Teams: line-up announcements (part 03)

BMC Racing – Chasing a second title
As one of two teams to place two riders in the top seven of the Tour's general classification in 2012, BMC has options for leadership. Given that Tejay van Garderen was fifth overall last year, the winner of the white jersey could nominate himself for leadership status but he's adamant that, in his third start in the race, he will still ride in the role of a domestique. The reason is simple: there's also a former champion on the roster.
The Tour winner from 2011, Cadel Evans, hasn't raced a lot in 2013 but his form has improved steadily during the season. He changed his schedule to include the Giro d'Italia where his aim was to improve his form… and he duly finished third overall.
This is a team that has won the yellow and white jerseys in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and BMC is optimistic that it can win one – or both – of these again in 2013.

The selection: Brent Bookwalter (USA), Marcus Burghardt (GER), Cadel Evans (AUS), Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Amaël Moinard (FRA), Steve Morabito (SUI), Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Michael Schär (SUI), Tejay van Garderen (USA)

Detailed team presentation sheet



Movistar – Leaders... young and old
According to this team's official release announcing the line-up for the 100th Tour de France, the leader will be the 33-year-old veteran Alejandro Valverde but Movistar's roster includes a rising star of the pro peloton who could potentially have a significant impact. Nairo Quintana won the Vuelta al Pais Vasco earlier this year and the 23-year-old Colombian has the sort of form that could see him climb into the yellow jersey in his first Tour. Another debutant with plenty of potential is the first leader of the 2012 Vuelta a España, the recently crowned Spanish time trial champion Jonathan Castroviejo.
Both Valverde and Rui Costa have Tour stage wins to their credit and the Portuguese rider is fresh of a second successive victory in the Tour de Suisse.
There is a mix of youth and experience; climbers, time trial specialists and, of course, the sprinter José Joaquin Rojas.

The selection: Rui Costa (POR), Nairo Quintana (COL), Andrey Amador (CRC), Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP), Rubén Plaza (ESP), Imanol Erviti (ESP), Iván Gutiérrez (ESP), José Joaquín Rojas (ESP), Alejandro Valverde (ESP)

Detailed team presentation sheet



FDJ.fr – options on all terrain...
With a new, blue outfit (replacing the predominantly white one that had been worn by FDJ in the first half of the 2013 season) this team includes some bright prospects from the host nation. There are two former Tour de France stage winners in the selection of nine for the 100th edition, Pierrick Fédrigo and Thibaut Pinot, and this group can realistically expect to add a few more in 2013.
Pinot was the youngest rider in the race last year; he won in Porrentruy, wore the white jersey for several days, and finished 10th overall in his Tour debut. He's a confident climber who deserves leadership status even though he only turned 23 a month before the start of the 2013 Tour.
The line-up also boasts the two most recent French champions: Nacer Bouhanni (2012) and the winner from Sunday 23 June, Arthur Vichot.
On climbs, in sprints, and when opportunity knocks, there are riders for all manner of stages. Expect to see FDJ.fr animate the race no matter what the terrain is like...

The selection: Nacer Bouhanni (FRA), William Bonnet (FRA), Murilo Fischer (BRA), Pierrick Fédrigo (FRA), Alexandre Geniez (FRA), Arnold Jeannesson (FRA), Thibaut Pinot (FRA), Jérémy Roy (FRA), Arthur Vichot (FRA)

Detailed team presentation sheet



Argos-Shimano – Two sprinters and a strong lead-out train
On day one of the Tour, and every other flat stage, we are likely to see riders from this Dutch team at the front of the bunch. The lead-out train will be on the rails on the approach to Bastia – and with good reason: both Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb have the speed and skill to win on the opening day of the 100th edition.
In its two previous Tour appearances, this team failed to win a stage but we've seen enough from its two sprint specialists so far in the 2013 season to know that both Kittel and Degenkolb are on course for a big victory.
The winner of five stages of the 2012 Vuelta a España, Degenkolb is due to make his Tour de France debut this year. Kittel started the race in 2012 but suffered stomach ailments that forced him to abandon early. These two Germans have the pedigree to take on the likes of Cavendish, Sagan and Greipel in the sprints.

The selection: Marcel Kittel (GER), Roy Curvers (NED), John Degenkolb (GER), Tom Dumoulin (NED), Koen de Kort (NED), Albert Timmer (NED), Tom Veelers (NED), Simon Geschke (GER), Johannes Fröhlinger (GER)

Detailed team presentation sheet


Lampre-Merida
‘The little prince' returns to the Tour de France and Damiano Cunego has again been given leadership status. He has won the white jersey before but 2006 is a long time ago. Considering the mountainous route for the 100th edition, there are other options for success from this Italian team. Przemyslaw Niemiec and José Serpa are two climbing specialists who must be thinking about chasing points for the polka-dot jersey and earning some podium time for Lampre-Merida. For the time trials, there is the specialist Adriano Malori. For sprints, there is Roberto Ferrari. And for the undulating days there are options…

The selection: Matteo Bono (ITA), Damiano Cunego (ITA), Davide Cimolai (ITA), Elia Favilli (ITA), Roberto Ferrari (ITA), Adriano Malori (ITA), Manuele Mori (ITA), Przemyslaw Niemiec (POL), Josè Rodolfo Serpa Perez (COL)

Detailed team presentation sheet



Sojasun
The roster has changed since this team was first invited to the Tour two years ago as a wildcard. And while the names are different, the approach from Sojasun is likely to be the same: attack at every opportunity and just hope that it pays off one day. Delaplace was the first to form a breakaway in the 2012 Tour and he was a regular aggressor throughout the 99th edition. Others in this line-up were also prepared to try their luck but the elusive win is yet to come.
Brice Feillu is the only one from this team to have won a stage of the Tour (while with the Agritubel team, in 2009) he returned to the race last year (for Sojasun) but the best he could conjure was a fifth place in stage 16.

The selection: Anthony Delaplace (FRA), Julien El Farès (FRA), Brice Feillu (FRA), Jonathan Hivert (FRA), Cyril Lemoine (FRA), Jean-Marc Marino (FRA), Julien Simon (FRA), Maxime Mederel (FRA), Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA)

Detailed team presentation sheet