Lotto-Domo

TEAM PROFILE Country: Belgium Team boss: Marc Sergeant Team leader: Robbie McEwen Best Tour: 2003 - McEwen second in green jersey

There is little doubting that the team will be more fired up than ever to make their mark in the sprints.

A year ago Robbie McEwen had gone into the final stage wearing the green jersey only to get shoulder barged out of contention by Baden Cooke.

McEwen has made it clear he aims to get the jersey he won in 2002 back on and he looks in good shape to do so.

Predictably he was behind Alessandro Petacchi for much of the Giro d'Italia, just once getting the better of him.

If the form book is anything to go by, Petacchi will leave the way clear for the Tour's green jersey competition after a week of stage wins.

McEwen does not have the team back-up enjoyed by other top sprinters to lead him to the line but that has rarely deterred his cause.

Among other names to watch in the team are Axel Merckx, Peter van Petegem and Christophe Brandt.

Merckx is the best contender in the overall classification and for a stage win, while Brandt was the team's highest finisher a year ago in 52nd place.

Brandt also quietly crept his way into the top 35 during the previous year's Tour.