This Tour featured 180 riders from 30 countries on 20 cycling teams, starting in the principality of Monaco on 4 July and finishing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 26 July.
[3] The three Professional Continental teams included were Agritubel, Skil–Shimano and Cervélo TestTeam.
Each of the 20 teams invited to the race entered a squad of nine riders.
[4] Twenty-four riders abandoned the three-week race before reaching Paris.
[5] Alberto Contador of the Astana team won the race; after winning the 15th stage to Verbier, and thus taking over the yellow jersey which he kept until the end of the race.