Big names among early starters for Tour de France prologue

Christian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions), Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky), Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) and Levi Leipheimer have all opted for early start times in Saturday’s Tour de France prologue to try and avoid the rain showers forecast for later in the afternoon.

Team leaders and time trial favourites are usually placed in the final slots of the start list but Cyclingnews understands that teams have studied hour by hour weather forecast and carefully selected the start times of their riders.

Spain’s Iban Mayoz Echeverria (Footon-Servetto) is the first rider off at 16:15 local time. Martin starts at 16:25, Vande Velde at 16:31, Boasson Hagen at 16:33, Zabriskie at 16:53, Wiggins at 16:55 and Leipheimer at 17:17.

Most of the other big-name start two hours later. Cadel Evans (BMC) starts at 19:20, Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) is third from last off at 19:30. Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) is off at 19:31 and Alberto Contador (Astana) is last rider off at 19:32.

According to detailed weather forecasts for Rotterdam, rain is expected in the morning before drier conditions in the middle of the day. Scattered showers are forecast from two o’clock onwards, with an increasing percentage of humidity. The highest chance of rain, 88%, is at 19:00.

With 12 corners on the city centre 8.9km course, the difference between wet roads and dry ones could well determine the stage winner. Fabian Cancellara, the favourite for the prologue win, starts second to last.

Start times for Rotterdam prologue:

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Iban Mayoz Echeverria (Spa) Footon-Servetto16:15
2Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini16:16
3Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank16:17
4Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi16:18
5Stéphane Auge (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne16:19
6Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne16:20
7Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom16:21
8Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Milram16:22
9Maarten Wijnants (Bel) Quick Step16:23
10Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team16:24
11Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia16:25
12Mario Aerts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto16:26
13Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo Test Team16:27
14Dimitri Champion (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale16:28
15Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha16:29
16Anthony Roux (Fra) Française des Jeux16:30
17Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Transitions16:31
18Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo16:32
19Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team16:33
20Grégory Rast (Swi) Team Radioshack16:34
21Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank16:35
22Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana16:36
23Aitor Perez Arrieta (Spa) Footon-Servetto16:37
24Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini16:38
25Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank16:39
26Iban Velasco Murillo (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi16:40
27Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne16:41
28Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d'Epargne16:42
29Cyril Gautier (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom16:43
30Roger Kluge (Ger) Team Milram16:44
31Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step16:45
32Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team16:46
33Bert Grabsch (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia16:47
34Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto16:48
35Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervelo Test Team16:49
36Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale16:50
37Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha16:51
38Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française des Jeux16:52
39David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Transitions16:53
40Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo16:54
41Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team16:55
42Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Team Radioshack16:56
43Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank16:57
44Benjamin Noval Gonzalez (Spa) Astana16:58
45Jose Alberto Benitez Roman (Spa) Footon-Servetto16:59
46Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini17:00
47Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank17:01
48Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi17:02
49Christophe Kern (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne17:03
50José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne17:04
51Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom17:05
52Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram17:06
53Francesco Reda (Ita) Quick Step17:07
54Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team17:08
55Adam Hansen (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia17:09
56Sebastian Lang (Ger) Omega Pharma-Lotto17:10
57Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervelo Test Team17:11
58Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale17:12
59Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Team Katusha17:13
60Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux17:14
61Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions17:15
62Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo17:16
63Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team17:17
64Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack17:18
65Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank17:19
66Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana17:20
67Manuel Cardoso (Spa) Footon-Servetto17:21
68Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini17:22
69Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank17:23
70Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi17:24
71Sébastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne17:25
72Mathieu Perget (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne17:26
73Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom17:27
74Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram17:28
75Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step17:29
76Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team17:30
77Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team HTC - Columbia17:31
78Charles Wegelius (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto17:32
79Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo Test Team17:33
80Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale17:34
81Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Team Katusha17:35
82Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux17:36
83Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions17:37
84Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas-Doimo17:38
85Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team17:39
86Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Team Radioshack17:40
87Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank17:41
88Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Astana17:42
89Fabio Felline (Ita) Footon-Servetto17:43
90Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini17:44
91Juan Manuel Gárate Cepa (Spa) Rabobank17:45
92Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi17:46
93Julien El Farès (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne17:47
94Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne17:48
95Pierre Rolland (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom17:49
96Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram17:50
97Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step17:51
98Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team17:52
99Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia17:53
100Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto17:54
101Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team17:55
102David Lelay (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale17:56
103Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha17:57
104Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française des Jeux17:58
105Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo Test Team17:59
106Kristjan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Doimo18:00
107Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team18:01
108Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack18:02
109Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank18:03
110Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana18:04
111Markus Eibegger (Aut) Footon-Servetto18:05
112Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre-Farnese Vini18:06
113Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank18:07
114Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi18:08
115Damien Monier (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne18:09
116Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne18:10
117Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom18:11
118Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram18:12
119Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step18:13
120Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team18:14
121Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia18:15
122Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervelo Test Team18:16
123Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Cervelo Test Team18:17
124John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale18:18
125Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha18:19
126Benoït Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux18:20
127Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Transitions18:21
128Alexander Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas-Doimo18:22
129Michael Barry (Can) Sky Professional Cycling Team18:23
130Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack18:24
131Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank18:25
132Daniel Navarro Garcia (Spa) Astana18:26
133Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Footon-Servetto18:27
134Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini18:28
135Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank18:29
136Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi18:30
137Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne18:31
138Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne18:32
139Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom18:33
140Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram18:34
141Dries Devenyns (Bel) Quick Step18:35
142Karsten Kroon (Ned) BMC Racing Team18:36
143Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia18:37
144Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto18:38
145Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervelo Test Team18:39
146Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale18:40
147Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha18:41
148Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Française des Jeux18:42
149David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions18:43
150Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo18:44
151Serge Pauwels (Ned) Sky Professional Cycling Team18:45
152Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Radioshack18:46
153Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank18:47
154David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Astana18:48
155Eros Capecchi (Ita) Footon-Servetto18:49
156Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini18:50
157Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank18:51
158Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi18:52
159Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne18:53
160Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne18:54
161Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom18:55
162Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram18:56
163Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step18:57
164George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team18:58
165Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia18:59
166Mickael Delage (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto19:00
167Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team19:01
168Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale19:02
169Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha19:03
170Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux19:04
171Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions19:05
172Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo19:06
173Steven Cummings (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team19:07
174Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack19:08
175Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank19:09
176Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana19:10
177Arkaitz Duran Daroca (Spa) Footon-Servetto19:11
178Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini19:12
179Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank19:13
180Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi19:14
181Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne19:15
182Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne19:16
183Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom19:17
184Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram19:18
185Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step19:19
186Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team19:20
187Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia19:21
188Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto19:22
189Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team19:23
190Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale19:24
191Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha19:25
192Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux19:26
193Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Transitions19:27
194Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo19:28
195Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team19:29
196Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack19:30
197Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank19:31
198Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana19:32

 

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