With just ten days to go before the start of the 2009 Tour de France, the countdown is on for the second of this year’s three Classic Tours. The 96th edition of the Tour de France begins on Saturday, July 4 in Monaco. The 2009 Tour will cover 21 stages that include: 10 flat stages, 8 mountain stages, 2 individual time trials and 1 team time trial. The Tour will make its way over 3500 km through France, Spain and Switzerland before the final in Paris on the Champs Elysées on Sunday July 26.

As reported here on Roadcycling.com earlier this week, Cervelo TestTeam has now announced its final roster for the Tour de France 2009.

2009 Tour de France Cervelo TestTeam Roster:

1 Iñigo Cuesta López ESP 03-06-1969
2 Volodymir Gustov UKR 15-02-1977
3 Heinrich Haussler GER 25-02-1984
4 Thor Hushovd NOR 18-01-1978
5 Andreas Klier GER 15-01-1976
6 Brett Lancaster AUS 15-11-1979
7 José Angel Gomez Marchante ESP 16-05-1980
8 Hayden Roulston NZL 10-01-1981
9 Carlos Sastre ESP 22-04-1975

Reserves
1 Xavier Florencio ESP 26-12-1979
2 Simon Gerrans AUS 16-05-1980
3 Gabriel Rasch NOR 08-04-1976

Sports Directors
1 Alex Sans Vega ESP 27-07-1976
2 Jean-Paul van Poppel NED 30-09-1962

According to a team spokesman "The team has a great mix of riders with various skills as sprinters, climbers and GC riders and from that we have chosen the final roster of nine athletes and three reserves. Carlos Sastre, as the defending Tour champion and sprint ace Thor Hushovd will serve as the team captains."

“The decision for the final Tour de France team was certainly not an easy one,” said Cervelo TestTeam Manager Thomas Campana and added that “Though we are fortunate to have many excellent riders who are in good shape and ready for the Tour, in the end only nine riders per team are allowed to start. “The goal, for our first Tour de France, will be for a top result in the GC (General Classification) with defending champion Carlos Sastre. The team will provide Carlos with their full support to help him achieve this goal. Another major goal for us will be to help our sprint ace Thor Hushovd, win the green jersey (awarded to the best sprinter in the Tour). Thor won it in 2005 and we believe he can do it again with this team. We are ready and the team is looking forward to an exciting three weeks of racing.”