While White has yet to finalise his nine man squad, he has pinned his hopes on American Christian Vande Velde as his main hope in the race for general classification.

“Christian could finish anywhere between the podium and top 10,” White said when I caught up with him at his Spanish base in Girona.

“The Tour de France is won in the last week of July, not the first,” he added.

My only concern about Vande Velde heading to the race start in Rotterdam next Saturday is that he's a little banged up.

The American broke his collarbone in a race fall early on at the Giro d'Italia last month then returned to race the Tour of Switzerland where he lasted just a day, fracturing two ribs in a fall on the opening day prologue.

“He's come back strong, has the experience and knows just what it takes to be right up there in the mix for the overall at a big tour,” he adds.

Garmin-Transitions main hope for the green sprinter's jersey in what is shaping up as a very open competition this year is Tyler Farrar.

“I don't it is a given that Mark Cavendish has the jersey in the bag,” says White.

“The Englishman's preparation hasn't been ideal and I think Tyler can capitalise on that fact.”

Other chances in the green jersey competition in White's “tartan army” include the New Zealander Julian Dean and South African Robbie Hunter.

Hunter is no stranger to our shores, having raced the now defunct Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic as an amateur and the Tour Down Under when he rode for Barloworld.

 White will finalise his squad on Monday following consultation with team boss Jonathan Vaughters.

As for our own Cadel Evans' chances at the Tour, White adds: “if he rides smart, I see no reason why he can't have a good race.”

BY THE NUMBERS 

FOR the dedicated number crunches among you, here's a few figures to ponder in the week leading up to the Tour de France prologue start in Rotterdam next Saturday.

ZERO: For the third year running, race organisers are not awarding any time bonuses.

ONE: Prologue. Eight kilometres of racing on the southside of Rotterdam. Watch for Fabian Cancellara, the Swiss head teller at Saxo Bank to give it a real shake.

TWO: Rest days. Monday, July 12, and Wednesday, July 21. The riders will need them.

THREE: Countries. The race starts in the Netherlands, heads to Belgium and then in a clockwise direction around France.

FOUR: Medium mountain stages that don't figure in the Alps or the Pyrenees.

FIVE: Times The Netherlands has hosted stage of the Tour.

SIX: True mountain finishes. The climbs are much, much tougher than what you saw in Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen's excellent coverage of Le Tour on SBS a year ago.

EIGHT: The number of podiums for Lance Armstrong, seven wins and a third in 2009. He's back with a new team in Radio Shack.

NINE: Flat stages. Let's cheer home our own Robbie McEwen, who will be looking to add to his 12 stage wins riding for Katusha.

TEN: Number of times an American has won the overall. seven with Armstrong as mentioned previously and three with Greg LeMond.

ELEVEN: New host towns and cities.

TWELVE: The number of Australians and a new record on the start line in Rotterdam. The figure could be boosted by one or two more late entries.

FOURTEEN: Starts for Stuey O'Grady.

FIFTY ONE: Total number of kilometres for the individual time trial in Bordeaux on the second last day.

2,115: The number of metres of the climb to the top of the Tourmalet, the highest peak at this year's race. They do it twice.

3,596: Total number of racing kilometres.

3.2 Million: In Euros, which is what the race organisers have set aside in prizemoney. 450,000 of them goes to the winner. Handy pocket money in anyone's language.