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Chris Froome poses for photos in the Nimes amphitheatre (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Caja Rural, the Spanish Pro Conti team (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Rafal Majka will lead the line for Bora-Hansgrohe at the Vuelta (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
UAE Team Emirates on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Aqua Blue Sport are riding their first Grand Tour (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Sunweb team on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Team Katusha-Alpecin on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Killing time (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Italians Vincenzo Nibali and Domenico Pozzovivo shoot the breeze (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Soon-to-be-retired Alberto Contador on the stage as his career highlights are played on the screen (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Trek-Segafredo team (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador hits the stage for his final pre-race teams presentation (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Romain Bardet's AG2R-La Mondiale team (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Killing time (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome exits the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome and his Sky teammates (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Orica-Scott team (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
LottoNL-Jumbo (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Cofidis are habitual invitees to the Vuelta (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The BMC team aren't looking at GC here (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Quick-Step Floors team has plenty of options (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Chris Froome was in demand with the media (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Orica-Scott's three-pronged attack - Adam and Simon Yates either side of Esteban Chaves in Nimes (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Photo opportunities with the so-called 'top riders' (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Photo opportunities with the so-called 'top riders' (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Questions for Romain Bardet ahead of the Vuelta (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The opening team time trial will run through the Nimes amphitheatre (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Questions for Chaves as autograph hunters hover above (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The amphitheatre in Nimes is providing a striking setting for the start of the Vuelta (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The top riders pose for photos (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The wildcard Manzana Posotbon team on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Former winner Vincenzo Nibali in relaxed mood at the teams presentation (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Dimension Data up on stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Lotto Soudal on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Cannondale-Drapac team on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
FDJ on the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A representative from each of the 22 teams (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Vincenzo Nibali's Bahrain-Merida team takes to the stage (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2017 Vuelta a España gets underway in Nimes on Saturday, and the French city's finest landmarks were used to launch the race on Friday.
In the daytime, the so-called 'top riders' went through the pre-race media rituals in the Roman amphitheatre, built in 70 AD, that will also host the team time trial that kicks the race off on Saturday evening.
On Friday evening, all 198 riders made the short trip to the nearby Jardins de la Fontaine for the official teams presentation, with each of the 22 teams taking to the stage in front of the public.
There was a special tribute to Alberto Contador as he embarks upon his final race. The Spaniard, a three-time winner of the Vuelta, had already been awarded the number 1 dossard as a gesture from the race, and they got him up on stage as highlights of his career played on the big screen.
There was also a minute's silence dedicated to those affected by the terrorist attack in the Spanish city of Barcelona the previous day.
Flick through the gallery above for a full range of photos from the media day and the teams presentation.
