Introducing this year’s teams: the leaders, the heritage and the names to watch out for

AG2R La Mondiale (France; UCI team ranking 11)

The home nation’s oldest pro team, not quite a relic like Johnny Hallyday but in an age when sponsors come and go there’s a certain charm to this squad. Once they were destined to chase stage wins and days out in the attacks but for the past couple of years they’ve got involved in the GC battles too. They hide until the mountains come and then we’ll see the 80s graphics and brown shorts to the fore.

Founded 1992 Bicycles Focus Manager Vincent Lavenu

Tours de France 22 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 16

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 16

Name means An amalgamation of two different financial firms: AG2R and La Mondiale.

Tour heritage The oldest French team, whose refusal to ditch their hideous shorts in the face of relentless public scorn is heroic.

Team leader: Romain Bardet (Fr): Likes to animate the race and no doubt that’s what we’ll get: a stage win or perhaps the climbers’ jersey is a minimum requirement, if not for personal reasons but also to keep rival Thibaut Pinot’s ego in check.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest AG2R leader Romain Bardet likes to animate the race. Photograph: Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

Tour de France 2016 green jersey race: Peter Sagan and his main rivals Read more

Astana Pro Team (Kazakhstan; UCI team ranking 5)



The azure blue assassins that everyone loves to hate thanks to the manager Alexander Vinokourov’s tactics and past. They’ve proved they know how to win Grand Tours but outside Italy they are as popular as mould on your favourite cheese and they hardly care either: there’s a whiff of foreign legion meets whatever it takes about the whole setup. Being kinder, they do stick to their plan A and their chosen leader come what may, which shows some compassion, and when they take control it’s impressive. They still eat horses though.

Founded 2007 Bicycles Specialised Team manager Alexander Vinokourov



Tours de France 15 Tour wins 2 (Contador 2009; Nibali 2014) Stage victories 9

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 32

Name means The capital of the country, Kazakhstan, from which the team hails, although it is named after a coalition of state-owned companies.

Tour heritage Successful but constantly shrouded by accusations of skulduggery. They’ve had doping scandals and won two Tours and been stripped of another.

Team leader: Fabio Aru (It): May have won the 2015 Vuelta but still lacks a bit of strength to take it to the level of Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana. One thing is certain – he will go down attacking.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Fabio Aru: still lacks a bit of strength. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

BMC (United States; UCI team ranking 6)

Promises, promises and proof that money isn’t everything. They have some of the best riders, bikes and kit but one element is missing: winning. As with the big four in the Premier League, you expect more and when they fall apart at crunch times you’re left wondering why. The arrival of Richie Porte from lieutenant duties at Sky bolsters options for the mountains, along with Tejay van Garderen.

Founded 2007 Bicycles BMC Team manager Jim Ochowicz

Tours de France 6 Tour wins 1 Stage victories 4

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 4

Name means An acronym of Bicycle Manufacturing Company, a Swiss firm.

Tour heritage Nicknamed “Big Money Company” by others envious of their wealth, BMC’s finest hour was Cadel Evans’ victory in 2011.

Team leader: Tejay van Garderen (US): The likable American appears likely to start team leader but Porte is captain and can take over if he falters, and with both initially being supported equally by the team, who really is No1?

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tejay van Garderen: the true leader? Photograph: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA

Bora–Argon 18 (Germany; UCI team ranking N/A – wildcard)

The well presented pro-continental German team start only their fifth Grand Tour so there’s not masses of experience but they compensate with enthusiasm. Their goal is the development of young talent over time. There are some riders you may vaguely have heard of such as Sam Bennett and Paul Voss but everyone is relatively unknown, such as Emanuel Buchmann who was third on last year’s Tour queen stage to Cauterets.

Founded 2010 Bicycles Argon 18 Team manager Ralph Denk

Tours de France 1 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 0

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means Bora are the go-to guys for all your kitchen cooking surface and extractor needs, while Argon 18 make bikes in Canada.

Tour heritage Finished 20th of 22 teams in their only Tour so far, with Jan Barta finishing 25th on general classification.

Team leader: Sam Bennett (Ire). Emanuel Buchmann can climb but Bennett will be the main hope for results when it’s a messy sprint.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sam Bennett: the big hope in a messy sprint. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Cannondale (United States; UCI team ranking 16)

Have they lost their way? Once among the most innovative, friendly and fashionable teams, they seem to be missing their mojo and won’t be lamenting the absence of what used to be their raison d’etre, the team time trial, because nowadays they’re awful at it. Big sprinter? Nope. Great climber? Nope. Guy who can spring from the break? Nope. Dan Martin has moved on so your guess is as good as mine as to what happens next. Maybe Jonathan Vaughters will bring back argyle colours and all will be good again.

Founded 2003 Bicycles Cannondale Team manager Jonathan Vaughters

Tours de France 11 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 3

Green jerseys 3 (Sagan 2012, 2013, 2014) Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means From a manufacturer that claims to make cycling’s “most kick-ass, cutting-edge frames”.

Tour heritage They’ve won four successive green jerseys since 2012 courtesy of Peter Sagan, who has now left for pastures new.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pierre Rolland en route to winning stage 11 of the 2012 Tour, when riding for Europcar. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Team leader: Pierre Rolland (Fr): Boasts three top-10 finishes in the last five years and his diesel-like qualities should mean he benefits from the back-loaded route.

Cofidis Solutions Crédits (France; UCI team ranking N/A – wildcard)

Once upon a time the boys in red were at the top level but that was oh so long ago. Years of consistent inconsistency from management and riders see them now operating at a more modest pace. That’s not to say they’ll go unnoticed because in their midst sits one Nacer Bouhanni, who brings an aggression and controversy to the art of sprinting rarely seen in these days of PR and media control.

Founded 1997 Bicycles Orbea Team manager Yvon Sanquer

Tours de France 19 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 10

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 1 (Rinero 1998) Days in yellow 4

Name means Does exactly what it says on the tin: loaning money to help provide solutions to credit issues.

Tour heritage Considering this is their 19th consecutive Tour de France, they should probably have achieved an awful lot more.

Team leader: It was due to be the sprinter Nacer Bouhanni (Fr) until he injured his hand in a late-night altercation with a fellow hotel guest last weekend and was subsequently ruled out. “A catastrophe,” said the team manager Yvon Sanquer.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nacer Bouhanni: a late withdrawal. Photograph: Quique Garcia/EPA

Tour de France 2016 yellow jersey race: will Nairo Quintana upset Chris Froome? Read more

Dimension Data (South Africa; UCI team ranking N/A – wildcard)



A giant step up for the Qhubeka organisation. Last year they enjoyed success with Daniel Teklehaimanot and Steve Cummings but with the arrival of World Tour status and the Mark Cavendish show, the budget is bigger and the expectations and pressures are much higher. This time around the African climbers will have to survive on their own, as the emphasis will be on ensuring the Manxman has the best chance of adding to his 26 stage wins. High standards have been set and if he wins only once the speculators will be telling us it’s all over and all he cares about is getting an Olympic medal before he’s too old. He won’t finish this Tour but don’t think he’s on holiday.

Founded 2007 Bicycles Trek Bicycle Corporation Team manager Brian Smith

Tours de France 1 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 1

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means A global company specialising in Information Technology services. The word “solutions” features prominently on their website.

Tour heritage The first African registered team to contest the Tour won their first ever stage on Mandela Day last summer.

Team leader: Mark Cavendish (GB): Dismiss him at your peril: the 31-year-old didn’t get to be the greatest Tour sprinter by listening to your opinions or anyone else’s.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mark Cavendish: dismiss him at your peril. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Direct Énergie (France; UCI team ranking N/A –wildcard)

The Tommy Voeckler club changes colours but otherwise it’s the same charming face-making and gurning. Winning the Tour de Yorkshire shows the old timer still knows how to race but any Grand Tour pretensions have faded away. He’ll lose an hour then have a single do or die escape and if the others aren’t careful he will mug them; whatever happens the home public will love him. The other riders are guaranteed to be in every break on every terrain and go down fighting so there’s a bit of an energetic theme here.

Founded 2000 Bicycles BH Team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau

Tours de France 16 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 9

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 2 (Charteau 2010, Voeckler 2012) Days in yellow 23

Name means Best known for their previous incarnation as Europcar, Direct Énergie are French providers of electricity and natural gas.

Tour heritage Have enjoyed more than three weeks in yellow combined and is the long-time home of cult hero and former king of the mountains Thomas Voeckler.

Team leader: Thomas Voeckler (Fr): Voeckler is still top but in the young sprinter Bryan Coquard the replacement for Tommy’s face‑pulling has already been found. Enjoy the show.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thomas Voeckler climbs in the French Alps during the first stage of the 2016 Dauphine Criterium. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

Etixx-Quick-Step (Belgium; UCI team ranking No4)

The best lead-out train in the business bar none promises to put Marcel Kittel in the hot seat for the first yellow jersey of the Tour. No pressure, then, but they are used to it, especially after a winless Classics campaign that will have had Patrick Lefevere spitting feathers like never before. Swearing in Flemish has a poetry all of its own and it’ll be extra blue if they don’t top and tail the race. Anything else between Utah Beach and the Champs Élysées will be a bonus.

Founded 2003 Bicycles Specialised Team manager Patrick Lefevere

Tours de France 13 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 27

Green jerseys 1 (Boonen 2007) Kings of the Mountains 2 (Virenque 2003, 2004) Days in yellow 10

Name means The artists formerly known as Omega Pharma-Quick Step are now sponsored by a sports nutrition company and a laminate flooring manufacturer.

Tour heritage Have won polka dot and green, and more recently worn yellow while Mark Cavendish helped add to their tally of stage wins.

Team leader: Marcel Kittel (Ger): The sprinter of the moment. Big, strong, chiselled, and that’s just his hair. He may struggle to get over a railway bridge but what goes up must come down and he does that impressively fast.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Marcel Kittel: the sprinter of the moment.

Photograph: Bas Czerwinski/AFP/Getty Images

FDJ (France; UCI team ranking 15)

Place your bets as to which step of the podium is team leader Thibaut Pinot’s final position. Any one of them will have the manager, Marc Madiot, apopletically happy and an adoring public posting offers of marriage and much much more. There might even be a YouTube video or two of grown men crying on to strings of onions. Unashamedly French and proud of it, FDJ were in the doldrums for far too long but it’s their time for some limelight and although there’ll be hiccups and tantrums they’ll enjoy every moment.

Founded 1997 Bicycles Lapierre Team manager Marc Madiot

Tours de France 19 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 10

Green jerseys 1 (Cooke 2003) Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 3

Name means Française des Jeux translates as “French Games”; one of several Tour teams sponsored by a national lottery.

Tour heritage Almost certainly a source of home disappointment, with only one stage win in their past three Tours.

Team leader: Thibaut Pinot (Fr): Pinot has modelled himself on the Bradley Wiggins formula: hard work, steady progression and a swarthy beard. D’Artagnan in lycra.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Thibaut Pinot: hard work and a swarthy beard. Photograph: Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images

Fortuneo–Vital Concept (France; UCI team ranking N/A – wildcard)

The Tour might not be going into Brittany but tradition demands some kind of French cycling heartland participation, hence the inclusion of Fortuneo-Vital Concept. I was going to be cruel but there isn’t much point: we know they are in the race because Tour organiser ASO looks after the home scene just as the men who run the Giro and Vuelta do. There’s no shame involved. The team is there to animate the less challenging days, no more no less. If they win enough prize money to pay for the after-Tour party they’ll be happy.

Founded 2005 Bicycles Look Team manager Emmanuel Hubert

Tours de France 2 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 0

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means A team famously proud of their Brittany roots are sponsored by a bank and a local agricultural goods firm.

Tour heritage Received wildcard entries to the past two Tours under the Bretagne-Séché banner and have been invited to participate again this year.

Team leader: Pierrick Fédrigo (Fr): Well, it might be Fédrigo or Anthony Delaplace or it might just be done alphabetically. Come on, give them a break. They’ve got three weeks of suffering ahead.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Pierrick Fedrigo, and a fan, during the 2015 Tour. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

Giant-Alpecin (Germany; UCI team ranking 10)

It’s been a torrid year for the German team, with several of them wiped out by an errant driver pre-season and since then they’ve been playing catch-up. It’s not easy coming back from serious injury but one thing it does do is give renewed focus and an appreciation for what you are doing. Mentally fresh, physically rehabilitated, they may well be the surprise that no one expected. Warren Barguil is typical of the new generation of hopeful Frenchmen: always willing to upset the apple cart in the mountains, he rode through last year’s Tour with a broken bone in his leg. If Tom Dumoulin starts then they will definitely influence the race.

Founded 2005 Bicycles Giant Team manager Iwan Spekenbrink

Tours de France 5 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 9

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 2

Name means Giant manufactures bicycles in Taiwan, while Alpecin deals in shampoo and hair care.

Tour heritage Their nine stage wins and two days in yellow are largely down to the efforts of the thunder-thighed sprinter Marcel Kittel.

Team leader: John Degenkolb (Ger): Unable to defend his Paris-Roubaix title, the German team sprinter Degenkolb and his moustache will be back. OK Arnie is Austrian, but it’s close enough.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest John Degenkolb (complete with moustache and straggly beard) looks forward to the start of stage one of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California. Photograph: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

IAM (Switzerland; UCI team ranking 17)

Think Switzerland, reliability, watches, trains on time and a solid currency. None of that is exciting unless you’re an accountant and so it’s no surprise the IAM cycling project – now in its last few months – hasn’t exactly been spectacular. You can’t fault the presentation and they have some solid riders but it’s all a bit boring and bland.

Founded 2013 Bicycles Scott Sports Team manager Michel Thétaz

Tours de France 2 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 0

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means From IAM Independent Asset Management SA, a Swiss investment company, hence the slightly more catchy team name.

Tour heritage Cynics might say their founder membership of the Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible accounts for their lack of success in the race.

Team leader: Jérôme Coppel (Fr): He might once have been touted as a possible next big thing for French cycling but you get the feeling he didn’t get the memo himself.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jérôme Coppel: used to be the next big thing. Photograph: Sylvain Thomas/AFP/Getty Images

Katusha (Russia; UCI team ranking 2)

No workers’ revolution here, it’s all very traditional and ordered. The sprinters do the sprinting, the climbers do the climbing and everyone else does as they are told. When the designated top men don’t quite meet expectations, that means getting in the breaks and grinding down their compatriots du jour. It all looks solid and worthy until Purito Rodríguez fails to scale the highest mountains and Kittel and Cavendish look back to see where Alexander Kristoff ended up in the sprint. After which the morning team meeting becomes more colourful and unknown Russians save the day.

Founded 2009 Bicycles Canyon Team manager Viatcheslav Ekimov

Tours de France 7 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 6

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 0

Name means Diminutive of the Russian name Ekatarina, the English equivalent would be Team Katie or Kathy.

Tour heritage Two stage wins in their first four Tours was a poor return, but they’ve trebled that since.

Team leader: Alexander Kristoff (Nor): Big, strong and fast but not always as consistently big, strong or fast as his peers. Like a Steven Seagal film, not quite the full entertainment package.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alexander Kristoff: big, strong and fast. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

Tour de France will use thermal cameras to detect motors on bikes Read more

Lampre-Merida (Italy; UCI team ranking 12)

Every year I wonder why this Italian squad turn up for the Tour with no clear ambitions. They rarely bother to bring their best riders so the sprint stages pass by and the GC has registered little but disappointment. However, they always win a stage and go away happy leaving the pundits with egg on faces. I see no reason why that won’t continue, although with the arrival of Louis Meintjes their focus will change to realistically being involved in the fight for the white jersey of best young rider.

Founded 1991 Bicycles Merida Team manager Giuseppe Saronni

Tours de France 18 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 13

Green jerseys 2 (Abdoujaparov 1993; Petacchi 2010) Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 2

Name means Lampre is an Italian manufacturer of prefinished steel sheet materials, no less, while Merida makes bicycles in Taiwan.

Tour heritage They tend to focus on the Giro, but they’re good for a stage win per Tour far more often than not.

Team leader: Louis Meintjes (SA): He has the talent but needs care and attention otherwise finds himself out of position; he can’t afford to do that here so his Italian minders might have more work than usual.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Louis Meintjes, in action during the Paris-Nice race in March. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

Lotto NL - Jumbo (Netherlands; UCI team ranking 14)

No it’s not sausages, it’s a supermarket chain, though if it was meat filled sub-mucosa I’m sure that the jersey would be hilarious. The Dutch enjoy their racing and though the team budget isn’t up there with Sky or Movistar they do what they can with mainly homegrown young talent, as they showed so well in the Giro with Steven Kruiswijk. Sep Vanmarcke can be expected to shine on the flatter, windier stages and the burly Moreno Hofland is their option for the sprints.

Founded 1984 Bicycles Bianchi Team manager Richard Plugge

Tours de France 32 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 22

Green jerseys 1 (Freire 2008) Kings of the Mountains 2 (Rasmussen 2005, 2006) Days in yellow 10

Name means The latest incarnation of the old Dutch Rabobank team, now sponsored by the national lottery and a supermarket chain.

Tour heritage Far from the only team in the race to be blighted by a murky past, their successes have largely dried up.

Team leader: Wilco Kelderman (Neth): Most of the hopes lie with the 25-year‑old: a decent climber and a decent time‑triallist, he’s not the kind of rider to give any kind of leeway in the GC battle.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wilco Kelderman: decent climber and time-triallist. Photograph: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA

Lotto Soudal (Belgium; UCI team ranking 9)

The other best lead‑out team in the business, a squad that somehow manage to be less intimidating and less controversial than their big Belgian rivals Etixx. Belgian cycling fans in cafes all over the land couldn’t be happier with this situation as they can choose their side, even though the guys doing the winning aren’t Belgian at all. The difference at Lotto is that they also have some say in how the overall battle shapes up, with Tony Gallopin seeing and participating in a few of the fights. He’s not Belgian either by the way, he’s French.

Founded 1985 Bicycles Ridley Team manager Cees Pille

Tours de France 29 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 31

Green jerseys 3 (McEwen 2002, 2004, 2006) Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 8

Name means The Belgian national lottery backs this team, while Soudal is an adhesives manufacturer.

Tour heritage Impressive. They average more than one stage win per Tour, with three green jerseys and over a week in yellow to their name.

Team leader: André Greipel (Ger): Does the sprint business for Lotto: thighs like tree trunks and yet the 34-year‑old is a thoroughly nice chap. You won’t hear both those things said about many sprinters.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Andre Greipel: thoroughly nice chap. Photograph: Luk Benies/AFP/Getty Images

Movistar (Spain; UCI team ranking 1)

The Iberian version of Sky are beautifully presented, organised and packed with talented riders. More than capable of taking the race by the scruff of the neck and scaring everyone with a tactical awareness that rarely goes awry. They come to this Tour not as challengers but equals and maybe even favourites given the lack of time-trialling. The early arrival of the mountain stages means the climbers they have will be fresher than usual. Expect Pyrenean fireworks.

Founded 1980 Bicycles Canyon Team manager Eusebio Unzué

Tours de France 34 Tour wins 7 (Delgado 1988; Indurain 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995; Pereiro 2006) Stage victories 30

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 1 (Quintana 2013) Days in yellow 73

Name means A Spanish mobile phone, landline, broadband and TV operator.

Tour heritage Seven times winners under various guises, they have more recently had to rely on the occasional stage win and one polka-dot jersey.

Team leader: Nairo Quintana (Col): A more complete Quintana, 26, comes to this Tour on the rise, a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser and with the full confidence of his team behind him. He’s worked on his weakness, time-trialling, even though it has less influence here but he’s kept his climbing talent intact and that makes him very hard to beat.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nairo Quintana: very hard to beat. Photograph: John Vizcaino/Reuters

Orica-BikeExchange (Australia; UCI team ranking 8)

The cheerful Aussies are almost guaranteed to be a prominent feature of the first half of any Grand Tour. With no overall favourite to protect they’ll throw themselves into sneaking a stage win or taking the race lead and then make a music video in celebration. Yes, that’s right: they sing too. The Brit Adam Yates, 23, could well challenge for the white jersey but that depends on how he’s coping with the absence of brother Simon.

Founded 2011 Bicycles Scott Team manager Shayne Bannan

Tours de France 4 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 2 Green jerseys 0

Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 4

Name means A nod to the team’s eco-credentials, which are pretty much literally “undermined” by the involvement of Orica, an explosives firm.

Tour heritage A popular team of funsters who have yet to win a stage but have taken control of the yellow jersey for four days.

Team leader: Michael Matthews (Aus): Don’t be surprised if the team fast man, 25-year-old “Bling” Matthews, adds to his race leaders jersey collection by mugging the pure sprinters and nabbing the silverware. Cue celebrations in Rainforest bars across the land.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Michael Matthews: the team fast man. Photograph: Gian Ehrenzeller/AP

Sky (Great Britain; UCI team ranking 3)

Three out of four Tours isn’t bad but you just know that Dave Brailsford’s organisation will do everything possible to make it four from five. Who wins matters less than the result, so if it’s Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas or Mikel Landa in yellow then so be it, although the ruthlessness of the defending champion will quickly influence any choice. The relative lack of time trialling may favour the more pure climbers such as Quintana but you just know Sky will have studied, planned and executed an appropriate response. As always the others can expect a brutal encounter with the black and blue train on the first mountain stage.

Founded 2009 Bicycles Pinarello Team manager Dave Brailsford

Tours de France 6 Tour wins 3 (Wiggins 2012, Froome 2013, 2015) Stage victories 12

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 1 (Froome 2015) Days in yellow 48

Name means Regarded by some as bully-boys who’ll do anything to get their own way … much like the company that backs them.

Tour heritage Began with the aim of winning one Tour within five years and have since won three in six.

Team leader: Chris Froome (GB): Has been more discreet than usual this year – less racing, fewer wins – but don’t be fooled. The inner hunger that all Tour champions have is still there. The fact that this edition of the Tour will be won by attacking and not defending won’t worry the 30-year-old in the slightest.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Chris Froome celebrates winning the 2016 Criterium du Dauphine. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Tinkoff (Russia; UCI team ranking 7)

Last chance for the owner Oleg Tinkov to voice his opinions on why cycling and the TdF will miss him. Or is it? Now that Peter Sagan is meeting the expectations of his salary, maybe our favourite crazy Russian will stay another year or two and if Alberto Contador returns to the dizzy heights he enjoyed before then the rest‑day press conference may be a pleasant surprise. One thing is for sure, Sagan will be in green again come Paris and Oleg will be telling us all why he knows best.

Founded 1998 Bicycles Specialised Team manager Stefano Feltrin

Tours de France 15 Tour wins 2 (Sastre 2008, Schleck 2010) Stage victories 23

Green jerseys 1 (Sagan 2015) Kings of the Mountains 3 (Jalabert 2001, 2002; Majka 2014) Days in yellow 36

Name means Formerly known as Saxo-Tinkoff, their financial backing is now exclusively provided by a Russian bank.

Tour heritage Owned by the Russian entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov with the specific aim of becoming the greatest team in the world. They’re getting there.

Team leader: Alberto Contador (Sp): At 33, Contador’s climbing may not have the day-after-day efficiency that it once had but it’s still joyous and if the others show a single moment of weakness he’ll dance off into the distance.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alberto Contador: ready to pounce on weakness. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

Trek - Segafredo (United States; UCI team ranking 13)

The height of cool. Subtle branding, slick presentation and the one and only Fabian Cancellara. They may not quite be enjoying the success they once had but they look good and demand respect. If BMC has too many chiefs, Trek has too many Indians and it’s difficult to see any involvement in the GC decisions. Bauke Mollema tries but always looks in trouble, so if someone such as Julián Arredondo or Niccolò Bonifazio pick up a stage win then they’re saved.

Founded 2011 Bicycles Trek Team manager Luca Guercilena

Tours de France 5 Tour wins 0 Stage victories 3

Green jerseys 0 Kings of the Mountains 0 Days in yellow 10

Name means US bicycle maker meets Italian coffee purveyors to take over team formerly known as Radioshack-Nissan.

Tour heritage Have never really revisited the glory days of 2011, when Frank and Andy Schleck finished second and third.

Team leader: Fabian Cancellara (Swi): What we all want to see is Cancellara winning stage 16 in his home town of Berne. That would be class.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Fabian Cancellara: eyeing a win in his home town. Photograph: Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA

• This article was amended on 30 June 2016. An earlier version said that Andrew Talansky was Cannondale’s team leader, rather than Pierre Rolland, and that Nacer Bouhanni, who was subsequently ruled out, was Cofidis Solutions Crédits’ team leader.

