The Teams

• Astana
  
  1 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa)
  2 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa)
  3 Andriy Grivko (Ukr)
  4 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa)
  5 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz)
  6 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa)
  7 Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa)
  8 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita)
  9 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz)
  
  Of course Astana has race fave Contador, whilst he lacks the big names of last year still has a great support cast for the mountains
  Yellow / Overall: Contador
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Contador, Hernandez, Navarro, Noval, Vinokourov.
  Stage Wins: Contador, Vinokourov
  
  Team Saxo Bank
  
  11 Andy Schleck (Lux)
  12 Matti Breschel (Den)
  13 Fabian Cancellara (Swi)
  14 Jakob Fuglsang (Den)
  15 Stuart O'Grady (Aus)
  16 Fränk Schleck (Lux)
  17 Chris Anker Sørensen (Den)
  18 Nicki Sörensen (Den)
  19 Jens Voigt (Ger)
  
  Very very strong team with a lot of former stage winners and riders who have worn Yellow.
  Yellow / Overall: A. Schleck, F. Schleck
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Schleck& Schleck, Fulsang, N.Sorenen
  Stage Wins: Cancellara, both Schlecks, N.Sorenson, Voiggt, O'Grady
  
  Team Radioshack
  
  21 Lance Armstrong (USA)
  22 Janez Brajkovic (Slo)
  23 Christopher Horner (USA)
  24 Andreas Klöden (Ger)
  25 Levi Leipheimer (USA)
  26 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz)
  27 Sergio Paulinho (Por)
  28 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr)
  29 Grégory Rast (Swi)
  
  Lance brings a team with one focus - to win the tour.  Very stong team with riders such as Leipheimer, Horner, Kloden, Popovych and Brajkovic all good enough to be leaders in lesser teams.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Armstrong
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Brajkovic, Armstrong, Leipheimer, Kloden - everyone
  Stage Wins: Lance, Leipheimer, Brajkovic.
   
  
  Sky Professional Cycling Team
  
  31 Bradley Wiggins (GBr)
  32 Michael Barry (Can)
  33 Steven Cummings (GBr)
  34 Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa)
  35 Simon Gerrans (Aus)
  36 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor)
  37 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe)
  38 Serge Pauwels (Bel)
  39 Geraint Thomas (GBr)
  
  Apparently they are going after the big prize, so a team to support wiggins, but they will want exposure in their first year, a number of guys who could win stages, star youngster Boasson-Hagen, Gerrans, Flecha, Lovkist.......
  
  Yellow / Overall: Wiggins
  Green/ Sprints: Boasson-Hagen
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Gerrans, Flecha, Wiggins,
  Stage Wins: Wiggins, Gerrans, Hagen, Lovkist
  
  
  Liquigas-Doimo
  
  41 Ivan Basso (Ita)
  42 Francesco Bellotti (Ita)
  43 Kristjan Koren (Slo)
  44 Roman Kreuziger (Cze)
  45 Alexander Kuschynski (Blr)
  46 Daniel Oss (Ita)
  47 Manuel Quinziato (Ita)
  48 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol)
  49 Brian Vandborg (Den)
  
  Quality with dual Giro winner Basso returning and World U23 champ and top 10 finisher here Kreuziger
  
  Yellow / Overall: Basso, Kreuziger
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Basso, Kreuziger, Smyf, Belotti
  Stage Wins:Belotti, Basso, Kreuziger
  
  Garmin - Transitions
  
  51 Christian Vande Velde (USA)
  52 Julian Dean (NZl)
  53 Tyler Farrar (USA)
  54 Ryder Hesjedal (Can)
  55 Robert Hunter (RSA)
  56 Martijn Maaskant (Ned)
  57 David Millar (GBr)
  58 Johan Van Summeren (Bel)
  59 David Zabriskie (USA)
  
  Lost wiggins but have Vande Velde for the GC, Farrar a great sprinter and miller and zabriskie will always give 100%
  
  Yellow / Overall: Vande Velde
  Green/ Sprints: Farrar
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Vande velde
  Stage Wins:Farrar, Millar
  
  Française des Jeux
  
  61 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra)
  62 Sandy Casar (Fra)
  63 Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra)
  64 Anthony Geslin (Fra)
  65 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra)
  66 Anthony Roux (Fra)
  67 Jérémy Roy (Fra)
  68 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus)
  69 Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra)
  
  They will ride in support of Le Mevel who was 10th last year. Young Aussie Wes Sulzburger gets a start and the likes of Sady Casar are always opportunistic.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Le Mevel
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Di Gergoiro, Casar
  Stage Wins: Casar, Sulzberger
  
  Team Katusha
  
  71 Vladimir Karpets (Rus)
  72 Pavel Brutt (Rus)
  73 Serguei Ivanov (Rus)
  74 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus)
  75 Robbie McEwen (Aus)
  76 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda)
  77 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa)
  78 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel)
  79 Eduard Vorganov (Rus)
  
  A 38yo Robbie McEwen is back , but no Pozzato. Solid and chasing stages.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Karpets, Rodrigez
  Green/ Sprints: McEwen
  Polka Dots / Mountains: take your pick
  Stage Wins:McEwen, Karpets, Ivanov, Rodrigez
  
  AG2R La Mondiale
  
  81 Nicolas Roche (Irl)
  82 Maxime Bouet (Fra)
  83 Dimitri Champion (Fra)
  84 Martin Elmiger (Swi)
  85 John Gadret (Fra)
  86 David Le Lay (Fra)
  87 Lloyd Mondory (Fra)
  88 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita)
  89 Christophe Riblon (Fra)
  
  Roche has a growing reputation, last year Nocentini wore Yellow but has missedmuch of 2010 with a broken leg. El jersey
  
  Yellow / Overall: Nocentini
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: nil
  Stage Wins: Roche.
  
  Cervelo Test Team
  
  91 Carlos Sastre (Spa)
  92 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa)
  93 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr)
  94 Jeremy Hunt (GBr)
  95 Thor Hushovd (Nor)
  96 Andreas Klier (Ger)
  97 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu)
  98 Brett Lancaster (Aus)
  99 Daniel Lloyd (GBr)
  
  Missing their best 1 day rider Hausler, but well serviced by Sastre and Hushovd.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Sastre
  Green/ Sprints: Hushovd
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Sastre
  Stage Wins:Sastre, Hushovd
  
  Omega Pharma-Lotto
  
  101 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel)
  102 Mario Aerts (Bel)
  103 Francis De Greef (Bel)
  104 Mickael Delage (Fra)
  105 Sebastian Lang (Ger)
  106 Matthew Lloyd (Aus)
  107 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa)
  108 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel)
  109 Charles Wegelius (GBr)
  
  Van Den Brock will lead ut did so last year without much affect. Land and Llyoyd are solid as is Aerts
  
  Yellow / Overall: Van Den Brock
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Lloyd, Van Den Brock
  Stage Wins: Lloyd, Aerts, Van Den Brock
  
  Team HTC - Columbia
  
  111 Mark Cavendish (GBr)
  112 Bernhard Eisel (Aut)
  113 Bert Grabsch (Ger)
  114 Adam Hansen (Aus)
  115 Tony Martin (Ger)
  116 Maxime Monfort (Bel)
  117 Mark Renshaw (Aus)
  118 Michael Rogers (Aus)
  119 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr)
  
  This team was mighty in the sprints, they chased down everything and delivered Cav to the right spot time after time. That will be their objective again here but Rogers will go for top 10 with good support from Tony Martin.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Rogers
  Green/ Sprints: Cavendish
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Rogers
  Stage Wins:Cavendish, Martin
  
  BMC Racing Team
  
  121 Cadel Evans (Aus)
  122 Alessandro Ballan (Ita)
  123 Brent Bookwalter (USA)
  124 Marcus Burghardt (Ger)
  125 Mathias Frank (Swi)
  126 George Hincapie (USA)
  127 Karsten Kroon (Ned)
  128 Steve Morabito (Swi)
  129 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita)
  
  Cadel will be looking for a bit more help than he used to get, but its stil not that great. Honest peformers like Hincpaie, Kroon, Burghart and ex World Champ Ballan.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Evans
  Green/ Sprints: Ballan
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Evans
  Stage Wins:Evans, Ballan
  
  Quick Step
  
  131 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra)
  132 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa)
  133 Kevin De Weert (Bel)
  134 Dries Devenyns (Bel)
  135 Jérôme Pineau (Fra)
  136 Francesco Reda (Ita)
  137 Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel)
  138 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel)
  139 Maarten Wijnants (Bel)
  
  No Tom Boonen, no sprinting. look for these guys to be having a fair crack at the stages in belgium though.
  
  Yellow / Overall: maybe Seeldrayers
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Barredo
  Stage Wins:Chavenel
  
  Team Milram
  
  141 Linus Gerdemann (Ger)
  142 Gerald Ciolek (Ger)
  143 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger)
  144 Roger Kluge (Ger)
  145 Christian Knees (Ger)
  146 Luke Roberts (Aus)
  147 Thomas Rohregger (Aut)
  148 Niki Terpstra (Ned)
  149 Fabian Wegmann (Ger)
  
  Gerdemann and Wegman are solid, Ciolek can sprint a bit and Aussie Luke Roberts makes his tour debut - he is a world, olympic and commonwealth champ on the track, could provide a bit of speed and competition in the sprints.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Gerdeman
  Green/ Sprints: Ciolek, Roberts
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Gerdeman
  Stage Wins: Ciolek, erdeman
  
  Bbox Bouygues Telecom
  
  151 Thomas Voeckler (Fra)
  152 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn)
  153 Anthony Charteau (Fra)
  154 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra)
  155 Cyril Gautier (Fra)
  156 Pierre Rolland (Fra)
  157 Matthieu Sprick (Fra)
  158 Sébastien Turgot (Fra)
  159 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra)
  
  This team only goes one way - break aways. Voeckler is a breakaway master, he has won stages and slipped into yellow in 2004. Fedrigo has won 2 stages and might go chasing KOM points
  
  Yellow / Overall: nil
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Voekler / Fedrigo
  Stage Wins:Voekler / Fedrig0 - they will all be trying.
  
  Caisse d'Epargne
  
  161 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa)
  162 Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por)
  163 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa)
  164 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa)
  165 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr)
  166 Christophe Moreau (Fra)
  167 Mathieu Perget (Fra)
  168 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa)
  169 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa)
  
  Team Leader Valverde is not here, l, ader goes to Sanchez. well supported by some good climbers and stalwarts, pity 2008 KOM Soler broke his leg in the Dauphine.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Sanchez
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Sanchez,
  Stage Wins:Sanchez
  
  Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
  
  171 Rein Taaramae (Est)
  172 Stéphane Auge (Fra)
  173 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra)
  174 Julien El Farès (Fra)
  175 Christophe Kern (Fra)
  176 Sébastien Minard (Fra)
  177 Amaël Moinard (Fra)
  178 Damien Monier (Fra)
  179 Rémi Pauriol (Fra)
  
  No focus, just hoping to get in escapes.
  
  Yellow / Overall: nil
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Moinard
  Stage Wins:Dumoulin, Moinard
  
  
  Euskaltel - Euskadi
  
  181 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa)
  182 Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa)
  183 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa)
  184 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa)
  185 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa)
  186 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa)
  187 Amets Txurruka (Spa)
  188 Iban Velasco Murillo (Spa)
  189 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa)
  
  They Climb. Sammy Sanchez would like to go top 10 no doubt, Egoi Martinez was 2nd in last years KOM, Txurruka has been voted most combative in the past.
  
  Yellow / Overall: Sanchez
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Sanchez, Martinez, everyone!
  Stage Wins:Sanchez, Martinez.
  
  Rabobank
  
  191 Denis Menchov (Rus)
  192 Lars Boom (Ned)
  193 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa)
  194 Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa (Spa)
  195 Robert Gesink (Ned)
  196 Koos Moerenhout (Ned)
  197 Grischa Niermann (Ger)
  198 Bram Tankink (Ned)
  199 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned)
  
  Fantastic team that has some real talent. Menchov and Gesink will lead them in the chase for yellow, but Lars Boom is also talked about as a future star, Freire is a superstar sprinter.
  
  
  Yellow / Overall: Menchov, Gesink
  Green/ Sprints: Freire
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Menchov, Gesink
  Stage Wins:Freire, Gesink, Boom, Menchov
  
  
  Lampre-Farnese Vini
  
  201 Damiano Cunego (Ita)
  202 Grega Bole (Slo)
  203 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita)
  204 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita)
  205 Danilo Hondo (Ger)
  206 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita)
  207 Adriano Malori (Ita)
  208 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita)
  209 Simon Spilak (Slo)
  
  They will be chasing stage wins, i think Cunego knows he cant win this race.
  
  
  Yellow / Overall: Cunego
  Green/ Sprints: Petacchi
  Polka Dots / Mountains: Cunego
  Stage Wins:Petacchi, Cunego
  
  Footon-Servetto
  
  211 Eros Capecchi (Ita)
  212 Jose Alberto Benitez Roman (Spa)
  213 Manuel Cardoso (Spa)
  214 Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa)
  215 Markus Eibegger (Aut)
  216 Fabio Felline (Ita)
  217 Iban Mayoz Echeverria (Spa)
  218 Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa)
  219 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa)
  
  Not sure how this team got a gig ahead of a few others, but they are here. Very inexperienced with Iban Mayo not the same Iban Mayo who won stages on all the grand tours in the early 90s and subsequently was done for drugs.
  
  Yellow / Overall:
  Green/ Sprints: nil
  Polka Dots / Mountains:
  Stage Wins: