Hey all -- you've probably noticed that our community project previewing the riders is underway. We've asked some of the editors, and invited everyone else, to pick five guys and give us your take. The end product is not only one of the most useful guides to the race anywhere in existence, but a demonstration of the power of community. Not only do you all bring the unique voices and cumulative depth of knowledge, but you also enable us to cover more riders than any beat writer or three would ever have the strength and sanity to do on their own.
To make this more useful, I am creating this page as a repository for all those previews. See someone who interests you? See an unfamiliar name you want to know more about? Click the link and hear what somebody here has to say. The names without links are guys I am suggesting are worthy of discussion, but feel free to go beyond my suggestions when submitting your preview. And even if there's something up, feel free to add to the discussion. Full list on the flip.
[*Freshly updated!] 66 76 83 Riders previewed so far! And more on the way. Keep checking the Fanposts sidebar.
Let's alphabetize...
A
Yukia Arashiro, Bbox Bouygues
David Arroyo, Caisse d'Epargne
Lance Armstrong, Shack
Stéphane Augé, Cofidis
B
Alessandro Ballan, BMC
Michael Barry, Sky... and another!
Ivan Basso, Liquigas
Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky... and another one!
Lars Boom, Rabobank
Jani Brajkovic, Shack
Matti Breschel, Saxo Bank
Marcus Burghardt, BMC
C
Fabian Cancellara, Saxo Bank
Eros Capecchi, Footon
Manuel Cardoso, Footon
Sandy Casar, FdJ
Mark Cavendish, HTC
Dimitri Champion, AG2R
Sylvain Chavanel, Quick Step
Gerald Ciolek, Milram... and another one!
Alberto Contador, Astana
Rui Costa, Caisse d'Epargne
Steve Cummings, Sky
Damiano Cunego, Lampre
D
Julian Dean, Garmin... and another!
Dries Devenyns, Quick Step
Remy Di Gregorio, FdJ
E
Martin Elmiger, AG2R
Cadel Evans, BMC
F
Tyler Farrar, Garmin... and another one!
Fabio Felline, Footon
Mattias Frank, BMC
Oscar Freire, Rabobank
Jakob Fuglsang, Saxo Bank
G
John Gadret, AG2R... and another one!
Cyril Gautier, Bbox Bouygues
Linus Gerdemann, Milram
Robert Gesink, Rabobank... and another one!
H
Ryder Hesjedal, Garmin
George Hincapie, BMC... and another one!
Danilo Hondo, Lampre
Chris Horner, Shack
Jeremy Hunt, Cervelo... and another! and a third!
Robbie Hunter, Garmin
Thor Hushovd, Cervelo... and another one!
I
Serguei Ivanov, Katusha
K
Vlad Karpets, Katusha
Andreas Klier, Cervelo
Andreas Kloden, Shack
Christian Knees, Milram
Alexandr Kolobnev, Katusha
Roman Kreuziger, Liquigas ... and another one! and a third!
L
Christophe Le Mével, FdJ
Levi Leipheimer, Radio Shack...and another one! And one more!!
Thomas Lofkvist, Sky
M
Denis Menchov, Rabobank... and another!
David Millar, Garmin
Maxime Monfort, HTC
O
Daniel Oss, Liquigas
P
Rémi Pauriol, Cofidis
Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre
Jérôme Pineau, Quick Step
Q
Manuel Quinziato, Liquigas
R
Gregory Rast, Shack
Mark Renshaw, HTC
Luke Roberts, Milram
Nicholas Roche, AG2R... and another!
Joaquim Rodriguez, Katusha
Michael Rogers, HTC
Pierre Rolland, Bbox Bouygues
JJ Rojas Gil, Caisse d'Epargne
Anthony Roux, FDJ
S
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil, Caisse d'Epargne
Samuel Sanchez, Euskaltel
Carlos Sastre, Cervelo
Andy Schleck, Saxo Bank... and another!
Frank Schleck, Saxo Bank
Chris Anker Sorensen, Saxo Bank
T
Rein Taraamae, Cofidis
Amets Txurruka, Euskaltel
V
Stijn Vandenbergh, Katusha
Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Omega Pharma
Christian Vande Velde, Garmin
Johan Van Summeren, Garmin
Alexandr Vinokourov, Astana... and another!
Thomas Voeckler, Bbox Bouygues
Nicholas Vogondy... and another!!
Jens Voigt, Saxo Bank
W
Charlie Wegelius, Omega Pharma
Bradley Wiggins, Sky
Z
David Zabriskie, Garmin
Photo by Jasper Juin, Getty Images Sport.