AG2R-LA MONDIALE (France) - AG2R-La Mondiale is a French team sponsored by an insurance company. They have no insurance on winning the Tour, so look for them to be on the attack in an effort to win stages! They ride Kuota bikes with SRAM components.

ASTANA (Kazakhstan) - ASTANA is a team based in Kazakhstan and featuring their local hero, the controversial Alexander Vinokourov. This will be Vino's final tour, so you can bet he'll be attacking, looking for stage wins and a high placing overall. Astana rides Specialized bikes equipped with SRAM components.

BMC RACING (United States) - BMC RACING is a USA-based team started by our good friend Jim Ochowicz. Australian Cadel Evans will their leader; he'll be trying to go one place better than his 2008 2nd place. Let's hope big George Hincapie can win a stage too! BMC rides (you guessed it) BMC bikes outfitted with Shimano components.

COFIDIS (France) - Team Cofidis is a French squad sponsored by a financial services company. The team was started in 1997 and features mostly French riders, naturally. Cofidis does not have a real contender for overall victory, so they will be going for stage wins and perhaps the polka dot climber's jersey with David Moncoutié. Cofidis rides Look bicycles with Campagnolo components.

EUROPCAR (France) - Team Europcar is a new French team based around the very popular French rider Thomas Voeckler. Thomas is not a contender for the overall victory, but he loves to attack, and the fans love him for that. Oddly for a French squad, Team Europcar rides Italian bikes and components, those being Colnago and Campagnolo.

EUSKALTEL-EUSKADI (Spain) - Team Euskaltel-Euskadi is a Spanish team from the Basque region. They love to attack in the Pyrenees Mountains range, which is near Spain. Their lead rider is Samuel Sanchez; he was 4th overall in last year's Tour, so he'll be trying to do even better this year. The team is sponsored by a Basque telecommunications company, and they ride Orbea bikes with Shimano components.

FDJ (France) - FDJ is a French team sponsored by the country's national lottery. They don't have any real overall contenders so they'll be on the attack often, trying for stage wins. They ride French Lapierre bikes with Shimano components.

GARMIN-CERVELO (United States) - The Garmin-Cervelo team is from the U.S., but features riders from all over the world. These include the current world champion from Norway, Thor Hushovd, and this year's paris-Roubaix winner, the Belgian Johan van Summeren. Americans Tyler Farrar and our pal Dave Zabriskie round out the lineup. The team is sponsored by Garmin, which makes the GPS units that your parents use to figure out where they're going! No prizes for guessing- the team rides Cervelo bikes outfitted with SRAM components.

HTC-HIGHROAD (United States) - Team HTC-Highroad is based in the U.S., but their biggest star Mark Cavendish comes from the Isle of Man in Great Britain. Known as the "Manx Missile," Cav is the best sprinter on the current scene, and he'll most likely be grabbing a stage win (or two, or three!). The team will mostly be dedicated to helping him win the flatter sprinter's stages. The sponsor, HTC, makes mobile phones, and the team rides Specialized bikes equipped with Shimano components.

KATUSHA (Russian Federation) - Team Katusha is a Russian team that features the Italian Filippo Pozzato; he's won two Tour stages in the past. Katusha is the name of the Russian Global Cycling Project Foundation. They will be riding Focus bikes outfitted with SRAM components.

LAMPRE-ISD (Italy) - Team Lampre-ISD is an Italian team sponsored by a sheet metal producer. Though they are known as a team that excels in the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), their big sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has won six stages of the Tour de France. He'll be trying to do more of the same this year! The team will be riding Wilier bikes with Campagnolo components, just to keep things all-Italian.

LEOPARD-TREK (Luxembourg) - Team Leopard-Trek is based in the small country of Luxembourg and features two of that country's finest riders, brothers Frank and Andy Schleck. Add to the mix Swiss Fabian Cancellara and you've got quite a strong team! Andy was 2nd overall in last year's Tour, and he'll be gunning for that top podium spot this year. Sponsor Leopard is a sports management firm, and Trek provides the bikes to the team.

LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE (Italy) - Team Liquigas-Cannondale is an Italian team featuring Ivan Basso. He's won the Giro d'Italia twice, but this year he's putting all his efforts into winning le Tour de France. The team's sponsor is a natural gas distributor, and of course, they are riding Cannondale bikes.

MOVISTAR (Spain) - Team Movistar has experienced some very bad luck this year. Their rider Xavier Tondo passed away earlier this year, and Juan Mauricio Soler had bad crash in the Tour de Suisse. Let's all hope they have some good luck in the Tour! Their sponsor is a Spanish telecommunications company, and they are riding Pinarello bikes with Campagnolo components.

OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO (Belgium) - Team Omega Pharma-Lotto is one of two Belgian teams in this year's Tour. Their leaders are Philippe Gilbert, who is a great attacking rider, and Jurgen Van Den Broeck, who was 5th overall in last year's race. The team's sponsors are a pharmaceutical company and Belgium's national lottery. They will be riding Canyon bikes with Campagnolo components.

QUICK STEP (Belgium) - Team Quick Step is the second Belgian squad is our Tour de France lineup. Their leaders are Tom Boonen, who will try for stage wins and possibly the green sprinter's jersey, and the Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel, who also loves to attack. Neither of them have a chance of overall victory, so look for them to animate the race in breakaways and sprints. Quick Step is a flooring supplies company, and the team will be riding bikes featuring the name of a truly great Belgian, Eddy Merckx!

RABOBANK (Netherlands) - Team Rabobank is a Dutch team; that means they are from Holland, or the Netherlands. Their leader is 25 year-old Robert Gesink, who was 6th overall in last year's TDF. He'll be trying to move up the general classification ladder this year! The team's sponsor is a Dutch bank, and they are riding Giant bikes equipped with Shimano components.

RADIOSHACK (United States) - Team Radioshack is the team of 7-time TDF champion Lance Armstrong. But our pal Lance is retired now, so watch out for Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, and Jani Brajkovic; they can all climb and time trial very well, so they'll be trying for top placings on the general classification. The team's sponsor is an electronics retailer (you probably knew that!) and they are riding Trek bikes with SRAM components.

SAUR-SOJASUN (France) - Team Saur-Sojasun is one of the smaller French squads in this year's TDF. They will be on the attack, getting in early breakaways, and trying for stage wins. Their sponsors are an environmental services provider and a processed food producer. They are on Time bikes with SRAM components.

SAXO BANK-SUNGARD (Denmark) - Team Saxo Bank-Sungard is from Denmark, but their leader is the Spaniard Alberto Contador. He has won the Tour three times already, so he will be the definite favorite this year. Saxo Bank is a Danish investment bank, and Sungard is a software and technology company. The team will be on Specialized bikes with SRAM components.

SKY (United Kingdom) - Team Sky is a British team, sponsored by a cable TV provider. Their hopes will be on British rider Bradley Wiggins, who was 4th overall in 2009. They will riding Pinarello bikes equipped with Shimano components.

VACONSOLEIL-DCM (Netherlands) - Team Vaconsoleil-DCM is a Dutch team, one of the smaller TDF squads in terms of budget and big-name riders. But sometimes the small teams are the most exciting, because they have something to prove! Sponsor Vaconsoleil runs European campgrounds, and DCM is a plant food producer. The team will be riding Ridley bikes with SRAM components.