The first 14 teams in the UCI ranking at 31 January 2004 were automatically invited. These were:[1] Wildcards were sent to a further seven teams.
Initially the organisers had an option for a 22nd team, which would be Kelme, but after Jesús Manzano exposed doping use in that team, Kelme was not invited, and the race started with 21 teams of nine cyclists.[2]
^Gorka González did not join the departure, due to being found with an excessive hematocrit level.[3]
^Originally Australian rider Matthew White was selected for Cofidis, but as following a crash during the warmup for the prologue he had to withdraw, and Peter Farazijn took his spot.[5]