Seven Americans will ride in 2009 Tour de France

June 28, 7:15 PMCycling ExaminerJames Raia

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Christian Vande Velde, 4th in '08 Tour de France

Seven Americans, representing three teams, will compete in the 2009 Tour de France. The group will be three more U.S. riders than participated last year and three fewer than the record 10 Americans who competed 1986 when the first of Greg LeMond won the first of his three titles.

Here's are alphabetical capsules of the U.S riders competing in the 2009 Tour de France:

Lance Armstrong, 37, Austin, Texas, Astana . . . Finished seventh overall in the Tour of California in February. . . Fractured collarbone in April . . . Finished 12th overall Tour of Italy in May . . . Won several smaller one-day regional events, including the Nevada City Classic on Father's Day. Strengths: time trials, climbing, overall title contender; Tour de France career summary: 12th participation, 8 finishes, 7 overall titles, 22 individual stage wins, 25 overall stage wins, 83 career days in leader's yellow jersey. Did not compete in 2008.

Tyler Farrar, 25, Wenatchee Wa., Garmin-Slipstream . . . Defeated Mark Cavendish of Great Britain in the third-stage Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in Italian in March . . . Had two second-place stage finishes in this year's Tour of Italy . . . Won a stage and overall Tour of Zeeland title in the Netherlands in mid-June. Strengths: sprinting, team rider. Tour de France career summary: debut.

George Hincapie, 36, Greenville, S.C., Columbia-Highroad . . . Quiet early season in 2009, won two races, including a stage of the Tour of California in 2008 . . . Teammate of Lance Armstrong for all of his seven Tour de France titles . . . Strengths: Team rider, sprinter lead-out, stage contender; Tour de France career summary: 14th participation, 12 finishes, 1 individual stage win, 4 overall stage wins, career-best 14th overall in 2005. Finished 35th in 2008.

Levi Leipheimer, 35, Santa Rosa, Ca., Astana . . . In the midst of his career season. Won Tour of California for third straight year in February and has continued victory spree with European stage race titles and individual road race stage wins in California to New New Mexico. Strengths: individual time trials, climbing, overall title contender: Tour de France career summary: 7th participation, 5 finishes, career-best 3rd overall in 2007. Did not compete in 2008.

Danny Pate, 30, Colorado Springs, Colo., Garmin-Slipstream . . .   Third overall this year in Criterium International in France . . . Finished third in stage 15 of 2008 Tour de France and a stage of the Tour of Missouri. Strengths: Climbing, time trials, team rider. Tour de France career summary: 2nd participation, finished 95th overall in  2008.

Christian Vande Velde, 33, Lemont, Ill., Garmin-Slipstream . . .  Won stage 4 of of Paris-Nice in March . . . Reigning Tour of Missouri titlist . . . Held race lead of Tour of Italy for several days in 2008 . . . Former teammate of Lance Armstrong for two of his Tour de France titles . . . Suffered multiple-fracture crash in this year's Tour of Italy . . . . Strengths: climbing, time trials, overall title contender. Tour de France career summary: 7th participation, 5 finishes. Finished fourth overall in 2008.

David Zabriskie, 30, Salt Lake City, Garmin-Slipstream. The only American in history to win stages in all Grand Tours . . . Finished second overall in this year's Tour of California and third overall in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in Spain . . . Held the overall lead in the 2005 Tour de France for several days after winning the opening time trial stage. Strengths: time trials. Tour de France career summary: 5th participation, 1 finish. Withdrew in 2008.

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