian Vande Velde (USA)
o 98 Bradley Wiggins (GBr)
o 99 David Zabriskie (USA)
The first thing that jumps out at me when i look a this team is SPEED. Zabriskie US national TT champion National Time Trial Champion 2004/06/07/08 and a Time trial winner at both Le Tour and the Giro. Brad Wiggins 2 time Olympic Gold medal winner in the Pursuit, 1 olympic gold in the team pursuit, 3 time world champion at pursuit, 2 time world champ in the team pursuit, world champ in the madison - fast. Vande Velde, great stage racer but also an excellent TT rider with TT results in lesser races, crashed in the Giro and has not had a great lead up but - fast. David Millar - British raod and TT champion, winner of prologue and TT races on tour de France and Vuelta as well as other stage races. Then sprinters Dean and Farrar. These guys are after TT wins. With Vande Veldes injury they have picked a team focused on wining the TT stages. & they would have to be a short priced fave for the Team Time Trial. Look for Millar and Martin to get into breakaways and try and pinch stages, otherwise they will be leading out for Dean and Farrar or supporting Vandevelde if he is strong enough.
Team Katusha
o 101 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus)
o 102 Joan Horrach Rippoll (Spa)
o 103 Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus)
o 104 Serguei Ivanov (Rus)
o 105 Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
o 106 Danilo Napolitano (Ita)
o 107 Filippo Pozzato (Ita)
o 109 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel)
Unfortunately no Robbie McEwen. I beleive he would have had the best chanse of anyone of taking it up to Cavendish with a team built around him where the last few years they were working for cadel. Still Pozzato is a fair rider, he will be wearing the Italian jersey as their champ and expect him to be close to winning a stage or 2, he might even be the one they work for in the sprints, Ivanov has won stages before and can figure again, his win in the Amstel Gold this year was great.
Lampre - NGC
o 111 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) - Current world Champion.
o 112 Marco Bandiera (Ita)
o 113 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita)
o 114 Angelo Furlan (Ita)
o 115 David Loosli (Swi)
o 116 Daniele Righi (Ita)
o 117 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita)
o 118 Marcin Sapa (Pol)
o 119 Simon Spilak (Slo)
This team does not really care much for Le Tour - they are Italian and they chase Giro wins. But Bruseghin is a fair rider, Italian TT champ in the past and a decent all rounder, Ballan their best rider, he will be searching for stage wins and will get the support from the rest.
Liquigas
o 121 Daniele Bennati (Ita)
o 122 Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
o 123 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr)
o 124 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita)
o 125 Franco Pellizotti (Ita)
o 126 Fabio Sabatini (Ita)
o 127 Brian Vandborg (Den)
o 128 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita)
o 129 Frederik Willems (Bel)
I i have said in the other profiles i am expecting big things from this team. Kreuziger is a superstar in the making and i think he will be top 10. Nibali and Pellizotti provide adequate support and Pellizotti possibly goes for KOM points. Bennati is a sprinter of the highest calibre, a stage winner in the past and he can always figure again.
Quick Step
o 131 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa)
o 132 Allan Davis (Aus)
o 133 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra)
o 134 Steven de Jongh (Ned)
o 135 Stijn Devolder (Bel)
o 136 Jérôme Pineau (Fra)
o 137 Sébastien Rosseler (Bel)
o 138 Matteo Tosatto (Ita)
o 139 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel)
o 140 Tom Boonen (Bel)
10 men listed here - I highlighted the Davis / Boonen dilema in the Green jersey preview. They have two very stong riders in Chavenel and Devolder who will go for stage wins and look for breakaways, Davis or Boonen looking for the Green Jersey. great lead out train, good alround package, they will win a stage or two somewhere, hopefully Its Alan Davis flying the Ausie flag.
Rabobank
o 141 Stef Clement (Ned)
o 142 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa)
o 143 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa)
o 144 Juan Manuel Garate Cepa (Spa)
o 145 Robert Gesink (Ned)
o 146 Denis Menchov (Rus)
o 147 Grischa Niermann (Ger)
o 148 Joost Posthuma (Ned)
o 149 Laurens ten Dam (Ned)
Menchov will go for Yellow, Freire for Green, Gesink possibly for KOM and is eligible for the White Jersey. a good all round team looking to put the memork of Rassmussen behind them. Gesink is a young star, the others more than capable and they will win at least one stage with Menchov, Freire or Gesink.
Silence - Lotto
o 151 Charles Wegelius (GBr)
o 152 Mickael Delage (Fra)
o 153 Cadel Evans (Aus)
o 154 Sebastian Lang (Ger)
o 155 Matthew Lloyd (Aus)
o 156 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel)
o 157 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel)
o 158 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel)
o 159 Johan Van Summeren (Bel)
Cadel Evans flys the flag for the Aussies with the assistance of another Aussie in Matt Lloyd, the 2008 Australian road race champion . He has Sebastian Lang to help out in the hills this year but has lost Thomas Dekker who was booted yesterday because of "suspect levels". It is a big blow to go with the big gun recruit Bernard Kohl who was last years KOM winner and 3rd overall - he tested positive and is now on the banned list. So Cadel again goes in with a sub standard support team and will be up against it.
Skil-Shimano
o 161 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn)
o 162 Koen de Kort (Ned)
o 163 Simon Geschke (Ger)
o 164 Jonathan Hivert (Fra)
o 165 Thierry Huppond (Fra)
o 166 Cycril Lemoine (Fra)
o 167 Piet Rooijakkers (Ned)
o 168 Albert Timmer (Ned)
o 169 Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned)
A wildcard entry that quite frankly has achieved next to nothing. Not one rider has had a tour start or won a major race. Breakaway and hope for hte best.
Team Columbia - HTC
o 171 Mark Cavendish (GBr)
o 172 Bernhard Eisel (Aut)
o 173 Bert Grabsch (Ger)
o 174 George Hincapie (USA)
o 175 Kim Kirchen (Lux)
o 176 Tony Martin (Ger)
o 177 Maxime Monfort (Bel)
o 178 Mark Renshaw (Aus)
o 179 Michael Rogers (Aus)
They were Columbia Highroad until today when HTC was announced as the new sponsor - just in time for the start! They boast The worlds best sprinter in Cavendish who will get great lead outs from Aussie Mark Renshaw and world TT champ Grabsch, thats the Green Jersey focus. There is Kim Kirchen and Mick Rogers for the GC and everyone will be ably assisted by Big George Hincapie having his 14th tour start, he was once Lance's general and knows how to play the game. Martin, Eisel and Monfort all provide above average support. Great Team.
Team Milram
o 181 Gerald Ciolek (Ger)
o 182 Marcus Fothen (Ger)
o 183 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger)
o 184 Linus Gerdemann (Ger)
o 185 Christian Knees (Ger)
o 186 Niki Terpstra (Ned)
o 187 Peter Velits (Svk)
o 188 Fabian Wegmann (Ger)
o 189 Peter Wrolich (Aut)
Gerdelman is a former stage winner and yellow jersey wearer on the 2007 tour, he and Fothen will be their best chances of a high GC finish, possibly aim for a breakaway and a stage win, although a top 20 GC finish would be their best hope. A few might chase KOM points but i think they will be trying to find a stage win for young gun Ciolek.
Team Saxo Bank
o 191 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor)
o 192 Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
o 193 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe)
o 194 Stuart O'Grady (Aus)
o 195 Chris Anker Sørensen (Den)
o 196 Andy Schleck (Lux)
o 197 Fränk Schleck (Lux)
o 198 Nicki Sörensen (Den)
o 199 Jens Voigt (Ger)
The team that destroyed the peleton is back. This year a new leader (A. Schleck or F.Scheck) but the result might be similar. Massive experience, 5 former stage winners, 4 guys who have worn yellow, another who won the white jersey, 2 tour deubtants and one of the best tacticians running the show in Bjarne Riis. Aussie favourite Stu O'Grady is an absolute machine and big Fabian Cancellara and the German Jens Voigt are both cut from the same stone, they just go and go and go. A very very tough team on flat stages, on hills and in time trials. No real sprinters here (although Cancellara won a sprint stage last year) and any man in this team can win a stage here. Along with Astana will be fighting to control the race.
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