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[Chris R]

This year's Tour de France marks the 100th anniversary of the race started in 1903. This year the race will depart in Corsica for the first time, winding it's way across the French countryside until ending in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. The race will run from June 29th to July 21st covering 3,403km.

Last year's winner Bradley Wiggins will not be in the race this year due to injury, but his Team Sky team is still a strong contender with 2012 runner up Chris Froome now the early favorite. Other riders will be on his tail though, including Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck

Spoiler

well... not really, but I like Andy

The Route

The Details

1 Flat Saturday, June 29th Porto-Vecchio > Bastia 213 km
2 Medium-Mountain Sunday, June 30th Bastia > Ajaccio 156 km
3 Medium-Mountain Monday, July 1st Ajaccio > Calvi 145.5 km
4 Team time-trial Tuesday, July 2nd Nice > Nice 25 km
5 Flat Wednesday, July 3rd Cagnes-sur-Mer > Marseille 228.5 km
6 Flat Thursday, July 4th Aix-en-Provence > Montpellier 176.5 km
7 Medium-Mountain Friday, July 5th Montpellier > Albi 205.5 km
8 Mountain Saturday, July 6th Castres > Ax 3 Domaines 195 km
9 Mountain Sunday, July 7th Saint-Girons > Bagnères-de-Bigorre 168.5 km
- Rest day Monday, July 8th Saint-Nazaire - Loire-Atlantique
10 Flat Tuesday, July 9th Saint-Gildas-des-Bois > Saint-Malo 197 km
11 Individual time-trial Wednesday, July 10th Avranches > Mont-Saint-Michel 33 km
12 Flat Thursday, July 11th Fougères > Tours 218 km
13 Flat Friday, July 12th Tours > Saint-Amand-Montrond 173 km
14 Medium-Mountain Saturday, July 13th Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule > Lyon 191 km
15 Mountain Sunday, July 14th Givors > Mont Ventoux 242.5 km
- Rest day Monday, July 15th Vaucluse
16 Medium-Mountain Tuesday, July 16th Vaison-la-Romaine > Gap 168 km
17 Individual time-trial Wednesday, July 17th Embrun > Chorges 32 km
18 Mountain Thursday, July 18th Gap > Alpe-d’Huez 172.5 km
19 Mountain Friday, July 19th Bourg-d’Oisans > Le Grand-Bornand 204.5 km
20 Mountain Saturday, July 20th Annecy > Annecy - Semnoz 125 km
21 Flat Sunday, July 21st Versailles > Paris Champs-Élysées 133,5 km

(edit: I'll get this looking better later tonight)

Stages To Watch

For me, Stage 18 should be the best of the tour. Two climbs up L'Alpe d'Huez, in the same day. Two summits of L'Alpe d'Huez has only occurred once before in a Tour, and they were not in the same day. If this image showing the profile of the final part of the stage doesn't get you excited I don't know what will!

Links

Official Site of the Tour
2012 Thread
2011 Thread
2010 Thread


Others can feel free to add info as they see fit, I just thought it would be nice to have a thread up before the Tour starts tomorrow.

 

[Darth Pinche]

I love the tour, but have to admit it is hard to get as excited given all the scandal and rampant drug use.

Any news on changes to drug screening etc? Once they've cleaned up their act I'll be back into it.

 

[Tugatrix]

Is not 100 years , it's 100 editions, the 100 years commemoration was back in 2004 (if i'm not wrong)

edit: 2003 i went checking it

 

[Chris R]

Is not 100 years , it's 100 editions, the 100 years commemoration was back in 2004 (if i'm not wrong)

edit: 2003 i went checking it

100 years of races

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Can't wait! Looking forward to the race. Tour 2013 is shaping up to be a good one. Lots of interesting plot lines with Wiggens out and lots of good GC contenders.

 

[bjaelke]

Stages To Watch

For me, Stage 18 should be the best of the tour. Two climbs up L'Alpe d'Huez, in the same day. Two summits of L'Alpe d'Huez has only occurred once before in a Tour, and they were not in the same day. If this image showing the profile of the final part of the stage doesn't get you excited I don't know what will!

This is unfortunately also the day they'll reveal the names of a lot of old riders who tested positive.


Another Tour without Thor Cancellara also absent. Big personalities with even bigger motors.

 

[Kurtofan]

Corsica nazione!

 

[Dead Man]

I never realised it wasn't a connected tour That makes me sad.

 

[bjaelke]

I never realised it wasn't a connected tour That makes me sad.

That's the downside of starting on Corsica and insisting on keeping the entire route inside France.

 

[Hawkie]

Cav in yellow end of day one?

Real chance for 8 stage wins for Cav now that he has a team built around him.

 

[Kurtofan]

Haha

In Bastia:

 

[Wes]

I've really got in to watching the Tour in recent years. Perfect viewing or something to have on in the background during the summer.

I want Froome to win the GC but generally I'm a fan of breakaways, more of them please!

 

[Hawkie]

I've really got in to watching the Tour in recent years. Perfect viewing or something to have on in the background during the summer.

I want Froome to win the GC but generally I'm a fan of breakaways, more of them please!

Thomas Voeckler: this guy is sure to give you what you want.

 

[kozmo7]

Yay, I knew this post would come soon enough. My brother and I have been watching it every year for a long time. He was lucky enough to go to France and see it in person without me a year ago. The cellphone videos, especially of the Peloton, gave me a new perspective of how insane this race really is.

 

[Wes]

Thomas Voeckler: this guy is sure to give you what you want.

Voeckler is so fun to watch!

 

[Hawkie]

Yay, I knew this post would come soon enough. My brother and I have been watching it every year for a long time. He was lucky enough to go to France and see it in person without me a year ago. The cellphone videos, especially of the Peloton, gave me a new perspective of how insane this race really is.

Lets just hope there's no silly nonsense like the air rifle shooting or road tacks. Cadel will be real angry this year if there is!

Also looking forward to seeing just how good Quintana is.


22 teams 198 riders starting

 

[bjaelke]

I want Froome to win the GC but generally I'm a fan of breakaways, more of them please!

Sky is basically the Barcelona of cycling. Boring to watch.

Rodriguez will crush him in the Alps

 

[Tugatrix]

Haha

In Bastia:

I love the detail of not using french to communicate with the french

 

[Hawkie]

Sky having a few technical bike problems in the neutralised zone, better to get things ironed out nice and early!

 

[Loris146]

Go Contadooor

 

[Hawkie]

Go Contadooor

8:1 to Froome this year, so either Contador's timing his form to perfection, a la Wiggo, or this is just his new level, post-doping.

 

[schwupp]

why is contador allowed to participate? wasnt he banned for doping?

 

[bjaelke]

why is contador allowed to participate? wasnt he banned for doping?

He has already served his ban

 

[Dead Man]

why is contador allowed to participate? wasnt he banned for doping?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Contador

The decision on 6 February 2012 was that Contador lost his 2010 Tour de France title, and his results since that race, including victory in the 2011 Giro d'Italia and fifth place in the 2011 Tour de France, were voided, and he was suspended until August 2012

Edit: Beat.

 

[schwupp]

pff sad - he should have gotten a live time ban.

 

[i_am_ben]

Hopefully it's better than last year's snooze fest.

 

[speedpop]

Been hyping myself up for it for a week. Something inside me feels that it's going to be special. Some big names missing, others trying to hold the flame, and others coming back from the brink. I'm hoping for a lot of new names to make their stamp.

My sleeping habit is going to be screwed over, but at least I've got the last week fully off in vacation to stay up late and watch the best stages.

 

[Wubby]

How the times have changed.jpg

One year they should have a historical race. Use the old route, steel bikes that weigh no less than 18kg, and only one gear. That would be interesting.

 

[Hawkie]

Been hyping myself up for it for a week. Something inside me feels that it's going to be special. Some big names missing, others trying to hold the flame, and others coming back from the brink. I'm hoping for a lot of new names to make their stamp.

My sleeping habit is going to be screwed over, but at least I've got the last week fully off in vacation to stay up late and watch the best stages.

Yep, don't think Sky will have it all their own way this year. Too many teams have built specific setups to actually go and win stages this time round. A mini tour takes place with the way the stages have been designed this year, in the first week, so this should ensure things get mixed up nicely early on.

Got my official tour programme pack to keep me company on the rest days

 

[RivalCore]

Team Sky's outfit is really slick. Reaaaallly slick. I want that jersey.

 

[Kung Fu Jedi]

Corsica looks like a nice place for a ride. Interesting first stage. I prefer this to the usual Prologue.

Cav really wants to wear Yellow after today.

 

[Dead Man]

I think I could watch anything with Phil Ligget commentating.

 

[speedpop]

I think I could watch anything with Phil Ligget commentating.

I'll cry on the first year he doesn't do it.

 

[Hawkie]

I'll cry on the first year he doesn't do it.

For me he is "the" voice of the Tour De France. Quite simply irreplaceable.

 

[Dead Man]

I'll cry on the first year he doesn't do it.

Yeah.

 

[bjaelke]

Liggett works for NBC right?

 

[Dead Man]

Liggett works for NBC right?

Works for everyone. NBC, ITV, SBS in Australia.

 

[Hawkie]

Those dudes, couldn't stop laughing.

 

[sfedai0]

Would be awesome if Armstrong was invited to be a commentator.

 

[Tugatrix]

Would be awesome if Armstrong was invited to be a commentator.

chemicals advisor

 

[Hawkie]

Would be awesome if Armstrong was invited to be a commentator.

The guy has turned into a complete troll, ironically one of those guys he used to complain about in the media and lets not forget he betrayed Phil Ligget for many years both on a professional and a personal level.

 

[alfredofroylan]

And after 100 years women still cannot participate on the tour.

 

[bjaelke]

There is a separate tour for the women

Would be awesome if Armstrong was invited to be a commentator.

We have Rolf Sørensen. He admitted doping earlier this year.

 

[Savitar]

In the next Tour everyone will be caught so the winner will be a bystander who isn't doping.

 

[alfredofroylan]

There is a separate tour for the women

La Grand Boucle Femenine is not an official event, last one was on 2009.

 

[Hawkie]

In the next Tour everyone will be caught so the winner will be a bystander who isn't doping.

I'll let Bradley answer you on that one:

‘I say they’re just f*****g w*****s, I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of s**t, rather than get off their a***s in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s it ultimately, c***s.’

 

[Dead Man]

I'll let Bradley answer you on that one:

‘I say they’re just f*****g w*****s, I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of s**t, rather than get off their a***s in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s it ultimately, c***s.’

That's not a very useful retort, really.

 

[bjaelke]

La Grand Boucle Femenine is not an official event, last one was on 2009.

It'll resurface in some form.

 

[CrashBandicoot]

I'll let Bradley answer you on that one:

‘I say they’re just f*****g w*****s, I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of s**t, rather than get off their a***s in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something. And that’s it ultimately, c***s.’

This does sum up a lot of Twitter, but when you consider how common doping is in the sport... eh.

I get why he was pissed though, being accused of cheating after working his arse off all year to get fit for the tour, but it might come across that he doth protest too much or whatever.

 

[ComputerMKII]

Lance Armstrong: "The Tour de France? Impossible to win without doping" (exclusive interview, in French):

http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2013/06/28/lance-armstrong-le-tour-de-france-impossible-de-gagner-sans-dopage_3438046_3242.html