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Michael Fitzgerald looks at the main contenders in the battle for the white jersey in this year's Tour de France.

The white jersey, or maillot blanc, was introduced to the Tour in 1975 to signify the best rider under the age of 26.

Since its introduction, 30 riders have won the white jersey and three riders - Laurent Fignon (1983), Jan Ullrich (1997) and Alberto Contador (2007) - have also taken the leader's yellow jersey in the same year.

Andy Schleck (LUX/Saxo Bank) *****

Watching his breakthrough in the 2007 Giro d’Italia, where he kept pace with both Gilberto Simoni and Danilo di Luca (who was later found to have been "sleeping with CERA", as Bradley Wiggins put it) on the tortuous Monte Zoncolan, it was clear the younger of the Schleck brothers was a truly exceptional talent. Since then, he won this category in 2008, then again in last year’s Tour after finishing second overall behind the dominant Alberto Contador. Giving away 2:09 to Tony Martin in the time-trial at the Tour de Suisse shows that this discipline remains a problem area for the lanky Luxemburger, so he’ll be thankful that this year’s Tour parcours includes only 61km of individual time-trialling.

Robert Gesink (NED/Rabobank) *****

A precocious talent, and the big hope for Dutch cycling fans who have been starved of success in recent years. Gesink is a rider in the Andy Schleck mould - long, lanky, strong in the mountains, though almost certainly a better time-triallist. He was forced out of last year’s Tour after breaking his wrist, and changed his season’s target to the Vuelta, where he finished a creditable sixth. An impressive solo victory on the toughest mountain stage of the Tour de Suisse shows he is bang in form, and could push Schleck hard for the white jersey.

Roman Kreuziger (CZE/Liquigas) ****

One of the few European cyclists to come from a wealthy background, Kreuziger is also perhaps the most complete rider on this list. Comfortable both in time-trials and in the mountains, the 24-year-old Czech also rarely suffers a bad day - a quality not often found among younger riders. Kreuziger finished a creditable ninth in the Tour last year, though his third place finish overall at Paris-Nice this year, coupled with a strong showing at the Tour de Suisse, suggests he may go even better. Like Martin, he is in the dubious position of being a young rider in a strong team, so could find himself playing second fiddle to Giro winner Ivan Basso.

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN/Saxo Bank) ****

A meteoric rise in 2009 has seen the 25-year-old Dane catapulted into a strong Saxo Bank Tour squad. A 56th place overall at the Vuelta last year is all we have to go on in terms of grand tour pedigree, but Fuglsang showed his class with a second place behind Damiano Cunego on the big climb into La Pandera on stage 14. Third place behind Frank Schleck and Lance Armstrong on the GC at the Tour de Suisse shows Fuglsang has kicked on yet again this year, though whether he will have what it takes to hold it all together for three long Tour de France weeks remains to be seen.

Tony Martin (GER/HTC-Columbia) ***

We knew he was a good time-triallist, but beating none other than Fabian Cancellara in the Swiss maestro’s home event by 17 seconds suggests the young German is continuing to improve at a serious rate of knots. Martin’s problems will come in the high mountains, as was the case last year when he lost bucket loads of time in the Alps, eventually finishing eighth overall on the young riders’ classification. Martin will be targeting the white jersey as a bare minimum in the prologue, though he will once again find it tough to hang on to the coat-tails of the likes of Andy Schleck and Gesink, particularly on the arduous Pyrenean climbs. His task will be made doubly difficult if he finds himself chasing down breakaways for team-mate Mark Cavendish on the flat stages too.

Thomas Lofkvist (SWE/Team Sky) **

It’s a little difficult to believe Lofkvist still qualifies for this category, as he’s already in his seventh season as a professional. His progress has come at a slower rate than many initially predicted, and a third place finish at the Tirreno-Adriatico back in 2008 remains the best stage race result of his career. The Swede has had a very quiet season so far for his new Sky team, though he's been earmarked as one of Bradley Wiggins’s key helpers, perhaps limiting his chances of holding the white jersey at any point of the Tour.

Nicolas Roche (IRL/Ag2r-La Mondiale) **

A 23rd place finish on the general classification last year was a superb result for the son of 1987 winner Stephen in his first grande boucle. Indeed, he came close to crowning his race with a stage win when finishing second on stage 14 and fourth on stage 16. That he has been named alongside John Gadret and Christophe Riblon as one of only three definite starters for the Ag2r team shows just how well Roche has developed. A stage win, rather than the white jersey, is likely to be his target once again, however.

Chris Anker Sorensen (DEN/Saxo Bank) *

Saxo Bank’s Danish climber took his first stage in a grand tour race in style at this year’s Giro d’Italia, winning atop the monstrous Monte Terminillo. He will therefore enter the Tour relatively free from pressure, knowing that he has already provided his team with a big moment for their season. Sorensen is not in the class of team-mate Andy Schleck, and arguably is behind Fuglsang too in terms of raw talent, but there are few grittier riders about, and Sorensen is sure to put in a solid performance once again.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/Team Sky) *

One of the brightest young talents in world cycling, Sky landed a massive coup when prising him away from the powerful HTC-Columbia team. Boasson Hagen (pictured) is one of the very few riders capable of winning pretty much any type of stage. He is least at home in the high mountains, and a challenge for the white jersey is therefore perhaps a little unrealistic, though many see in him the potential to "do a Tony Martin" and find some climbing legs over the next couple of years. Loves an attack at any time within 20km of a stage finish, and once he’s gone, is extremely difficult to reel back in.

(* signifies rating)

Michael Fitzgerald / Eurosport