World Champion Cadel Evans is the main man at BMC. He has been having a fine year in the rainbow jersey (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Alberto Contador, the defending champion, seemed relaxed and ready for the Tour to begin. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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Alberto Contador (Astana) is on the hunt for his third Tour victory (Image credit: Gregor Brown in Joigny)
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Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank) is the Luxembourg champion (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Lance Armstrong and RadioShack put on a relaxed front (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Team Sky in determined mood ahead of its debut Tour (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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French champion Thomas Voeckler (BBOX Bouygues Telecom) at the Tour de France presentation (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) leads out his teammates at the Tour de France presentation (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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AG2R La Mondiale will be looking for Nicolas Roche to give an aggressive showing (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Spot the Lampre leaders. Damiano Cunego and Alessandro Petacchi add a splash of colour to proceedings (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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A closer look at the new Française des Jeux kit (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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HTC-Colombia crossing the Erasmus Bridge (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Rotterdam's iconic Erasmus Bridge, scene of the presentation (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Alberto Contador (Astana) in relaxed mood ahead of his Tour de France defence (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Team Saxo Bank have one of the strongest rosters at the Tour (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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With an oceanic backdrop and a challenging, hilly route, White Rock is one of the more interesting stops on the schedule. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Bradley Wiggins (right) is the centre of attention as Team Sky pass over the Erasmus bridge (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Cofidis will be aiming for stage wins and maximum exposure at the Tour de France (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Rabobank look motivated for the prologue on home roads (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Cadel Evans (BMC) shows off his rainbow jersey at the presentation (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) flanked by his teammates (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Alberto Contador (Astana) is the man to beat (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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The Tour is starting in the Netherlands for the fifth time (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Cycling-mad Rotterdam welcomes the Tour (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Dutch Tour winners Jan Janssen (1968) and Joop Zoetemelk (1980) led off the presentation on the Erasmus bridge (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Footon-Servetto's band of debutants (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Lampre will be led by Damiano Cunego and Alessandro Petacchi (left) (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Caisse d'Epargne line up without the suspended Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Sylvain Chavanel and Quick Step in determined mood at the Tour de France presentation (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Euskaltel-Euskadi will be looking to light up the Tour as the race heads south (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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The Katusha line-up includes Vladmir Karpets (centre) and Russian Champion Alexandr Kolobnev (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Omega Pharma-Lotto are looking forward to the Belgian stages of the Tour (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Cervelo will again wear white in the Tour this year (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Doimo) leads a solid line-up (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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French champion Thomas Voeckler and the BBOX Bouygues Telecom squad (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Team Milram need a big performance at the Tour. Linus Gerdemann (second right) will be hoping to deliver. (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Garmin-Transitions have animated the last two Tours and boast a strong line-up again this time around (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Astana arrive to be presented to the masses (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
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Denis Menchov and his Rabo boys head up to the stage. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Carlos Sastre is interviewed on the stage. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Mark Cavendish and his HTC-Columbia teammates looking very cool. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Alberto Contador leads the Astana squad to be presented. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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The Saxo Bank team, with Andy Schleck leading the way. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Lance Armstrong and the RadioShack crew make their way to be presented. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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George Hincapie looking as cool and laid back as ever. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Flags bore the likeness of each rider in the 2010 Tour de France. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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Crowds watched the presentation from the Erasmus bridge (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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Tour director Christian Prudhomme. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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A band was suspended from a crane above the crowd in a uniquely artistic display. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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World Champion Cadel Evans (BMC) (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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George Hincapie, the US champion (Image credit: AFP Photo)
The riders rolled over the pavers and up a ramp to the stage. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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Belgian commentator Michel Wuyts interviews Lance Armstrong. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
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The fans cheer the riders on as they head to the stage. (Image credit: AFP Photo)
The 22 teams riding this year's Tour de France showed their final starting line-ups at the official team presentation on Thursday evening, with some of them revealing the new look jerseys they will wear during the race.
The presentation was held in the shadow of the Erasmus bridge that will also feature in the 8.9km prologue time trial course on Saturday. The last Dutch Tour de France winner Joop Zoetemelk, opened the parade of riders, wearing the yellow jersey he pulled on in Paris in 1980. One of the 198 riders who rode onto the stage will pull on this year's winner's yellow jersey in Paris on July 25.
Cavendish first on stage
The HTC-Columbia team was the first team to ride onto the stage, just as they hope to be in the sprints. They showed their new minor-sponsor Skype on the arms of their usual yellow, white and black jersey, with Mark Cavendish leading his teammates as they rode on stage.
"The Tour de France always comes round quickly. You finish one and you want the next to come as soon as possible," he said.
Christophe Le Mevel led the Francaise des Jeux team on stage, revealing the team's new jersey design which maintains the mostly-white kit but adds a blue stripe up the side. He was the best French rider in 2009, finishing tenth, 14:25 behind Alberto Contador.
Fabio Felline is just 20 and a neo-pro but is part of the very young Footon-Servetto team in this year's Tour de France and could be the surprise in this year's sprint.
Robbie McEwen is at the other end of the age spectrum and has just celebrated his 38th birthday. But he seemed just as motivated to win as Felline.
"I'm just going to keep going and going. If I can win stage one to Brussels there's no better inspiration for another year," McEwen said.
New kit for Cervelo Test Team
The Cervelo TestTeam showed off their new white, black and grey kit at the presentation. 2008 winner Carlos Sastre (below) said he fancies his chances despite only recently recovering from a back injury.
"I'm here and that's important," he said. "It's a hard parcours but for a climber like me, I think it's good. There are only two time trials: one here in Rotterdam and then one at the end, the rest is all climbing."
The Garmin-Transitions riders tried to look cool and pose in their white sunglasses. Christian Vande Velde claimed he liked being an outsider and predicted that Tyler Farrar would win the green jersey in Paris. There is no place for Danny Pate this year but the Garmin-Transitions line-up includes Vande Velde, Farrar, Robbie Hunter, Julian Dean, Ryder Hesjedal, Martijn Maaskant, David Millar, Dave Zabriskie and Johan van Summeren.
BMC had a weaker team in the Giro d'Italia but will back-up world champion Cadel Evans at the Tour de France, with Alessandro Ballan, George Hincapie Markus Burghardt Karsten Kroon and Brent Bookwalter.
Cadel was not afraid of the curse of the rainbow jersey. "I had my curse of bad jersey in 2009 and if 2010 continues as it's going now that'd be great," he said.
The Rabobank team naturally got the biggest cheer with Dutchman Robert Gesink shrugging off any doubts about his ability on the cobbles. Watch for Lars Boom in Saturday's opening prologue.
Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins unveiled his new long side burns. He also insisted the first week in northern Europe will not be a problem.
"The first week will difficult for some but not for us," Wiggins predicted. "We've got Juan (Antonio Flecha) and Eddy (Boasson Hagen), one of the most talented riders in the peloton. We'll be okay."
Armstrong versus the Schlecks, versus Contador
The last three teams in the presentation were the teams of the three big favourites: RadioShack, Saxo Bank and Astana.
As Lance Armstrong rode the stage, he asked if the weather was always so warm and sunny in Holland. However he admitted he will be nervous about the opening stages of his last ever Tour de France.
Frank and Andy Schleck refused to admit who is the strongest and who will be the team leader at Saxo Bank. 'We want to win it," Frank said, carefully using the plural. Andy responded with 'We'll see what happens in a few weeks."
2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador led his Astana team on stage and closed the official team presentation. He admitted stage three on the cobbles will not be an easy day for him but was confident and relaxed as ever.
"This day will be very difficult. It's not the best day or me but it’s the race. There are other stages (for me). It'll be important to be at the front and then we'll see."
More photos coming!
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