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We take a look at the chief contenders for the maillot jaune.

Cadel Evans (Australia / Silence-Lotto)

Having finished second last year, the understated Australian justifiably starts the race as favourite in the absence of Spain's Alberto Contador. Evans began the season strongly, winning a stage of Paris-Nice on Mont Ventoux and finishing second at Fleche Wallonne. His second place at last month's Dauphine Libere shows his form remains excellent.

Evans will expect to put time into the likes of Damiano Cunego and Alejandro Valverde in the time-trials, while his performance in the mountains in last year's race impressed many.

His main weakness in recent years has been the strength of his team. While Valverde is blessed with an Armada of diminutive climbers to protect him, Evans has largely been left to fend for himself. Hence Lotto's recruitment of Yaroslav Popovych at the end of last season. Evans will need the talented Ukrainian to be at his best if he is to claim the yellow jersey, and at 31, he knows this will be his best ever chance.

Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne)

When Valverde outsprinted Lance Armstrong to win stage 10 of the 2005 Tour de France in Courchevel, he was hailed by all and sundry as a future Tour winner. Since then, he has somewhat disappointed, crashing out in the 2006 Tour before the peloton hit the mountains.

An expected challenge for the yellow jersey last year never materialised, and Valverde even suffered the indignity of being caught by Michael Rasmussen in the time-trial at Albi for three minutes.

If Valverde's appetite and resilience has been called into question, his talent has most certainly not. Early season wins in his hometown Tour of Murcia and Liege-Bastogne-Liege were followed up by a victory in the Dauphine last month. Stat fans will point to the fact that Lance Armstrong has been the only man to follow up a win in the traditional pre-Tour warm up with a Tour victory since the days of Miguel Indurain, though many feel Valverde's form can still improve.

Though the Spaniard's strength undeniably lies in the mountains, his impressive win in the time-trial at the Dauphine raised many an eyebrow - not least those of Evans and Levi Leipheimer, who were beaten by 19 and 20 seconds respectively. Comparing this with his performance in the TT in the same race last year, where he gave away 39 seconds to Evans, shows just how much he has improved in this discipline.

Denis Menchov (Russia / Rabobank)

Regardless of one's view on Michael Rasmussen's expulsion from last year's Tour de France, it would have taken a heart of stone not to feel deep sympathy for Menchov, who abandoned the race during the following day's stage in tears.

Having widely been expected to lead the team during the race, Menchov found himself in the position of Rasmussen's domestique after the Dane's solo win at Tignes. After working his socks off for his team-mate for the best part of a fortnight, the big Russian was more devastated than anyone as the whole saga eventually meant his efforts would count for nothing.

His reaction was highly impressive. Menchov showed up five weeks later at the Vuelta in superb form, and dominated the race to claim the gold jersey for the second year running.

A genuine all-rounder whose victories on Mont Ventoux and Pla-de-Beret showed that Menchov could compete with anyone in the mountains, though with Thomas Dekker out of form and out of the team, he is unlikely to have anyone to support him when the serious climbs begin.

Damiano Cunego (Italy / Lampre)

There are few better ways to announce your arrival on cycling's biggest stage than by winning a grand tour at the tender age of 22, while having the temerity to upstage your compatriot and team leader in the process. This is exactly what Damiano Cunego did at the Giro d'Italia in 2004, incurring the wrath of Gilberto Simoni, who labelled him "an idiot." Classy.

Though he won the young rider's classification at the Tour in 2006, it has come as something of a surprise that the diminutive Italian has not gone on to achieve greater success. A fifth-place finish in last year's Giro was somewhat underwhelming, though a win at the Amstel Gold Race and a third place finish at Fleche-Wallonne this year suggests Cunego has regained his magic touch.

The latest in a long line of small Italian climbers, Cunego will be grateful for the three big mountain top finishes, as well as the relatively short first time-trial. The splendidly-named Sylvester Szmyd could prove an important domestique in the Alps and the Pyrenees, though whether Cunego will be able to take enough time in the mountains to make up for his likely losses in the time-trials remains doubtful.

Other contenders

Andy Schleck could become Luxembourg's most famous citizen if he can follow up his impressive performance at last year's Giro with a win at the Tour, and he will be able to count on the support of a strong CSC team, including brother Frank. The amusing Riccardo Ricco and his rather large mouth will both be making their first Tour start, though his exertions in May's Giro will surely count against him, even if his mouth is in fine fettle. Spanish mountain goat Carlos Sastre is never a bad each-way bet, while Roman Kreuziger will also be a marked man following his surprise win at the Tour of Switzerland. Euskaltel duo Samuel Sanchez and Haimar Zubeldia will both count on huge support in the Pyrenees, though are unlikely to have the quality to make the podium.

Prediction

Evans, Valverde and Menchov are indisputably the three front-runners, though so were Alexandre Vinokourov, Andreas Kloeden and Valverde before last year's race. A win for a rider as unassuming and honest as Evans would give the sport's reputation a much-needed boost, and he looks to have the necessary quality in all areas to edge out his rivals.

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Michael FitzGerald / Eurosport