How to follow the 2017 Tour de France

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The 104th edition of the Tour de France is shaping up as a battle royale for the yellow jersey.

Three-time winner Chris Froome is yet to win a race in 2017 and the recent gap to the Team Sky rider appears to have decreased in the first six-months of the year, with Richie Porte (BMC), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale) now also considered potential winners.

Not only is the general classification looking wide open, so too is the daily battle for stage wins and for the other three classification leader's jersey: the polka-dot climber's jersey, the green points jersey - where Peter Sagan is chasing a sixth success, and the best young rider's white jersey.

The 2017 Tour de France will start in Dusseldorf with a 14km individual time trial before an opening week suited to the bunch sprints. Stage 5 to La Planche des Belles Filles is the exception, as the summit finish will test the legs of the climbers.

The parcours includes three mountain top finishes but has been designed to create an open race before the penultimate stage in Marseille. The 22.5km time trial will start and finish a time trial in the football stadium as the final decider of the general classification.

Cyclingnews will offer unparalleled live text coverage of every stage, giving exclusive information from inside the race to enhance your. Engage with us on Twitter, and you could find your tweet embedded in our live coverage!

Tour de France previews

Over the past couple of weeks, Cyclingnews' Tour de France coverage has increased with reporting on the riders and tech expected to make the race. We spooted some of the new bikes that will be used at the Tour de France and interviewed the big name riders such as Chris Froome and Richie Porte.

We will continue to highlight the athletes - from the well-known to the up-and-coming - that will make the spectacle that the Tour de France and is known and loved for.

Read more:

• Tour de France 2017: The essential preview
• 2017 Tour de France start list
• Chris Froome: Richie Porte is the Tour de France favourite
• Beginner's guide to the 2017 Tour de France - Video
• Richie Porte's BMC Teammachine SLR01 - Gallery
• Top 5 2018 bikes the pros are already riding

Live coverage

We will have live coverage of each Tour de France stage from sign-on to the post-race press conferences, with race reports, news, video highlights and more. Watch out for our live tab on the cyclingnews homepage as a sign of when I coverage is underway.

The daily live coverage starts before the flag drops, approximately 10 am CET time, with the majority of stages wrapping up by 5:00pm CET. Only the opening time trial in Dusseldorf and final stage to Paris finish later in the European evening, at around 7:30pm CET.

For information on the television broadcast of the Tour de France, consult your local guide.

Race reports and news

Cyclingnews' daily race coverage will include comprehensive race reports, accompanied by full results, photo gallery, and video highlights.

Our team on the ground will be reporting with all the latest news from the race, speaking to the winners, protagonists and animators of the racing. There will also be insights into the new tech spotted at the Tour from shoes to bikes and clothing.

Highlights videos

Cyclingnews will have video highlights of each day of racing shortly after the culmination of the stage.

Podcast

Once again, Cyclingnews' race coverage will be complemented by our podcast from our team on the ground. Our podcast will feature audio from the protagonists at the race and likely gets offering insight and analysis of the Tour. 

Stage timings (all CET)

Saturday, July 1: Stage 1: Düsseldorf - Düsseldorf (14 km)
Start: 15:15, estimated finish 18:48

Sunday, July 2: Stage 2: Düsseldorf - Liège (206 km)
Start: 12:30, estimated finish 17:14

Monday, July 3: Stage 3: Verviers - Longwy (202 km)
Start: 12:25, estimated finish 17:21

Tuesday, July 4: Stage 4: Mondotf-les-Bains - Vittel (203 km)
Start: 12:20, estimated finish 17:09

Wednesday, July 5: Stage 5: Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles (160 km)
Start: 13:20, estimated finish 17:15

Thursday, July 6: Stage 6: Visoul - Troyes (216 km)
Start: 12:25, estimated finish 17:33

Friday, July 7: Stage 7: Troyes - Nuits-Saint-Georges (214 km)
Start: 12:18, estimated finish 17:25

Saturday, July 8: Stage 8: Dole - Sation des Rousses (187 km)
Start: 12:10, estimated finish 17:13

Sunday, July 9: Stage 9: Nantua - Chambery (181 km)
Start: 11:55, estimated finish 17:02

Monday, July 10: Rest day 1: Dordogne - Dordogne

Tuesday, July 11: Stage 10: Perigueux - Bergerac (178 km)
Start: 13:24, estimated finish 17:28

Wednesday, July 12: Stage 11: Eymet - Pau (202 km)
Start: 13:05, estimated finish 17:49

Thursday, July 13: Stage 12: Pau - Peryagudes (214 km)
Start: 11:20, estimated finish 17:03

Friday, July 14: Stage 13: Saint Girons - Foix (100 km)
Start: 14:25, estimated finish 17:23

Saturday, July 15: Stage 14: Blagnac - Rodez (181 km)
Start: 13:20, estimated finish 17:39

Sunday, July 16: Stage 15: Laissac-Severac 'Eglise - Le Puy-en-Velay (189 km)
Start: 13:10, estimated finish 18:02

Monday, July 17: Rest day 2: Le Puy-en-Velay - Le Puy-en-Velay

Tuesday, July 18: Stage 16: Le Puy-en-Velay - Romans sur Isere (165 km)
Start: 13:20, estimated finish 17:20

Wednesday, July 19: Stage 17: Le Murre - Serre Chavalier (183 km)
Start: 12:20, estimated finish 17:36

Thursday, July 20: Stage 18: Briancon - Izoard (178 km)
Start: 12:56, estimated finish 17:34

Friday, July 21: Stage 19: Embrun - Salon de Provence (220 km)
Start: 12:30, estimated finish 17:47

Saturday, July 22: Stage 20: Marseille - Marseille (ITT) (23 km)
Start: 13:45, estimated finish 17:32

Sunday, July 23: Stage 21: Montgeron - Paris (105 km)
Start: 16:40, estimated finish 19:18

Social Media

The official Tour de France Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are worth following to keep up to date with all things Tour.

Cyclingnews' social media platforms also add to your race experience with our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts offering something different and unique.

The official hashtag of the 2017 Tour de France is #TDF2017.