http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report- ... o-strength
Evans has come into the race after a strong finish in the Giro, bringing a team that doesn't include Thor Hushovd, hinting that it is all about taking the tour and not stage wins (though Gilbert is still in there).
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/familia ... -for-evans
Though Tejay van Garderen says he is behind Evans in the mountains for the tour, he has been riding strong and is also a prospective back up.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/06/ ... sse_290169
Contador is coming into the tour with a team that his manager has labeled a "really strong lineup, a great all-round team with a lot of valuable grand tour experience", including Australia's Michael rogers and Ireland's Nicholas roache.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/06/ ... uad_291437
What could be a more exciting battle, is that of the green jersey, with an;
altered the scoring system for the points competition ahead of the 2011 Tour de France, it appeared to mark a discernible shift in the philosophy behind the green jersey. Rather than ostensibly rewarding consistency over all terrains, the structure now seemed weighted very explicitly in favour of the pure sprinters, with the points for a flat stage win increased to 45 and with one “super” intermediate sprint worth 20 points replacing the traditional brace of sprints worth six points apiece.
This puts Cavendish and André Greipel in the driving seat up against Sagan, and should lead to an exciting tour!
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tou ... een-jersey