The showdown! All things being equal (and even with a few inequalitites) the individual time trial should provide a great spectacle at the end of a gruelling three weeks - Armstrong thrives in this race against the clock, and his dominance is well documented. But if we have a situation like 2003, this could be the clincher for the leader going into the stage, or it could provide the challenger with a whisker of hope. Here's hoping the weather stays fine and we get Ullrich out firing and witness Basso's improvement in time trialling, which has also been well-documented. The distance suits Armstrong, but the undulating terrain suits Ullrich's ability to push the big gears and power along. A surprise may be in the works, but chances are it'll come down to these two, regardless of where they are on GC - but it's also likely they'll both be at the pointy end of the field.
-
'The French have no chance of winning' - Bernard Hinault delivers bleak assessment of host nation's short-term hopes for ending 40-year drought of success in Tour de France
Five-times winner Hinault remains France's's most recent Tour champion, in 1985 -
Remco Evenepoel's bike for the Tour de France: New wheels, new chainrings, and that beautiful gold paint
A look at the double Olympic Champion's gold Tarmac SL8, as well as more of the Belgian's notable custom bikes over the years -
Iconic ascents, unpredictability and 'a little bit of craziness' - Tales from the women's Giro d'Italia
From the very first winner in 1988, 'La Mamma Volante', to the latest 'amazing journey' that put Elisa Longo Borghini in the maglia rosa in her 13th participation -
Canyon overhauls the Grizl gravel bike and gives it a crazy new handlebar
Canyon has also released it's own range of carbon fibre wheels alongside the new Grizl gravel models
