While they showed the resilience to complete the course, Daniel Schinder was the highest place man on the team in 66th overall, some two hours behind Lance Armstrong.

With their current crop of cyclists, the team is not expected to produce anything sensational other than perhaps a single stage win.

Team manager Marc Madiot says Jean-Cyril Robin has been brought in to pass on his experience to his fellow team-mates.

But, at 32, his best Tour is probably now behind him.

The same might be said for Jacky Durand although the popular Frenchman, 35 when he lines up for the race, could still surprise.

This elder statesman of cycling has been a regular winner of the Tour's Most Aggressive Rider award following a string of "suicide breaks".

And a stage win in the Dauphine Libere shows he can still produce the goods.

Casper looks the best bet for a stage win in the early sprints but the mountain stages could yet finish him off.

FDJ are still trying to find their feet as a major force since making their debut in the sport back in 1997.

In that year they won the Paris-Roubaix and fared well in the Tour before it all fell apart as their attentions turned to a new team leader in Evgeny Berzin.

He had looked an impressive cyclist when he powered to victory in the Giro d'Italia back in 1994.