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Vuelta presents 198 riders in Assen

By Daniel Simms

published 29 August 2009

Vuelta a España presents 198 riders in Assen, Netherlands

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Oscar Freire (Rabobank)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto) and teammate Charles Wegelius, l & r.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), r, takes a photo.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Fabio Sabatini (Liquigas) in his sunglasses.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Antonio Piedra (Andalucía-Cajasur) on stage for the Vuelta presentation.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

David De La Fuente (Fuji-Servetto)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Team Lampre walk off the Vuelta presentation stage in Assen, Netherlands.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Slipstream)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Team Saxo Bank wait for the Vuelta presentation in Assen, Netherlands.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Allan Davis and Marco Velo (Quick Step)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Team Contentpolis.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Belgian champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) before the Vuelta presentation.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Aussie Simon Gerrans (Cervélo TestTeam), r, with teammates at the Vuelta presentation.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Team Astana's Assan Bazayev and Alexander Vinokourov.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Philippe Gilbert (Silence-Lotto)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Matthew Lloyd and Charles Wegelius (Silence-Lotto), l-r.(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Timothy Gudsell (Française des Jeux)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Spaniard Carlos Barredo (Quick Step)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Tom Boonen (Quick Step)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Rabobank(Image credit: Sirotti)

AG2R La Mondiale at the vvv in aaa.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Andalucía-Cajasur(Image credit: Sirotti)

Fuji-Servetto(Image credit: Sirotti)

Lampre-NGC(Image credit: Sirotti)

USA's team Garmin-Slipstream at the vvv.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Swans watch the vvv.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Cofidis(Image credit: Sirotti)

Liquigas(Image credit: Sirotti)

Italian team Liquigas(Image credit: Sirotti)

Astana(Image credit: Sirotti)

Milram(Image credit: Sirotti)

Caisse d'Epargne(Image credit: Sirotti)

Française des Jeux(Image credit: Sirotti)

A swan in the canal watches the vvv.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Bbox Bouygues Telecom(Image credit: Sirotti)

A mean looking swan.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Team Cervélo TestTeam(Image credit: Sirotti)

Contentpolis-Ampo(Image credit: Sirotti)

Quick Step(Image credit: Sirotti)

Columbia-HTC(Image credit: Sirotti)

Spain's Xacobeo Galicia(Image credit: Sirotti)

Swans(Image credit: Sirotti)

Swans watch Saxo Bank presented.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Saxo Bank(Image credit: Sirotti)

Euskaltel-Euskadi presented in the rain.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Caisse d'Epargne(Image credit: Sirotti)

Vacansoleil(Image credit: Sirotti)

Rabobank(Image credit: Sirotti)

Fuji-Servetto(Image credit: Sirotti)

Lampre-NGC(Image credit: Sirotti)

Garmin-Slipstream(Image credit: Sirotti)

Liquigas(Image credit: Sirotti)

Liquigas presented at the vvv in aaa.(Image credit: Sirotti)

Milram(Image credit: Sirotti)

Silence-Lotto(Image credit: Sirotti)

Française des Jeux(Image credit: Sirotti)

The 64th Vuelta a España presented all 198 riders from 22 teams in Assen, Netherlands, yesterday. Olympic Champion Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) will wear race number one.

Defending champion Alberto Contador (Astana) skipped the race this year. Sánchez, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), Tom Danielson (Garmin-Slipstream) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas) are favourites for the overall win.

It is Alexander Vinokourov's first time to race a Grand Tour since he was disqualified from the 2007 Tour de France. He served a two-year suspension and returns to race with team Astana.

The Vuelta a España starts today with a 4.5-kilometre time trial. There are four stages in The Netherlands before it transfers to Spain. The last stage is in Madrid, September 20.