Vande Velde and Farrar lead Garmin-Transitions for 2010 Tour de France

From Velo News:

A healthy Christian Vande Velde and an ambitious Tyler Farrar will lead Garmin-Transitions as the U.S. team brings a deep team to fight on all fronts to the 2010 Tour de France.

Luke Beines/AFP/Getty Images

Farrar will see additional help in the sprints as he vies to topple Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) while Vande Velde will be making a push for the Tour top-3 podium.

Joining the pair will be ace lead-out man Julian Dean and South African Robert Hunter, who will give Farrar more support in the final kilometer of the sprints.

Road captain David Millar will be helping in the sprints and in the early climbs as well as looking for a stage victory. Time trial specialist Dave Zabriskie will also be hoping to shine against the clock.

Ryder Hesjedal, winner of a stage in last year’s Vuelta a España, will be one of Vande Velde’s most useful helpers in the mountains and might be able to go for a stage victory if the right scenario unfolds for the Canadian.

Classics strongmen Martin Maaskant and Johan Van Summeren were included to provide some heft for the first week and can play versatile roles, both in the sprints and flats.

The odd men out were Danny Pate, a popular rider who has been a fixture on the past two Tours, as well as Tom Danielson.

Garmin-Transitions for 2010 Tour de France

* Tyler Farrar (USA)

* Christian Vande Velde (USA)

* Julian Dean (NZL)

* Ryder Hesjedal (Can)

* Robert Hunter (RSA)

* Martin Maaskant (Ned)

* David Millar (GBR)

* Johan Van Sumeren (Bel)

* Dave Zabriskie (USA)