Twenty-two teams and 198 riders were presented at the 2015 Tour de France in the start city of Utrecht in the Netherlands on Thursday in summery weather, which pleased the Spaniards but wilted the cool-weather fans. The unusually warm weather will heat up even more for the opening stage on Saturday, where temperatures will be near record-highs, topping out at 95F/35C.
The team presentation was a part of an outdoor festival where fans of the sport flocked to see their favourite riders and teams, along with live bands playing at the Lepelenburg Park.
Teams prepared for the presentation earlier in the afternoon at the Railway Museum before embarking on individual team boat rides along the Oudegracht canal through the centre of Utrecht, which took them to the park where they were presented to the public.
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Each team arrived one boat at a time and the riders were handed their bikes to ride through the crowd toward the staging area.
Alberto Contador, a favourite to win the overall title and take the Giro-Tour double, lined up on stage with his Tinkoff-Saxo team.
“I am here and I will try,” Contador said about his chances of winning both Grand Tours in one year. “I know that it is very difficult and I have worked very, very hard in the last six months.”
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