Possibly the most anticipated start to a Tour in the past decade, the Grand Depart in Fromentine, on the west coast of the country, is a time trial and not the traditional shorter prologue. All eyes will be on Lance Armstrong to see if the dominance he has shown in recent Tour time trials will continue and kickstart his campaign for a seventh Tour victory. He'll be challenged on the flat, 19 kilometre parcours by in-orm riders such as Michael Rogers, who is looking good after a successful Tour de Suisse, and Santiago Botero, whose class shined through at the Tour of Romandy. Fabian Cancellara, last year's surprise prologue winner, may have another surprise in store, and look to Brad McGee to throw up a threat; he's a perennial challenger for prologue honours - the extra distance shouldn't bother him too much, but his GC ambitions may control his push for opening day honours a little.
-
'It's annoying to be out-numbered like that' - Quinn Simmons lets his 'legs talk' with solo march on final lap for third USPro Road National title
25-year-old heads to Tour de France where 'my biggest dream of the whole season is to win a stage wearing this jersey' -
Why a resurgent Marlen Reusser should be a real worry for Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot at the Tour de France Femmes – Analysis
Swiss rider scorches to third title at home Tour de Suisse, with ominously more performance still to gain before August -
'A smartphone-like user experience' – The Hammerhead Karoo has just hit its best price of the year in this Amazon Prime Day deal
At full price, the Karoo 3 impressed our expert tester with its brilliant touchscreen that made it our top choice for cycling navigation -
UCI Gravel World Series: Adam Roberge and Haley Smith best in sprints for victories at Canada's OG Classique
Roberge wins four-way battle ahead of compatriot Michael Woods in elite men's contest
