News

AG2R (FRA)

Sticking with the tradition of most French teams, the primary goal of AG2R will be a stage win. But after a hugely disappointing start to the season the pressure is now on to build on the fine recent performances of Slovenian Tadej Valjavec on the Tour of Italy, and the Tour of Switzerland. After a tenth place finish in 2008, when his teammate Vladimir Efimkin finished one place further down, Valjavec will be aiming to go even higher in 2009.

Agritubel (FRA)

Second division outfit Agritubel have regularly proved their worth in recent additions. They rarely miss an occasion to get into breakaways and occasionally that enterprising approach pays off. Roman Feillu is one to watch in the hectic bunch sprints, while David Le Lay and former AG2R man Sylvain Calzati could spring a surprise or two on the more undulating stages.

Astana (KAZ)

Boasting four potential team leaders in Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, Lance Armstrong and Andreas Kloden, Astana are not short on quality and start as clear favourites to win the race, while bagging a stage or two along the way. Although Armstrong is back for his first Tour campaign since 2005, 2007 winner Contador is the man to lead their charge to the yellow jersey. Nevertheless Armstrong, Leipheimer and even German Kloden will be poised to strike if Contador slips up.

BBox-Bouygues (FRA)

With no one to take realistic aim at winning yellow jersey, Bbox-Bouygues will do well to aim for the minimum requirement of a stage win that will keep the sponsors happy. Thomas Voeckler, Pierrick Fedrigo and William Bonnet are likely to shoulder those hopes. Yukiya Arashiro of Japan is one notable inclusion, and whether he can last the pace of the three-week epic will provide some extra suspense to the race.

Caisse d'Epargne (ESP)

In the absence of Spanish ace Alejandro Valverde, who is still fighting accusations of doping, the Spanish outfit may instead support Luis Leon Sanchez's bid to make the race's top ten. Sanchez, Joaquin Rodriguez and Jose Rojas will be looking to grab a stage win or two along the way.

Cervelo (SUI)

Despite having 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre in their ranks, it remains to be seen how Cervelo will fare in helping the Spaniard defend his crown in what is their race debut. Nevertheless Cervelo includes experience and youth in equal measures. Australian-born German Heinrich Haussler and Norwegian Thor Hushovd will aim for victory on the flatter stages while Sastre takes aim at defending his yellow jersey with the help of 40-year-old Inigo Cuesta, Volodymyr Gustov and Jose Angel Gomez Marchante.

Cofidis (FRA)

Lacking a real yellow jersey contender, Cofidis's nine-man team will still be looking to excel in the mountains, notably with on-form Frenchman David Moncoutie, Amael Moinard and Remi Pauriol. On the flatter stages diminutive sprinter Samuel Dumoulin, a stage winner at Nantes in 2008, could be one to look out for.

Columbia (USA)

Arguably the hottest team in the peloton, Columbia have set the victory standard all year. Once more Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen and Michael Rogers will shoulder their yellow jersey hopes but their best chance of stage wins is with unstoppable sprinter Mark Cavendish, the 'Manx Express' who grabbed four of the team's five stage wins last year. Columbia will also be one to watch in the fourth stage, a team time trial.

Euskaltel (ESP)

Once regular challengers to Lance Armstrong's dominant US Postal team when Iban Mayo raced with the team, a big question mark hangs over Euskaltel's real intentions this year. However that is unlikely to stop Samuel Sanchez, who claimed Olympic road race gold last August, from looking for a stage win, and a solid top ten finish after his sixth place overall in 2008.

Francaise des Jeux (FRA)

Sandy Casar will shoulder the eclectic FDJeux's hopes for a solid finish in the general classification, but he will do well to finish in the top ten having finished a career-best 14th last year. Remy Di Gregorio, the team's talented climber, missed out on a Tour place this year as team bosses opted for Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovitch and Finland's Jussie Veikkanen, both of whom will aim for breakaway opportunities.

Garmin (USA)

Christian Vande Velde finished a remarkable fifth overall last year, but just how much he has been affected by an untimely injury at last month's Tour of Italy remains to be seen. Garmin will be counting on the talents of Scot David Millar, American sprinter Tyler Farrar, England' Bradley Wiggins and Canada's Ryder Hesjedal to boost Vande Velde's overall bid. One of their main aims is to win the fourth stage team time trial.

Katusha (RUS)

Russia's first official team foray into the Tour de France will be done without emblematic Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a nasty crash earlier in the season. Belgian Gert Steegmans, the winner of last year's final stage, will therefore drive their bid for victory in the sprints while Italian Filippo Pozzato will likely take aim on the hillier, or at least less flat, stages.

Lampre (ITA)

In the absence of Damiano Cunego, who had a nightmare Tour in 2008 crashing several times before finally throwing in the towel after the 18th stage, reigning world champion Alessandro Ballan leads the Lampre charge for stage wins. He will be joined notably by Marzio Bruseghin, Angelo Furlan and exciting Slovenian Simon Spilak.

Liquigas (ITA)

With no Ivan Basso for the overall, Czech rider Roman Kreuziger happily takes over those obligations. A strong all-rounder, Kreuziger comes to the Tour after strong performances in the Tour of Switzerland. Although he and Vincenzo Nibali will aim high in the general classification, they could come up short against the likes of Contador, Sastre and Rabobank's Denis Menchov.

Milram (GER)

Germany's only team in the race, Milram will look for sprint ace Gerald Ciolek to rival Cavendish in the sprints, while hoping Linus Gerdemann reproduces the form of 2007 that helped him pull on the yellow jersey after winning the first stage in the mountains. Former German champion Fabian Wegmann is usually one of the most enterprising riders on the race.

Quick Step (BEL)

Sprinter Tom Boonen's anticipated absence, due to a recent, second positive test for cocaine, has given Belgium's number one team a huge headache. Boonen was to aim for stage wins and the race's green jersey. Now, the spotlight will shine on Australian sprinter Allan Davis, French all-rounder Sylvain Chavanel, former Tour of Flanders champion Stijn Devolder and Italian Matteo Tosatto as Belgium's number one team begins what, as regards publicity, could become a race to win back the hearts and minds of fans.

Rabobank (NED)

The orange and blue clad Dutch outfit have several aces up their sleeves: Russian Denis Menchov recently won the Giro d'Italia, speedy Spaniard Oscar Freire is a constant threat in the sprints and young Dutchman Robert Gesink has shown he can keep the pace with the best in the mountains. Juan Antonio Flecha is another potential stage winner. The consistent Menchov is likely to be among Contador's biggest rivals.

Saxo Bank (DEN)

Having flexed their collective muscle to hand Sastre the yellow jersey last year while racing as CSC, the quality-packed Saxo Bank team will hope to do the same for Luxemburger Andy Schleck in 2009. Schleck is a superb climber who last year won the race's white jersey, for the best placed rider aged 25 or under, on his debut - and he is not afraid to attack. While stage wins are not a priority, they may come along the way from the likes of his older brother Frank Schleck, who won the stage to Alpe d'Huez in 2007.

Skil-Shimano (NED)

In Tour terms, Skil are an unknown quantity but as with all rookie teams they will want to make an impact on what will be their debut. An eclectic team of mainly Dutch riders, a start for Fumiyuki Beppu means there will now be two Japanese riders in the race. A stage win for the Dutch/Japanese outfit would be a huge success.

Silence-Lotto (BEL)

Australian Cadel Evans spearheads Silence's bid for yellow jersey glory, but this year the talented all-rounder will need superhuman efforts from his support riders if they are to dent Astana's impact on the race. Evans, great in time trials and solid on most of the climbs, has finished runner-up in 2007 and 2008, when 2007 champion Contador and his team were absent from the race. Coming in not as the favourite may be to Evans' benefit, but that will make no difference to how he feels when he is faced with digging deep to control the attacks that often do most damage on the killer climbs.