Brioches la Boulangere

TEAM PROFILE Nationality: French Manager: Jean-Rene Bernaudeau Team leader: Sylvain Chavanel Best Tour: 2001 - Francois Simon 6th

The team looked to have great promise with the stunning coup of signing former Once rider Joseba Beloki.

The Spaniard had looked in stunning form in last year's race before crashing out on stage nine.

He slowly looked be getting back to full fitness falling out in monumental fashion with his new employers and leaving by mutual consent.

That means Beloki will not compete in the race, while the team will turn to Sylvain Chavanel in the overall.

The team are slowly making their mark after changing from Team Bonjour in 2002.

Didier Rous led the team's ambitions in the 2003 overall classification, just edging into the top 20 in Paris, while team-mate Chavanel was 37th.

Damien Nazon looks a bright contender for the team in the sprints, having shone for many of them last year.

But he still needs to find an edge to push the likes of Alessandro Petacchi, Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen.

This season they have already boasted two impressive wins, when Chavanel edged out Laurent Brochard to win the four days of Dunkirk and Franck Bouyer clinched stage one of the Circuit de la Sarthe.

For all their promise the team, who are only just in the top 20 in the world's elite, will probably have to make do with the status of also rans in 2004.