At the moment Vladimir Gusev (Discovery Channel) is leading the young riders classification. Gusev has a leag of six seconds on Ditch Tour rookie Thomas Dekker (Rabobank). But riders like Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel), Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile) and Bernhard Kohl (Gerolsteiner) are all with less then a minute behind Gusev.

Vladimir Gusev

Vladimir Gusev joined the Discovery Channel team in 2006. Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel said: "I think he can be a contender almost everywhere. He's good in the hills and is a strong time trialist. At this years edition of the Tour de Suisse the Russian rider won the queen stage with a mountain top finish at the Grimselpass.

Thomas Dekker

Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) 2006 season with a sensational overall win of the Tirreno-Adriatico. After that win the Dutch Tour rookie had some health problems but he came back by winning the overall of the prestigious stage race Tour de Romandie. Dekker is a very strong time trialist and is a strong climber as well. Although Rabobank's press officer, Jacob Bergsma, told Cyclingheroes that the team is glad that Dekker could start at this years Tour de France after his hip problems and the team does not expect to much, las month Dekker won the mountain stage at Crans Montana at the Tour de Suise.

Alberto Contador

Antoher favourite for this years young riders classification is Alberto Contador. The Spanish Discovery Channel rider won the overall of this years Paris-Nice. Contador is a very strong climber and a good time trialist as well.

Bernhard Kohl

Berhard Kohl surprised many observers during last years Dauphiné Liberé, but the T-Mobile team did not select Kohl for the Tour. The Ausrain rider signed with Gerolsteiner for the 2007 season and was 13th at this years edition of the Dauphiné. Kohl said about his first Tour de France: "It's my first Tour and it is thus very special to me. I've got a bit of an eye on the white jersey of the bes young rider – after all: one has to have a target in order to achieve something. Start out wearing blue, finish in white – that would be something." Gerolsteiner Sports Director Christian Henn believes that the battle for the white jersey will be a fight between Alberto Contador and Bernahrd Kohl. Gerolsteiner has 2 more Tour rookies: Stefan Schumacher and Heinrich Haussler. Henn told Cyclingheroes: "Top ten [overall] would be a good result. Important is that he learnes a lot at his first Tour."

Linus Gerdemann

Tour de France rookie Linus Gerdemann (T-Mobile) could be described as a "a late starter" in cycling. The 24-year-old only switched to road racing following a mountainbike accident when he was 19. After riding on amateur teams, Team Winfix and Team AKUD Arnolds Sicherheit in 2005 he became a professional rider for the Danish Team CSC on the recommendation of Voigt, signing for a 2-year contract. In his first year as a pro, he won the 7th stage of the Tour de Suisse and held the Leader's Jersey in "4 Jours de Dunkerque." In late 2005 he agreed to a contract with T-Mobile, starting from 2007. The German rider appears confident on the eve of this year´s Tour. "My form is good. I´m just one or two notches off my peak. I´ve still a little time," he commented after the Tour de Suisse. He has already displayed that he has the all round qualities needed of a Tour rider with a seventh GC finish in the Tour de Suisse 2006 and a sixth place finish in the Tour of Catalonia.