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Tour de France Guide 2010!

Crucial Stages:

Prologue — Saturday, July 3: Rotterdam, Individual Time Trial: 8.9km – 5.6 miles. This year's Tour kicks off with a TT in Holland, the third grand tour in a row to do so. Our prediction: Given his track record, it would approach foolishness to bet on anyone but Fabian Cancellara. The only other men who might near Spartacus's time are Bradley Wiggins and Alberto Contador, recent winners of short time trials.

Stage 3 — Tuesday, July 6: Wanze - Arenberg-Porte du Hainaut: 213km – 132.4 miles. The organizers are spicing it up this year with an early jaunt onto the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix fame. Our prediction: The stage winner will probably be a classics star like Cancellara or Thor Hushovd, but the overall favorites will have to be alert to avoid crashing and imitating Iban Mayo's infamous 2004 pavé meltdown.

Stage 7 — Saturday, July 10: Tournus - Station des Rousses: 165.5km – 103.4 miles. Although the flat final kilometers indicate today isn't a true summit finish, the contenders will be racing like it is. Our prediction: The Station des Rousses is a relatively mellow climb, so there won't be a huge selection, but a few favorites may find themselves off the back. Denis Menchov excels at these mid-mountain stages as does world champ Cadel Evans.

Stage 8 — Sunday, July 11: Station des Rousses - Morzine-Avoriaz: 189km – 118.1 miles. If the previous day was just an appetizer, then today's mountain stage is a true Tour-size entrée. Our prediction: Crossing three summits in the final 22 miles means only one thing: pain. The final climb may not be the Tour's hardest, but it will certainly dole out stage glory to the strongest rider. Alberto Contador will be hungry to prove his climbing superiority. Will Lance rise to the challenge?

Stage 9 — Tuesday, July 13: Morzine-Avoriaz - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne: 204.5km – 127.8 miles. Today doesn't finish atop an Alpine peak, but it does pack in enough climbing to make lesser riders weak in the knees. Our prediction: Luis León Sánchez won a similar stage last year and could very well triumph again. If Sánchez doesn't win, look for a strong climber with top-notch descending skills to take the victory.

Stage 14 — Sunday, July 18: Revel - Ax 3 Domaines: 184.5km – 115.3 miles. The Tour says goodbye to the Alpes with a leg-searing mountaintop finish. Our prediction: The Schleck brothers love to dominate the climbs and the competition; the Ax 3 Domaines summit will be their chance to make their mark on the 2010 Tour. But, they certainly won't get an easy ride as the RadioShack tandem of Lance and Levi try to beat them at their own game.

Stage 15 — Monday, July 19: Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon: 187km – 116.9 miles. The Pyrenées kick off with a relatively easy (for Tour racers, that is) mountain stage. Our prediction: Whoever wins today will need a high-octane blend of climbing, descending and sprinting skills. Samuel Sánchez, one of the peloton's top descenders, will be gunning for today's stage. However, the favorites may give a breakaway too much leeway and find themselves fighting for scraps.

Stage 16 — Tuesday, July 20: Bagnères-de-Luchon - Pau: 199.5km – 124.7 miles. Four massive climbs spread over 124.7 miles takes hard to a whole new level. Our prediction: The long descent to the finish should cause a regrouping as the front pack speeds towards Pau. A climber with a good sprint will most likely take the victory today. The always cunning Alexander Vinokourov is a good pick as is rising Czech star Roman Kreuziger.

Stage 17 — Thursday, July 22: Pau - Col du Tourmalet: 174km – 108.8 miles. Today is the last day for the climbers to do any damage on the GC as the peloton takes on the Col du Tourmalet, the highest road in the Pyrenées and the first climb ever used by the Tour in 1910. Our prediction: This stage is tailor-made for a mountain goat like Ivan Basso or Andy Schleck. Look for some contenders to lose massive time on the hors-catégorie slopes.

Stage 19 — Saturday, July 24: Bordeaux - Pauillac, Individual Time Trial: 52km – 32.5 miles. Just one day shy of the finish in Paris, the Tour's final TT is a doozy. Our prediction: At over 30 miles, this hour-long slugfest will determine whose legs have survived the last three weeks the best. Contador has shown himself to be a real threat in long time trials in recent years and could very well snag the win. But, don't overlook Cancellara, Lance or Wiggins.

The Protagonists:

Lance Armstrong (RadioShack): The past two years have not been the kindest to Lance. He's broken a collarbone, crashed several times and gotten sick at inopportune moments. If we've learned anything about the Texan, though, it's that he's at his best when his back's up against the wall. He may not be the take-no-prisoners patron of his 7-Tours-in-a-row days, but he's been showing flashes of his old glory lately. It would be hard to bet against Lance going for his 8th Tour de France crown if he can stay healthy and light up the climbs.

Alberto Contador (Astana): Just 27 years old, Il Pistolero has two Tours, a Giro and a Vuelta to his credit. He's undefeated in his last four grand tour starts and he's gone 3 for 5 at major stage races in 2010. To say he's a prodigy would be an understatement; he can win time trials, climbing stages, you name it. He enters this year's Tour as the number-one favorite. Contador's only weakness is his nervousness. His inability to sit back and let attacks go could be his undoing should his competition have the strength and willpower to exploit it.

Cadel Evans (Team BMC): In the midst of the biggest purple patch of his career, the Aussie would love to finally notch a grand tour win. The only question is, has the world champ expended too much energy already this season? He's won Fleche-Wallonne, taken an epic stage of the Giro and finished 5th overall while also snagging the points jersey. Although he's twice finished 2nd at the Tour, his busy spring could spell disaster once the race heats up. However, if Cadel is rested and fresh, look for fireworks on the climbs and in the time trials.

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack): Will 2010 be the year when Levi rises out of the shadows and launches an all-out assault on the Tour de France? Or, will he continue to loyally serve as the peloton's most respected and strongest super-domestique? Widely regarded for his tactical nous, Levi has shepherded cycling's greatest to victory while occasionally taking the big prize himself, such as his enviable streak of three Tours of California in a row. One thing is certain. He and Lance will be a formidable duo when the Tour hits the mountains.

Team Liquigas: Liquigas has proven itself to be one of the strongest teams of the season. They have a Giro d'Italia title and 9 top-flight stage wins so far and they're looking to continue their dominance at the Tour. Thanks to a stacked lineup that includes Giro champ Ivan Basso and rising star Roman Kreuziger, it's a near certainty that they'll animate the race. However, did Basso work too hard to finish on top at the Giro? Whatever happens, expect the lime-green train to be at the front all Tour long.

Denis Menchov (Rabobank): The Russian has won two Vueltas and a Giro, meaning he's only missing the Tour to complete the triple crown. His ability to climb and time trial with the best has made him one of the top grand tour racers of his generation. And, perhaps no one in the peloton can suffer quite like Denis. His tenacity when holding the race lead is legendary. If he loses the overall, it's not for a lack of trying. Although he's had a bit of a quiet year in 2010, he almost always posts a big result when you least expect him to.

Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi): The reigning Olympic champion is basing his 2010 season around the Tour de France, which means we should all keep an eye on the speedy Spaniard. His superb ascending skills are matched by his ability to rocket down the twistiest roads in Europe. And his palmarès is nothing to sneeze at, either: two podium finishes and five stage wins at the Vuelta, the 2008 Olympic road race, four stages of the Tour of the Basque Country, and even more victories at smaller races. Look out for Sammy come July.

Carlos Sastre (Cervelo TestTeam): Perhaps pro cycling's biggest enigma, Sastre always keeps you guessing. Just when it seems like he's dropped on a climb, he surges ahead to victory, and just when you think he's out of the GC picture, he strings together sensational efforts to put himself back on top. His world-class climbing makes him a threat in every grand tour he enters and he'd like to add another title to his enviable list of victories. However, he injured his back at the Giro and is still a question mark for the Tour.

Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank): Formerly known as Fränk's little brother, Andy is building quite the reputation for himself. He won the best young rider competitions at the 2008 and 2009 Tours, and now he's looking to make the upgrade to yellow. He finished second overall at the Tour last year, only being thwarted by a near-invincible Alberto Contador. Once again, he's starting the Tour with Fränk by his side and the two are quite the force to be reckoned with. Look for them to be at the front whenever the race hits their preferred terrain: the mountains.

Fränk Schleck (Saxo Bank): Take one look at the thin Luxembourger and you know he's a climbing wünderkind. He first put his name in the Tour's history books with a stunning solo victory atop Alpe d'Huez in 2006, which he then backed up with a stint in the Yellow Jersey at the 2008 Tour and another mountain stage win in 2009. He's also scored big victories at the Amstel Gold Race, the Giro dell'Emilia, and he's won several stages of the Tour de Suisse. The only thing stopping him from winning the Tour is his sub-par time trialing ability.

Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky): Once only known for his skills on the track, Wiggo's banner year in 2009 has vaulted him to the status of grand tour contender. He's a muli-time Olympic gold medalist, multi-time track world champion and he's been expanding his repertoire to include climbing and longer time trials. His 4th-place finish at the 2009 Tour and prologue victory at the 2010 Giro have shown that he's ready for the big time. Can he continue his rapid ascent to the top of the sport and snag a coveted spot on the podium this year?

The Dark Horses: The Tour is a long, unpredictable event stacked with rivals champing at the bit to grab the Maillot Jaune should any of the mega-favorites falter. Leading the charge is Garmin-Transitions' Christian Vande Velde. Once a tireless workhorse for Armstrong and Basso, he's recently blossomed into a team leader in his own right. He snagged 4th in 2008 and 8th last year after coming back from two horrific crashes that sidelined him for most of the year. He's injured yet again this year, but don't doubt the Chicago native who always has a surprise or two up his sleeve. There's also Lance's RadioShack teammate Andreas Klöden who's no stranger to the Tour podium. The ever-strong German managed to snag 6th overall in 2009 even while loyally serving Lance and Contador. Another hope is Caisse d'Epargne's Luis León Sánchez. The Spanish sensation has won two tough Tour stages, but has never been able to string together three weeks of solid riding. Maybe this is his year. And, flying the flag for HTC-Columbia is Michael Rogers. The Aussie has had a fine year winning the Ruta del Sol and, most recently, the Tour of California. Mick would love to avoid fading as he has in the past, and grab a top placing in 2010.

Tour FAQ

How is the overall race winner determined?
Cumulative times are kept for all 21 stages. After the finish of the last stage, the rider who covered the whole trip around France in the least amount of time wins.

It seems like a lot of the time, racers are rolling along in one big group. How do riders gain and lose time against one another?
During this multi-day race, it's quite difficult for race favorites to gain or lose time against each other while on flat or rolling terrain, as drafting and teamwork cancel out individual rider strength differences. Therefore, the mountainous climbing stages and time trials have a heavy impact on deciding who the final winner will be, as both require a competitor to ride on his own, without the benefit of drafting or help from his team.

How can 198 guys race all day and then be awarded the same time at the finish?
When a large group of riders, possibly the entire field, comes to the finish in one huge group, everyone is awarded the finishing time of the first rider to cross the line. This is done to prevent the final sprint from becoming exceedingly chaotic. Therefore, the sprinting madmen get to battle over the stage win while everyone else rides in safely just behind them, knowing they will not be penalized for their caution.

If one or two guys can ride ahead of the peloton and win a stage, why doesn't this happen every day? And, why does the peloton allow riders to pedal away and gain a few minutes of advantage?
The Tour de France is an incredibly demanding event and conserving energy is an important aspect of team strategy. With conservation in mind, the peloton will allow an individual rider or small group of riders a time advantage, betting the escapees will burn out, slow down, and be reabsorbed by the pack. (The pack will also speed up to catch escaped riders as the finish nears.) Letting riders build up an advantage is a calculated risk made by the teams without riders in the breakaway group. Sometimes, the pack's gamble backfires and the breakaway group stays away until the finish to contest the win among themselves.

How can a racer win the Tour de France, but not win a single Stage?
This scenario is possible but rarely happens. However, because the Tour leader board is organized by total overall time, the most consistent racer wins. For example, always finishing with the first few riders during every crucial stage (but not winning) will result in a very low overall accumulated time. In contrast, using up loads of energy trying to win a stage may result in a one-day victory, but the winning racer will usually pay for his energy output the next day, as exhaustion will more than likely cause him to finish near the back of the pack. Racers have a choice. Ride steadily near the front of the race, never using up too much energy in the hopes of winning the whole Tour. Or go all out attempting to win a stage, knowing full well they'll be exhausted the next day and overall victory will be impossible.

The Tour de France is just an endurance event, right?
Yes, grand tour racing requires an extreme amount of endurance, but it's far more complex than that. The Tour, and pro road racing in general, requires massive amounts of muscular strength to keep up with the many intense accelerations during the race. The most obvious examples are the finishing sprints and attacks at the front of the peloton. These intense bursts regularly require riders to sprint in a big gear, similar to doing weightlifting squats of twice their body weight as fast as they can for 10 seconds to a minute.

When you consider that riders put in these efforts from 10 to 30 times each stage just to stay within the peloton, you begin to understand what a Herculean effort is involved. What's more, these muscular efforts create micro-tears in the muscles, which can only be cured by proper nutrition and rest, two things cyclists can't get enough of at the Tour. So, not only are the world's best cyclists in the top percentile of endurance aces, but they are also muscular athletes gifted with the ability to sprint day-in and day-out up mountains and across the flats. In bike racing, it's rarely the strongest who wins, but rather it's the rider who can make different types of max efforts and still arrive at the finish fresher than the others.

I know what the Green Jersey is, but how do they win it?
Unlike the exciting race for the Maillot Jaune, the points competition is a little bit more complicated than just cumulative time. On any given stage, riders have up to 5 chances to score points that go toward their overall tally. These come in the form of intermediate sprints and the finishing sprint. Points go three places deep in intermediate sprints with riders scoring 6, 4 or 2 points. At the stage finish, points are scored up to 25 deep with a maximum of 35 going to the winner, depending on the stage type. Flat stages are worth the most and hilly, mountain and time trial days are worth less. This makes the Tour's points competition truly a race for the sprinters as it prevents the overall contenders from gobbling up all the points on days the fastmen can't compete.

Another interesting tidbit is how hard the fight for the Maillot Verde truly is. Even on rolling stages, the contenders must be acutely aware of their competitors. Six points lost in an intermediate sprint could be the difference between standing on the final podium in Paris and going home empty-handed. Often the points competition comes down to the final stage and even the final sprint on the Champs-Elysees. Favorites for this year's title include superstar Mark Cavendish as well as former winners Oscar Freire (2008), Robbie McEwen (2006) and Thor Hushovd (2005, 2009). Look for American Tyler Farrar to make a go for Green, as well. He's come on strong the last couple of years and has won stages of both the Vuelta and the Giro. No matter who wins, though, they'll still be many victories back of Erik Zabel's record six Green Jerseys.

There can't be good weather every day of the race. Are there rain delays?
Nope. Riders race in any and all weather conditions. From blistering heat waves to biblical deluges, there are few meteorological events that will get in the peloton's way (rarely stages will be altered in cases of extreme weather). Some of cycling's most legendary escapades occurred in inclement weather. Lance Armstrong won the Tour stage to Sestrière in a downpour, Bernard Hinault took Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a driving snowstorm and Andy Hamsten, the only American ever to win the Giro d'Italia, took control of the race during an epic blizzard in the mountains of Italy.

That guy just gave a teammate his bike! What's up with that?
The Tour is a team event and each team is comprised of nine riders. Within a team, there are one or two riders who hope to achieve a high overall finish. Most teams also have a sprint specialist trying for stage wins during the flat days. The remaining five or six riders are considered domestiques or helpers, and they do just that, as their job description includes carrying extra food and water, and chasing down breakaway groups. Amazingly, a domestique is even expected to give up his bicycle to a team leader should he have a mechanical issue.

Why is that rider talking into his shirt?
All racers carry miniature radios in their back pockets that allow them to talk with their teammates and team director while rolling down the road. The earpieces of these high-tech intercoms look like spy paraphernalia. The microphones stay hidden, clipped to the inside of the rider's collar. Therefore, when you see a rider "speaking into his jersey" he is actually using his microphone to talk with someone on his team. This on-the-fly communication is of great value, as it lets riders who are scattered throughout the pack plan race strategy and ride accordingly.

Don't they get hungry?
Yes, they get very hungry! Nutrition is so important to racing success that some say the Tour is partially won at the dinner table, as riders who successfully fulfill their daily need of 7,000 to 10,000 calories are more assured of optimum results. While actually racing, riders mostly consume liquid sugar in the form of sports gels and drinks (Coke is a favorite). It's also no surprise to see mini ham sandwiches, candy bars, and pastries peeking out of jersey pockets. At dinner, it's a full-on feeding frenzy: pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal, bread, fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and yogurt is all fair game and consumed with gusto.

When do they go to the bathroom?
Ah, it's a question that someone had to ask. Many times the pack will make a group decision and stop for a quick "natural break" at the side of the road. Riders will also urinate off the bike, usually while coasting on lengthy downhills. If a rider really has to go and there's no downhill near, a teammate may push the bladder-challenged racer along as he relieves himself... hopefully while the TV cameras are not watching!

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