2010 Tour de France at a Glance

PARIS, June 28 (Reuters) - The route for the 2010 Tour de France starting on Saturday: July 3: Prologue - Rotterdam, 8.9 km

It will be the first time the Tour de France starts with a prologue since the London grand depart in 2007. The route will be flat and is likely to favour a specialist like Swiss Fabian Cancellara. July 4: Stage 1 - Rotterdam - Brussels, 223.5 km

A flat stage that is likely to be decided in a mass sprint. July 5: Stage 2 - Brussels - Spa, 201 k

The peloton will go through the Ardennes region with sections from the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege classics. Pure sprinters may find it hard to keep it up with the favourites. July 6: Stage 3 - Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 213 k

Four cobblestone sections feature in the final 30 km. July 7: Stage 4 - Cambrai - Reims, 153.5 km

A flat, short stage that will be welcome by the peloton after the previous day. A mass sprint is likely. July 8: Stage 5 - Epernay - Montargis, 187.5 km

A stage for the sprinters, but the favourites could let a breakaway go all the way. July 9: Stage 6 - Montargis - Gueugnon, 227.5 km

Team HTC Columbia are expected to control the stage to favour sprinter Mark Cavendish. July 10: Stage 7 - Tournus - Station des Rousses, 165.5 km

The stage goes up and down, with six climbs on the menu. Not one for the pure climbers though. July 11: Stage 8 - Station des Rousses - Morzine Avoriaz, 189 km

The first high mountains stage. Champion Alberto Contador should make a move to prove a point, although he might want to wait a bit before taking the leader’s yellow jersey. July 12: Rest day - Morzine Avoriaz July 13: Stage 9 - Morzine Avoriaz - St Jean de Maurienne, 204.5 km

Two category one climbs and one out of category on this Alpine stage. But the top of the Col de la Madeleine is 32 km from the finish, so the favourites are unlikely to attack as they will want to avoid being isolated in the descent to St Jean de Maurienne. July 14: Stage 10 - Chambery - Gap, 179 km

The descent from the Col du Noyer is a very tricky one. In 2003, Joseba Beloki crashed and Lance Armstrong had to cut through a field to avoid a mishap. July 15: Stage 11 - Sisteron - Bourg les Valence, 184.5 km

A favourable terrain for the sprinters. July 16: Stage 12 - Bourg de Peage - Mende, 210.5 km

The stage ends with the climb of the Cote de Mende and a likely battle between the favourites. With sections of the climb having a gradient of over 10 per cent, some could suffer. July 17: Stage 13 - Rodez - Revel, 196 km

One of the last chances to shine for those who do not like the mountains. July 18: Stage 14 - Revel - Ax 3 Domaines, 184,5 km

The final climb comes shortly after the demanding ascent to the Col de Pailheres. One for the big guns. July 19: Stage 15 - Pamiers - Bagneres de Luchon, 187.5 km

The final descent is extremely tricky. One could lose the Tour there. July 20: Stage 16 - Bagneres de Luchon - Pau, 199.5 km

Although the last ascent is far from the finish, there are four tough climbs: Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde. In 1969, Eddy Merckx tackled these four climbs to win after a 180-km solo breakaway. July 21: Rest day - Pau July 22: Stage 17 - Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km

The Col du Tourmalet will be ascended for the second time in three days as the Tour celebrates the centenary of the Pyrenees in the race. Obviously a stage for a good climber. July 23: Stage 18 - Salies de Bearn - Bordeaux, 198 km

One for the sprinters. Teams will battle it out for the teams classification as well. July 24: Stage 19 - Bordeaux-Pauillac, individual time trial 52 km

A completely flat time trial, the only one in this year’s Tour. July 25: Stage 20 - Longjumeau - Paris Champs Elysees, 102.5 km The usual final parade featuring eight loops on the Champs Elysees.

Total distance: 3,642 km

This is about as newsworthy as a study that shows beer gets you drunk

GENEVA (AP)—Team RadioShack has confirmed that Lance Armstrong will ride in next month’s Tour de France.

Team director Johan Bruyneel says Tuesday that seven-time Tour winner Armstrong will be joined by Andreas Kloeden of Germany, Americans Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner, and Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia.

Also racing for RadioShack will be Portugal’s Sergio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine, Swiss rider Gregory Rast and Dmitriy Muravyev of Kazakhstan.

The 38-year-old Armstrong finished second in the Tour of Switzerland on Sunday, performing well in the mountain stages and the time trials.

Armstrong crashed at the Tour of California in May but escaped serious injury.

The Tour’s 97th edition begins July 3 in the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

Summer Tee Shirt Sale

Announcing the Grease Monkey Wipes summer tee shirt sale. 

All in stock tees 30% off, no discount code needed.

Hurry supplies are limited and this offer will only run for a limited time.  So get on over to http://bit.ly/9ntymO
and get yours today.


Thanks and enjoy the ride.


Tim

The Missle from Mann crashes at the Tour de Suisse

The Missle from Mann crashes at the Tour de Suisse

Priceless

White Ceepo Venom Time Trial Frameset: $3,000

White Sidi Ergo 2 Shoes: $500

White Assos FI 13 S5 Bib Shorts: $340

White Assos EVO Jersey: $270

White Bar Tape: $20

Having the foresight to stash a $0.99 Grease Monkey Wipes in your saddle bag or jersey pocket in case you get a flat so you can keep all your whites pristine: PRICELESS

Giro leader Vinokourov gives up Tour goals

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Alexandre Vinokourov has given up any hopes of winning the Tour de France later this year and will concentrate on helping team mate Alberto Contador to a third title, the Astana rider told Reuters.

The 36-year-old, who served a two year suspension for blood doping, is a surprise leader of the Giro d’Italia heading into Wednesday’s fourth stage, a 33-kilometre team time trial, and his goal was to win the Italian crown before aiding Contador in July.

“In the past everything was for victory as team leader at the Tour,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview from his hotel near Savigliano, Italy. “This year I have a different goal.

“I came to the Giro in my peak form, so the Giro is number one for me, and at the Tour de France my goal will be to help Contador win, so I will ride the Giro, take a break, then ride the Tour.”

Vinokourov, who denied any wrongdoing when he tested positive for blood doping in the 2007 Tour de France and was suspended for two years, added while being back in the sport had reinvigorated him he was aware his career was winding down.

“I hope to stay in professional cycling, because I’ve spent most of my life in bike racing, and I’d like to stay doing my favourite thing,” he said when asked of any future plans.

“That will all be seen either in this year or in the next one, how I do in the races. I’ll make a decision after the Tour de France.”

Vinokourov made a low-key return last year when his suspension ended and has won two major races already this year, at Italy’s Giro del Trentino and then the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in Belgium, where he was booed by spectators and grilled heavily by the media.

Despite his earlier success, the ethnic Russian from the tiny farm village of Beshikul in northern Kazakhstan, was still surprised that he was in such strong form in Italy.

“I didn’t expect the pink jersey,” he said in reference to taking a surprise lead on Monday after a windswept third stage in the Netherlands knocked dozens of riders to the ground.

“To wear the pink jersey at my first Giro, it’s more than I could have dreamed.

“If we hold on it remains to be seen, because it’s still a long way to (the end of the race in) Verona and I don’t want to kill the team.

“The last week will be really hard, and so it’s better for the team to preserve it’s strength.”