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Tour de France 2009 Live Dashboard
Race Info, Previews, Live Video, Results, Photos and Highlights

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2010 Tour de France Route Info

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Stage 21 results: Mark Cavendish's lead out man Mark Renshaw gaps the field during the leadout setting up an easy 6th win; Alberto Contador crosses safely for the overall win

9 Big Photos from Stage 21 — sirotti

Stage 21 Results

General Classification after Stage 21:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Cavendish celebrates with number six on the Champs-Élysées — cyclingnews
  Last Km (06:35 flemish) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Photos — afp/yahoo
Mark Cavendish is ook de snelste in Parijs — sporza.be
Post Stage 21 Analysis — gavia/steephill.tv
Cav' wins on the Champs; Contador crowned Tour champion — velonews
Cavendish: 'I had to win on Champs-Élysées' — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Wiggins reflects on his fantastic fourth in the Tour — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Cavendish always delivers — velonews
Armstrong skips party honoring Contador — velonews
  Stage 21 Highlights (02:00) — eurosport
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
  Cavendish and Contador inteviews (01:00) — eurosport
Graham Watson Stage 21 Photos — grahamwatson
Armstrong more human in third place — ap
Contador Wins, but Armstrong Has Other Victory — nytimes
9 Big Photos from Stage 21 — sirotti
  Tour Farewell, Race Recap and Stage 21 clips — versus
Contador Crowned The King In Paris — astana-cyclingteam
Lance Armstrong a favorite for 2010 Tour de France — latimes
  Stage 21 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
Reaction from stage 21; Rider Survey — cyclingnews
Vande Velde was realistic about Tour leadership — cyclingnews
A new Lance shows old determination — sports.espn.go
Mark Cavendish's storming finish emphasises the sprinter's supremacy — guardian.co.uk
Prudhomme credits Armstrong for exciting Tour — velonews
Garmin quiere a Contador como el 'anti-Armstrong' — as
El señor del Tour: Contador fue agasajado en París ante un Armstrong gélido — as
  ¿La nueva era Contador? (01:11) — rtve.es
  Contador: "Tenía la obligación de ganar" (05:29) — rtve.es
"Armstrong es un ídolo roto para toda la familia Contador" — as
French Are Seeing Red, Not Yellow: Why the French don't win their own race — nytimes
Contador furious with Armstrong (translation disputed) — news.bbc.co.uk
Contador no fan of Armstrong — cyclingnews
  Podium Ceremony: Contador's reaction as Danish Anthem mistakenly played (01:28) — france 2
  Phil Liggett lectures us on 'this guy' (aka Alberto Contador) (02:38) — sbs
  Contador: "Mi relación con Armstrong es nula" — rtve.es
Contador the Matador: Alberto defied competition and Lance Armstrong. — bicycling
 Was Alberto Contador's post race press conference sensationalized by the english media? — steephill
  Christian Prudhomme post-race interview (02:16 english) — eurosport
  Contador's Glory (06:00 english) — eurosport

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Stage 20 Analysis/ Stage 21 Preview

Spanish Climber Garate Wins on Wind-Blown Mont Ventoux
Alberto Contador wins the Yellow Jersey, Andy Schleck and Lance Armstrong finish on the podium

July 25 update: Juan Manuel Garate took the stage win atop the mythic Mont Ventoux today. The Spanish climber out-sprinted Tony Martin of Columbia-HTC after the two attacked from the early breakaway. Garate’s win gave his Rabobank team their first victory in this Tour de France after three weeks of frustration and near-misses.

Garate and Martin benefited from the tactical maneuverings among the general classification favorites, who remained locked together. Alberto Contador defended his Yellow Jersey and tomorrow will celebrate his second ever Tour de France victory. Andy Schleck, this year’s Best Young Rider, finished second in the overall classification, while returning Lance Armstrong takes the final step on the podium. Armstrong has now equalled the record of Raymond Poulidor for most visits to the Tour’s final podium. With his fourth place, Bradley Wiggins, meanwhile, equals the highest ever Tour finish by a British rider. Robert Millar placed fourth in 1984.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 20 commentary and check out the Stage 21 Preview / Previa Etapa 21

Stage 21 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 21 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 21 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 20 results: Headwind nullifies any GC attacks; Rabobank's Juan Manuel Garate takes the win from a break

Big Photos from Stage 20 — sirotti

Stage 20 Results

General Classification after Stage 20

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Garate grabs emphatic Ventoux victory — cyclingnews
  Last Km ... coming — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Photos — afp/yahoo
Armstrong behoudt podiumplaats op Ventoux — sporza.be
Garate wins on Ventoux as Andy Schleck's tireless aggresion fails to upset the GC. — velonews
  Last 2 Km (07:50) — espn spain
  Finish — (01:05) french tv
  A Message From Jens — saxobanktakingthelead
Sastre apologizes for rest-day screed; Evans brooding — velonews
Garate in paradise — itv
  Stage Highlights Part 1 (01:57) — eurosport
  Stage Highlights Part 2 (02:01) — eurosport
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
  Lance Armstrong Post-Ventoux Interview: 'Mixed Feelings' (01:27) — eurosport
Tour comment: Is Bradley Wiggins the best ever Brit? — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Contador's Tour lead safe; Wiggins retains fourth overall on Ventoux — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Weary peloton ready for Paris — velonews
Big Photos from Stage 20 — sirotti
  Stage 20 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
  Recap, interviews and other clips — versus
El español Juan Manuel Gárate ganá la vigésima etapa — as
Andy Schleck: "Contador es un caballero" — as
Bradley Wiggins: 'Tom will be watching over me on Ventoux' — independent.co.uk
Climb confirms riders' Tour destinies — espn
  ITV stage 20 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
Graham Watson Stage 20 Photos — grahamwatson
  Juan Manuel Garate post-stage interview (01:29) — letour
  Gárate: "He soñado esta noche con la victoria" (02:19) — rtve.es
  Contador, a las puertas del triunfo (01:58) — rtve.es

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Le Direct: Live Streaming Video and TV Coverage

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

July 25 update: Listed below are most of the media outlets for the 2009 Tour de France along with links to their tv and live coverage. Links get verfieid and updated prior to each stage. Let me know if you see new options. Please report (email) new links and incorrect or missing informaiton. — Steve

media source	tv or internet	comments/restrictions
	live video (english)    live video (english)    live video (english) password: "mundanetv"    live video (english)   tv schedule	United States; live coverage and nightly rebroadcasts on tv.
	live video (english)    live video (english)    live video (english)    live video (french)    live video (french)    live video (french)    live video (german)    live video (spanish)    live video (spanish)    live video (russian?)    live audio (english)   tv schedule  live ticker	Europe; live daily coverage and rebroadcasts in 59 countries Audio languages: EN | FR | DE | ES | IT Ticker languages: EN | FR | DE | ES | IT
	live video (french)    live video (french)    live video (french)    live video (french)    live video (french)   tv schedule	France; official source for pre-race, live, post coverage. France3 for host town and backstage coverage; France4 30 minutes of nightly highlights and analysis
	live video (luxembourguish)   tv schedule	Luxembourg; Luxembourguish
	live internet video	French-speaking countries only; France 2, 3 and 4 online coverage; vidéos gratuites
	live video (english)   tv schedule	Australia; SBS live tv and online coverage; highlights; Aussie Dashboard
	live video (english)    live video (english)    live video (english)   tv schedule	UK; ITV4 Tour de France Preview, Fri, 7pm; weekends stages live from 2.30pm to 4.30pm BST; nightly highlights; daily podcasts
	tv schedule	Canada; OLN live coverage and nightly rebroadcasts. Évasion for French Canada
	live video (english)    live video (english)   tv schedule	South Africa; Super Sport live tv and online coverage
	live video (english)   tv schedule	New Zealand; SkySport live tv and online coverage; highlights
	live video (italian)    live video (italian)    live video (italian)   tv schedule	Italy; RAI Due live coverage restricted to Italy
	live video (dutch)   tv schedule	Netherlands; Dutch
	live video (german)   tv schedule	Germany; ZDF live coverage
	live video (german)   tv schedule	Germany; ARD live coverage
	live video (flemish)   tv schedule	Belgium; Sporza live coverage Sporza TourTracker link to come
	live video (french)   tv schedule	Belgium; French
	live video (german)   tv schedule	Switzerland, Germany; German
	live video (english)   tv schedule	Ireland; TG4 live tv and internet coverage
	live video (spanish)    live video (spanish)    live video (spanish)    live video (spanish)   tv schedule	Spain; TVE1, TVE2, Teledeporte live tv and internet coverage
	live video (danish)   tv schedule	Denmark; live and rebroadcasts; Danish Dashboard and TourTracker
	live video (norwegian)   tv schedule	Norway
	live video   tv schedule	Ten Sports is covering the Tour in India and Pakistan
	live audio (francais)
	tv schedule	TV listings for all other parts of the world including Asia, Oceania, Africa and South America... to come
	official live ticker	English; also available in fr | de | es New gap tickers: EN | FR | DE | ES
	live text updates	English
	live text updates	English
	live ticker	Dutch; excellent tdf ticker
	steephill text updates  #tdf twitter group	short text updates from any and everyone
check back at race time for more and updated links; send a comment or a new live link

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Stage 19 Analysis/ Stage 20 Preview

Cavendish Makes it Five
Cavendish takes the stage win, Contador still in Yellow, Armstrong gains 4 seconds

July 24 update: Mark Cavendish won his fifth stage of this year’s Tour de France today in Aubenas. The Columbia-HTC rider made it over the final climb, much to the surprise of his rivals, and with the help of his consistently excellent lead-out team, beat Thor Hushovd of Cervélo TestTeam and Gerald Ciolek of Milram at the line. Cavendish took back 3 points in the Green Jersey competition, where Thor Hushovd still maintains a commanding lead. Alberto Contador, meanwhile, continues to lead the general classification while Andy Schleck sits second and Lance Armstrong is third. Armstrong picked 4 seconds over his rivals in today’s finale, when a small split opened up in the main field.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 19 commentary and check out the Stage 20 Preview / Previa Etapa 20

Current Mont-Ventoux weather (a link that works) — rtlinfo.be
Stage 20 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 20 in english and en français — letour.fr
Jul 25 Morning Update: More than 500,000 are expected at the top today and apparently there are gale force winds at the top. "Like a jet engine"... 100 km/h according to Sporza
40 of the best AP big photos this year — boston
  Versus Stage 20 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 19 results: Mark Cavendish makes it over the final cat 2 climb and takes the sprint finish for his 5th win at this year's Tour

Big Photos from Stage 19 — sirotti

Stage 19 Results

General Classification after Stage 19:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Fabulous five for Cavendish — cyclingnews
  Last Km (01:47 flemish) — sporza.be
high-res finish
Photos — afp/yahoo
Overlever Cavendish wint vijfde etappe — sporza.be
Cavendish wins stage 20 as Ventoux looms — velonews
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
Graham Watson Stage 19 Photos — grahamwatson
  Andy Schleck: needs a 'miracle' (01:18) — eurosport
  Canvendish wants six in Paris (00:40) — eurosport
  Bruyneel: Armstrong has podium in sights; still has an open acct w/ Ventoux (03:32) — eurosport
  Schleck, Hushovd, Cavendish post-stage interviews; Lance pre-stage — versus
  ITV stage 19 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
  An emotional post-stage interview with Mark Cavendish (01:52) — letour
  Chris Horner News 21 (Bend, OR) Interview — via bikehugger
Big Photos from Stage 19 — sirotti
  Stage 19 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
40 of the best AP big photos this year — boston

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Stage 18 Analysis/ Stage 19 Preview

Alberto Contador Wins Chrono Stage Ahead of Cancellara
Armstrong moves up to third overall as Andy Schleck defends second

July 23 update: Alberto Contador lit up the roads around Annecy today and took his second stage win in this year’s Tour de France. The 2007 Tour de France winner also added to his lead in the general classification, and now holds an advantage of 4:11 over second placed Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank. Former World Champion Fabian Cancellara finished second on the stage, while Mikhail Ignatiev, a former silver medalist at the Worlds, finished third. Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, moved up to third in the general classification, but his position remains precarious, with Bradley Wiggins sitting just 11 seconds behind him. Andreas Klöden, meanwhile, trails his team-mate by 13 seconds and climber Fränk Schleck, who began the day ahead of Armstrong is 30 seconds behind the American. With Mont Ventoux still to come, the final podium position remains very much in play.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 18 commentary and check out the Stage 19 Preview / Previa Etapa 19

Stage 19 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 19 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 19 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 18 results: Contador wins the ITT beating Cancellara by three seconds; Solidifies his GC lead

Big Photos from Stage 18 — sirotti

Stage 18 Results

General Classification after Stage 18:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Tour title set in concrete for Contador — cyclingnews
high-res Contador TT shot
Photos — afp/yahoo
Contador wint de tijdrit in zijn gele trui — sporza.be
New American Team Confirmed; Radio Shack joins forces with Livestrong — cyclingnews
Team Radio Shack Official Site | Press Release (Lance to compete as "cyclist, runner, & triathlete)" — teamradioshack
  RadioShack and Lance to Form New Cycling Team in 2010 — livestrong
  Stage Highlights (02:35) — eurosport
  The final minute of Contador best time (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
Contador gana la crono y se consolida como líder — as
  Contador gana también la contrarreloj (01:22 spanish) — rtve.es
  Contador: "He salido supermentalizado" (02:44 spanish) — rtve.es
  Contador post-stage interview (00:29 english translation) — letour
  Andy Schleck post-TT interview (00:47 english) — eurosport
Disdain for Di Luca at Tour — velonews
Fabian Cancellara questions proximity of motorcycles during time trial — cyclingnews
Graham Watson Stage 18 Photos — grahamwatson
  Contador, Hushovd, Cancellara, Millar post-stage interviews — versus
  Bjarne Riis: Ventoux will be 'spectacular' (02:09) — eurosport
  Vaughters: Wiggins can make podium (02:54) — eurosport
  ITV stage 18 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
Contador's Annecy faux pas — bikeradar
  Stage 18 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
Armstrong admits he suffered in Tour's final time trial — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Time-trial analysis — sportsscientists
Big Photos from Stage 18 — sirotti

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Stage 17 Analysis/ Stage 18 Preview

Fränk Schleck Wins in Le Grand-Bornand
Andy Schleck moves up to second as both Armstrong and Wiggins slide, Contador still in Yellow

July 22 update: Fränk Schleck celebrated his second ever Tour stage win today in Le Grand-Bornand. The Saxo Bank rider won from a three-up break that included his brother Andy Schleck and race leader Alberto Contador. The two Schleck brothers attacked the field on the Col de Romme in a play for the stage victory and the general classification. They could not shake race leader Alberto Contador, who successfully defended his Yellow Jersey. But the two Schleck brothers now sit second and third in the general classification, while Lance Armstrong dropped to fourth and Bradley Wiggins fell to sixth. Thor Hushovd added to his lead in the Points classification, after spending much of the stage up the road in a solo breakaway.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 17 commentary and check out the Stage 18 Preview / Previa Etapa 18

Stage 18 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 18 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 18 Preview — versus
ITT Start Order and Times
News Flash Source: Lance's team lands sponsor — espn
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 17 results: The Schleck Brothers put on a climbing show moving up to 2nd (Andy) and 3rd (Frank) on GC with Frank taking the stage win; Contador hangs with them to extend his overall lead

Big Photos from Stage 17 — sirotti

Stage 17 Results

General Classification after Stage 17:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Daring double act proves Schleck's class — cyclingnews
  Last Km (03:17 Italian) — italian tv
  Last Km (08:03 flemish) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Schlecks winnen, maar Contador kraakt niet — sporza.be
  Last Minute (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
Frank Schleck takes stage after assisting brother and teammate Andy; Contador keeps jersey — velonews
Schleck brothers overhaul Wiggins as Frank wins the stage — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Armstrong: 'Second is still my goal' — velonews
The Schlecks meet the press — velonews
Third week a mystery for Contador — velonews
Kenny van Hummel forced to abandon the Tour de France — cyclingnews
Contador hace felices a los Schleck — as
  Lance Armstrong, Schleck Bros. and Johan Bruyneel post stage interviews — versus
  Bjarne Riis hails 'fantastic' Schleck brothers link fixed (01:55) — eurosport
  Alberto Contador and Frank Schleck post-stage interviews (01:55) — eurosport
  Highlights; Schleck happy with 'family sprint' (02:04) — eurosport
Power Poll: Down to the Wire! — podiumcafe
Wiggins on Tour stage 17: 'Today was hard' — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Team Astana Report: battling the brothers schleck — astana-cyclingteam
  ITV stage 17 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
Alberto Contador under fire as Frank Schleck turns the screw — guardian.co.uk
Armstrong and Contador: "a certain incompatibility" - Astana manager — rawstory
Graham Watson Stage 17 Photos — grahamwatson
Contador distances his teammates with controversial attack — cyclingnews
  Contador sentencia el Tour (01:45) — rtve.es
Watching Stage 17 — cycling-challenge
Sparks flying at Astana — bikeradar
  Stage 17 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
Big Photos from Stage 17 — sirotti
Blazin' Saddles: Alpine fondue: more happened in 1 day than the previous 2 weeks — eurosport

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Stage 16 Analysis/ Stage 17 Preview

Astarloza Takes First Ever Stage Win
Another day for the breakaway, while Contador continues as race leader
Serious crash for Jens Voigt on the final descent

July 21 update: Mikel Astarloza won today’s stage in Bourg-Saint-Maurice after a long day out in the breakaway. The Euskaltel-Euskadi rider attacked an eight rider group inside 3 kilometers to go, and survived to celebrate a solo victory. The main general classification favorites finished together today, despite the efforts of Saxo Bank to shake up the standings. Cadel Evans was the main exception and dropped out of the top ten after another rough day in the mountains. Franco Pellizotti, meanwhile, added to his lead in the Mountains Classification after animating the stage’s early breakaway. On the final technical descent, Jens Voigt suffered a heavy crash after hitting a large bump in the road, and was taken to hospital in Grenoble. Early reports say he has suffered a head injury, though the severity is not yet known.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 16 commentary and check out the Stage 17 Preview / Previa Etapa 17

Stage 17 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 17 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 17 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 16 results: Mikel Astarloza rolls off the front of a small break at the end of the long descent into Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Big Photos from Stage 16 — sirotti

Stage 16 Results

General Classification after Stage 16:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Astarloza top dog in Bourg-Saint-Maurice — cyclingnews
  Last 3 Km... link fixed (05:26 dutch) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Jens Voigt laid out and here
Photos — afp/yahoo
Astarloza legt Van den Broeck in de luren — sporza.be
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
Bruyneel, Astana to part ways — velonews
Astarloza wins stage 16 — velonews
  Jens Voigt Crash Clip (Watch his left hand. First bump dislodges it, second bump takes him down) — sporza
  Stage 16 Highlights (02:25 english) — eurosport
  Lance Armstrong pre and post stage interviews and other video clips — versus
Big Photos from Stage 16 — sirotti
Graham Watson Stage 16 Photos — grahamwatson
Lance Armstrong: "I'm racing the 2010 Tour" — bikeradar
Jens Voigt Is OK Under The Circumstance (status update) — team-saxobank
I won’t attack Contador, says Armstrong — yahoo
Voigt in hospital after horrific crash — cyclingnews
  More Highlights; Armstrong: 'rode my tempo' (02:00) — eurosport
  Contador post-stage interview; Stage 17 Preview (02:29) — eurosport
  Stage 16 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
El gran Astarloza — as
  Astarloza, la victoria del trabajo (01:21 Spanish) — rtve.es
  Astarloza: "Me lo merecía" (04:21 Spanish) — rtve.es
  ITV stage 16 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
  Bikeradar stage 16 podcast: Author Richard Moore joins Procycling's Daniel Friebe and Ellis Bacon to round up the results — bikeradar
Alberto Contador deserves his ovation after perfect stage show — guardian.co.uk

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Stage 15 Analysis/ Stage 16 Preview

Contador Rides Away to Stage Win and Yellow Jersey
Contador calls today "a liberation," Armstrong trails by over a minute

July 19 update: Alberto Contador rode away from the field today on the final climb to Verbier. The Spanish climber, who won the 2007 Tour de France, won the stage and took over the race lead. His team-mate American Lance Armstrong suffered on the climb, but still holds second in the general classification. Bradley Wiggins of Garmin-Slipstream now sits third 1:46 behind Alberto Contador. As expected, this mountain stage reshuffled the hierarchy in this Tour de France. Tomorrow’s a rest day, then it’s back into the mountains.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 15 commentary and check out the Stage 16 Preview / Previa Etapa 16

Stage 16 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 16 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 16 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Monday is a rest day

July 20 update: Rest day links...

How the Tour favourites are doing — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Who's won what so far in the Tour de France — cyclingweekly.co.uk
  ITV rest day podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
Cyclingnews' second rest day wrap — cyclingnews
If the Drama’s Over, Let the Racing Begin — bicycling
  Armstrong 'may not have it' to win; Contador Family Affair (02:00) — eurosport
Wiggins plays down Tour chances — bbc
Tour de Pez: This Year's Cinderella Story Team — pezcyclingnews
Contador: Lance has my back — eurosport
Big Photos Recap: Photos from Stages 1-15 — steephill.tv/sirotti
  Bicycling Magazine Rest Day/ Second Week Recap Podcast — bicycling
Rest Day/ Press Conference Photos — afp/yahoo
Slideshow of Tour de France Sponsors — businessweek

The anatomy of a climb: Contador on the Verbier - its place in Tour climbing "history" — sportsscientists
For Schleck Brothers, Winning Is No Longer Youthful Make-Believe — nytimes

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Stage 15 results: Alberto Contador lays down a commanding performance on Verbier; Gaps in the GC

Big Photos from Stage 15 — sirotti

Stage 15 Results

General Classification after Stage 15:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Contador king of Verbier — cyclingnews
  Last Km (04:28) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Contador claims yellow atop Verbier — velonews
Contador wins in Verbier as Tour explodes to life — cyclingweekly.co.uk
  Cancellara: Contador too strong (01:16) — eurosport
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
  Alberto Contador Post-Stage Interview (00:38 english) — letour
  Last Km (03:11 spanish) — tdp
  Contador powers ahead in Tour (01:52) — eurosport
  Comments from Contador and Schleck (02:06) — eurosport
  Armstrong: 'We have the strongest rider' (02:54) — eurosport
  Wiggins: Let's not get too excited (00:37) — eurosport
  Andy Schleck: I couldn't match Alberto (01:05) — eurosport
  ITV stage 15 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
  Versus stage 15 recap, interviews, clips — versus
  Interview: Contador flying high (00:53) — sbs
  Cadel Evans: 'Wasn't death on a bike... but a real bad day' (00:53) — sbs
Graham Watson Stage 15 Photos — grahamwatson
Big Photos from Stage 15 — sirotti
  Stage Highlights (01:10 Spanish) — rtve.es
  Last 6 Km, Contador's Attack (15:19 Spanish) — rtve.es
This Tour is not over (Who said it was?) — velonews
That was my worst Tour day, sobs Evans — afp/google
Manda Contador: Conquistó la etapa y el liderato pese a la reacción de Armstrong — as
Lots more photos from stage 15 — daylife
  Stage 15 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
Contador gives his own "look" to his rivals
  Bikeradar stage 15 podcast: Author Richard Moore joins Procycling's Daniel Friebe and Ellis Bacon to round up the results — bikeradar
Contador: ‘I can breathe a little easier’ — velonews

According to the video, Dutch rider Kenny van Hummel of Skil-Shimano was dropped 10 km from the start. That means he rode almost 200 km on his own at an average speed of 35.60 km/h (Contador rode 40.96 km/h) . He felt really bad when he got dropped (obviously) and wanted to give up but his DS told him: “Fight dammit!” and after a while he refound some legs -- translation by Ted van de Weteringe

Kenny van Hummel now leads the Lanterne Rouge competition by 39 minutes. (The Lanterne Rouge is an unofficial award that goes to the rider with highest overall time while still making the time cut for each stage.)

  Kenny van Hummel makes the cut (02:12 Dutch) — nos
OMIGOD! They Didn't Kill Kenny! — podiumcafe

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Stage 14 Analysis/ Stage 15 Preview

Solo Victory for Ivanov
Katusha rider wins stage, Nocentini holds Yellow on day of Polemica

July 18 update: Serguei Ivanov of Katusha won today’s stage in a solo attack from the breakaway. Ivanov escaped with just over 10 kilometers to go, and the eleven riders behind him could not bring him back. The chase never really organized, as the break chose to attack one another rather than cooperate. Nicolas Roche of AG2R-La Mondiale finished second, Hayden Roulston of Cervélo TestTeam was third.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 14 commentary and check out the Stage 15 Preview / Previa Etapa 15

Verbier Weather (a link that works)
Stage 15 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 15 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 15 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 14 results: Serguei Ivanov counter-attacks and solos the final 10k into Besançon; Hincapie narrowly misses Yellow

9 Big Photos from Stage 14 — sirotti

Stage 14 Results

General Classification after Stage 14:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Ivanov solos into Besançon — cyclingnews
  Last Km (01:30) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Hincapie just misses yellow as Ivanov takes stage — velonews
  Overhead Replay of Mark Cavendish's Controversial Finish — nos
Woman hit by motorcycle at Tour de France, dies — yahoo
Ivanov wins stage 14 as Nocentini clings on to yellow — cyclingweekly
9 Big Photos from Stage 14 — sirotti
Hincapie - always the bridegroom, never the bride — cyclelicio.us
Bruyneel Criticises Garmin-Slipstream’s Stage 14 Strategy — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Cavendish disqualification could put green jersey out of reach — cyclingweekly.co.uk
  Hushovd slams Cavendish (00:30) — eurosport
  Last Km (01:00 no commentary) — eurosport
  Versus stage 14 video clips — versus
Fuse lit once again in Columbia's rivalry with Garmin — cyclingnews
Bitter Disappointment for Hincapie
  Serguei Ivanov Post-Stage Interview (01:23 english) — letour
  Stage 14 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
  Ivanov thrilled by victory (01:37) — eurosport
  Woman dies in Tour crash (01:16) — eurosport
Graham Watson Stage 14 Photos — grahamwatson
  ITV stage 14 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
Bernard Hinault shoves a spectator off the podium (again) — cyclingnews
American Polemic — podiumcafe
Hincapie Just Misses Yellow Jersey; Russian Wins Death-Marred Stage — nytimes
Le Tour de Soap Opera — cyclocosm

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Stage 13 Analysis/ Stage 14 Preview

Long Wet Ride to Victory for Haussler
Heinrich Haussler takes solo stage win, Rinaldo Nocentini remains in Yellow

July 17 update: After a lengthy solo break, Heinrich Haussler of Cervélo TestTeam celebrated his first ever Tour stage win in Colmar. The Australian-born rider, who currently carries a German license, escaped early in the stage and steadily whittled down the group in the breakaway. Sylvain Chavanel of Quick Step was the last man standing, but could not match the pace of Haussler today.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 13 commentary and check out the Stage 14 Preview / Previa Etapa 14

Stage 14 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 14 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 14 Preview — versus
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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Stage 13 results: Heinrich Haussler ends a string of near misses earlier in year with a solo win on a classics-like course in miserable conditions

9 Big Photos from Stage 13 — sirotti

Stage 13 Results

General Classification after Stage 13:

Full Results (click on "Stage Standing") — letour.fr
Haussler escapes to claim Tour's 13th — cyclingnews
  Last Km (01:30) — sporza.be
high-res victory salute
Cervélo rider attacks and descends his way to stage victory, Nocentini keeps jersey — velonews
Hinault: Contador will win again—not Armstrong — sports.yahoo
  Lance, Levi and Johan: Levi Breaks His Wrist — livestrong
  Stage 13 Highlights (02:00) — eurosport
  Heinrich Haussler Interview Post-Stage (01:33) — letour
  Peeters: Chavanel was 'dead' (01:08) — eurosport
  Versus 13 video clips (more to come) — versus
  Stage 13 Recap/Highlights (02:54) — letour.fr/aso
  ITV stage 13 podcast with Matt Rendell, Ned Boulting and Chris Boardman — ITV
  Veteran journalist Paul Kimmage rekindles the Lance Armstrong controversy — dublins98
Freire, Dean shot at during Tour stage — cyclingnews
Graham Watson Stage 13 Photos — grahamwatson
Chris Horner muses about his missed Tour de chance — signonsandiego
Bobby Julich: Lance loses ally in Leipheimer — espn
Haussler wants his Aussie roots back — sbs
9 Big Photos from Stage 13 — sirotti

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Stage 12 Analysis/ Stage 13 Preview

Sørensen Goes Solo
Nikki Sørensen of Saxo Bank takes stage win, Nocentini still in Yellow

July 16 update: Nikki Sørensen of Saxo Bank celebrated his first ever Tour de France stage win today in Vittel. After joining a seven rider breakaway early in the stage, the Dane attacked with 5 kilometers to race. Sørensen timed his move perfectly, and rode solo to the line. Mark Cavendish, meanwhile, added to his lead in the Points classification by winning the first intermediate sprint and the bunch sprint for eighth. The general classification remains unchanged today, and Rinaldo Nocentini of AG2R-La Mondiale continues to wear the Yellow Jersey of race leader.
Read more of Gavia's Stage 12 commentary and check out the Stage 13 Preview / Previa Etapa 13

Stage 13 Preview and Google Earth Maps (also see previews for other stages)
  Bernard Hinault Previews Stage 13 in english and en français — letour.fr
  Versus Stage 13 Preview — versus
Leipheimer out of the Tour with broken wrist — cyclingnews
Race and Yellow Jersey Preview — steephill.tv
Team rosters with bib numbers and withdrawals

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July 3 update:
Boonen can start in the Tour — cyclingnews
Armstrong given dope test warning: "He will be particularly, particularly, particularly monitored" — news.bbc.co.uk
Team leadership still an issue at Astana: Armstrong said that he did not understand why Bruyneel announced the Spaniard [Contador] as the team's leader on the official Astana website. — cyclingnews
Vaughters predicts unpredictable Tour — cyclingnews
Fränk Schleck confident for overall classification — cyclingnews
Sastre slams Armstrong for lack of respect — itv
Sastre likes underdog role — velonews

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Teams Presentation

July 2 update:
Photos from the Teams Presentation on Thursday — afp/yahoo
Big Photos from Teams Presentation — sirotti
Tour de France teams in Monaco presentation — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Big names missing from 2009 Tour de France — cyclingweekly.co.uk
Dark horses: the Tour's breakaway brigade — cyclingnews
  Contador is the leader: press conference answers from Johan Bruyneel — eurosport
  Bob Stapleton on Mark Cavendish: team presentation footage — eurosport
  Team Presentation Clips — eurosport

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Official Rosters with bib numbers now posted

July 2 update: The official rosters with bib numbers assigned by ASO are now up. Tom Boonen has one last (slim) chance on Friday to appeal his exclusion.
Two ways to view the startlist:

Tour Teams Preview: Who's Got the Sauce? — podiumcafe
July 3 update: Boonen can start in the Tour — cyclingnews

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July 1 update:
Dekker caught under biological passport programme: Wegelius steps in to help Cadel Evans — cyclingnews

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2009 Video Preview July 1 update: For those who missed the Tour de France 2009 preview on Versus TV this past Sunday and for those outside North America, click the video still to get caught up. Or, read Gavia's excellent race preview (now in spanish) posted here several days ago. Versus has also posted highlights of Lance's past wins and other Tour de France moments including new crash highlights. All these other video goodies can be accessed from the same preview link (right) — Steve Also see, Shaken and Stirred — steephill.tv

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Lance interview on Astana team leadership June 30 update: Before Lance left his training grounds in Colorado, he gave an interview to Velonews. Who will lead Astana? “The race will sort it out” Monaco TT: “Demanding. You'll already see a selection there” On the finish: “It's going to be a different Tour for everyone. I've never seen a Tour focused on the last four days” Also see, Tour Could Decide Success of Armstrong Comeback — nytimes

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This race and yellow jersey preview is available in the following languages:

(We are looking for translations in ALL other languages. Please submit your translation.)

2009 Tour de France Race Preview Shaken and Stirred: The Tour de France takes novel form this year by Gavia Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates. June 29 update: The Tour organizers have taken the usual ingredients of the Tour de France and mixed them thoroughly to create a random romp through the France. This year's course traces an unusual pattern across the French hexagon, and includes trips into six neighboring countries. This Tour replaces familiarity with novelty and should yield some exciting day of racing and a suspenseful Yellow Jersey race. In a departure from its normal pattern in recent years, the Tour begins in the south. There will be no rainy stages through Northern France and Bretagne this time around. Instead, it’s all sunshine and Mediterranean beaches. The Tour lingers along the Mediterranean for the first week, before heading into the Pyrénées by way of a short jaunt into Spain to the cities of Gerona and Barcelona. Crossing the mountains back into France, the Tour caravan concludes its Pyrénéen sojourn in Tarbes. Then, it’s a transfer to Limoges, which sits near the center of the Hexagon. From Limoges, the course heads east, and cuts length-wise across France to the Vosges mountains near the border with Germany. Tracking south, the Tour skips many of the best-known climbs in the Alps this year, and travels into Switzerland for a new mountain-top finish at Verbier. Still heading south, the Tour passes into the Dauphiné region, where the long time trial runs around the lake at Annecy. From Annecy, the course continues south into Provence for the finale on Mont Ventoux. A high-speed train delivers the riders north to Paris for the final day celebrations on the Champs Elysées. A Unique Course The unusual lay-out of the course has made for a unique race this year. Most notably, this course is very light on time trialing. This year, the Tour de France includes only 55 kilometers against the watch, the second fewest in the postwar era. The 1967 edition had only 53. Though the course includes a team time trial, the stage is relatively short at only 39 kilometers. Here, the Tour organizers hope to reward a rider with a strong team, but not to weigh the stage result too heavily in the final general classification. By way of contrast, the 2000 edition of the Tour de France included 109 kilometers of individual time trial riding and a 67.5 kilometer team time trial. Not surprisingly, the top finishers in that edition all had strong teams and all rode well against the watch. This year’s race still requires a good ride on the time trial bike, but does not rule out a win from a climber. With the goal of designing a suspenseful race in mind, the Tour organizers have created a series of mountain stages that tease and tempt with the possibility of big attacks, but should not prove especially decisive. It isn’t that the Tour does not include hard climbing. The course includes the mighty Col de Tourmalet, the highest paved pass in the French Pyrénées, for example. But the organizers have placed the stage finish 70 kilometers from the summit of the Tourmalet. That distance, most of it covering descending or flat terrain, offers plenty of road for a chase group to neutralize a big attack. Many of the other mountain stages in this Tour follow a similar pattern with either a descending finish or the major climb located at a significant distance from the stage finish. If the Tour organizers have calculated correctly, the result should be a suspenseful Tour, where the general classification hopefuls have to think tactically about when and where they will use their strengths and how exactly they can win this Tour. Certainly, the climbers will not have it easy. They have only three mountain-top finishes to chase the Yellow Jersey this time around. The three uphill finishes are: Andorre-Arcalis, last visited by the Tour in 1997, a new finish at Verbier in the Swiss Alps, and Mont Ventoux, last visited by the Tour in 2000. The final mountain finish of the race comes just before the traditional parade through Paris, one of the few traditions preserved in this edition of the Tour. And what a finale, for few peaks have such iconic stature in the sport as the Mont Ventoux. Ventoux is a climber’s mountain, whose length and difficulty all but guarantee time gaps at the summit. The Géant de Provence should also ensure that the Yellow Jersey remains in play until the final stage of the race, much as the general classification of the Giro d’Italia in recent years has remained open until deep in the third week. Surely, the Tour organizers have tried their best to reinvent their race and create the conditions for a suspenseful July. Chasing Yellow Of course, the riders make the race, whatever shape the course may take. This Tour has a stacked field for the general classification battle. The winners from the last two editions, Carlos Sastre who won last year with a big attack on the Alpe d’Huez, and Alberto Contador, who won in 2007 on the strength of his climbing talent, return for this year’s race. Sastre finished on the podium at last year’s Vuelta a España and finished fourth with two stage victories at this year’s Giro d’Italia. Contador, meanwhile, skipped last year’s Tour de France, but won the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. Contador is the first rider since Bernard Hinault to win all three grand tours in his career. Contador finished third in the recent Dauphiné Libéré and is the new Spanish National Champion in the time trial. No doubt he would like to add another Tour de France to his collection of wins. But Contador will face a formidable challenge from within his own team. Lance Armstrong, who has won a record seven Tours, returns this year after retiring from the sport. Recent press comments from the team have indicated that Contador will ride as the team leader, but plenty of signs exist that the team is less-than-unified behind the talented Spanish rider. Already at the Giro d’Italia, we saw the team divide between supporting Leipheimer’s general classification ambitions and riding for Armstrong. The American’s out-size personality may influence the team tactics to Contador’s disadvantage. To complicate matters further the team includes two former podium finishers with Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden, though both have shown their loyalty as team riders in the past. For which team leader they will ride, of course, remains the question. Certainly, the Astana ménage offers one of the more entertaining sub-plots of this year’s Tour. Looking further down the podium placings, Cadel Evans has placed second at the Tour de France for the past two years. Adding to the symmetry, he has also placed second at the Critérium Dauphiné Libéré twice in a row. This course should suit his all-around talent and he showed an attacking style at the Dauphiné Libéré, which could serve him well in July. He has a strong team at Silence-Lotto to ride in his support. All the ingredients for victory are in place, but Evans will need his best legs and a little luck to exchange his second place for first. Much the same could be said of Denis Menchov, who comes to this year’s Tour fresh off a win at the Giro d’Italia. Menchov has won both the Giro and the Vuelta a España, but his highest finish in France came last year when he finished fourth behind Bernhard Kohl, who confessed to doping.. The Russian has tended to ride better in his second grand tour of the season, and will have a strong team at his disposal. He showed nerves of steal at the Giro d’Italia and a steady, consistent riding style. A top five finish should come easily to Menchov at this Tour, but like Evans, he’ll need a little luck to win the overall. At Saxo Bank, meanwhile, it’s the bro’ club, as Fränk and Andy Schleck share captain’s duties. Fränk placed higher last year, but most observers have touted the younger Andy as the more talented stage racer. The younger Schleck brother already has a second place finish at the Giro d’Italia to his credit, and showed brilliant form on the final mountain stage of last year’s Tour. A bad day in the Pyrénées cost him a high finish in the general classification, but he did win the White Jersey of Best Young rider. Andy Schleck has already won Liège-Bastogne-Liège this season. Very few riders have won both the Tour de France and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in their careers. Bernard Hinault was the most recent to accomplish this rare double. To win both in a single season would be nearly unprecedented. Stories abound about Andy Schleck’s rare talent, and a Tour win is less a matter of if than when. Sprinters and Climbers Of course, there are the the races within the race. This year’s Tour is crowded with talented sprinters including last year’s Green Jersey winner and three-time World Champion Oscar Freire. But can anyone beat Mark Cavendish? The Columbia-High Road sprinter has owned the last kilometer this season, and offered a stiff challenge to all comers. During the Giro d’Italia Alessandro Petacchi twice beat Cavendish, but the LPR-Brakes rider will not attend this year’s Tour. American Tyler Farrar has also scored victory against Cavendish this season, and the Garmin-Slipstream rider will hope to repeat the experience at the Tour. Daniele Bennati of Liquigas-Doimo, meanwhile, has lost much of the season to injury and must surely be itching for a win. Bennati will be mostly on his own in the final kilometer, because Liquigas-Doimo will bring to the Tour three riders for the general classification - Franco Pellizotti, 3rd at the Giro, Roman Kreuziger, and Vincenzo Nibali. Over at Cervélo TestTeam, former Green Jersey winner Thor Hushovd will share sprinting duties with Heinrich Haussler, second at Milano-Sanremo and Omloop het Nieuwsblad. How exactly the two will divide the sprints remains an open question, and their relationship could become one of the more entertaining subplots of the race. The mountains classification is wide open this year, as it often is. Last year, Bernhard Kohl wore the Polka Dot Jersey into Paris, but later tested positive. Carlos Sastre, who won the general classification, finished second to Kohl in the mountains classification. This year’s course has only three mountain-top finishes and many of the categorized climbs come far from the stage finishes. This pattern makes it more likely that a rider who is not contesting the general classification can ride the breakaways and scoop up the mountains points. This year’s prize may go to a younger rider or to a rider from a smaller team, but much depends on how the general classification battle unfolds. Last Words In designing their course this year, the Tour de France organizers have written the outline for a suspenseful script. Plainly, they dream of a grand finale on Mont Ventoux, in which the Yellow Jersey remains in play and the rider who wants to celebrate the overall victory in Paris must attack on the iconic climb. We’ll see soon enough if their vision comes to pass. — Gavia

Also see,
The individual stage previews with translations into other languages — steephill.tv
Route analysis after the October rollout — many sources
Top contenders for 2009 Tour — sports.espn.go
Why Not Me? (Rider Previews) — podiumcafe
Dark horses: the Tour's breakaway brigade — cyclingnews

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June 27 update:
The VERSUS 2009 Tour de France preview show is Sunday, June 27th at 7:00 PM ET (30 minutes in length, North America). Online clips should be posted on Monday.
2009 Versus Tour de France Preview Show Schedule — versus
Armstrong says he'll kick ass after last year's 'joke' of a Tour and other good quotes — smh.au
Crash Course: Christian Vande Velde update — Geoff Van Dyke / 5280

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June 25 update:
Contador named Astana's Tour leader — bikeradar
Astana names Tour team: Contador & Armstrong to lead — cyclingnews
Liquigas announce Tour team — cyclingnews
Versus Tour de France Broadcast Schedule: coverage available in HD this year — versus

June 24 update:
Team Garmin-Slipstream announces Tour de France roster — slipstreamsports
Cervélo TestTeam names Tour roster — cyclingnews
Katusha relaseses their roster for the tour — podiumcafe
The latest confirmed list of riders

Stage Previews

June 23 update: Gavia is working on detailed previews for all stages similar to the Giro d'Italia. Tour de France stage previews for the first week except stage 6 are now posted. See the 'preview' links in the race summary table (right). Accompanying each preview is an interactive stage map with profile and an option to view each stage in google earth. We are looking for translators who can help with translating the previews into other languages. If you can help then go ahead and email me translations with the stage number and language (in english) in the subject line. — Steve

Also follow steephill on Twitter for the latest race info and video updates.

Armstrong's team in turmoil as Tour looms — nbcsports.msnbc

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June 22 update: Saxo Bank looks for Tour domination; names Tour squad — sbs.au
  TdF Preview: Mark Cavendish Profile (02:26) — eurosport
June 21 update: Coming tomorrow (Monday), the complete Tour de France route in Google Maps and Earth and previews for the first seven stages.
June 20 update: Fresh Millar motivated for Tour de France — cyclingnews
June 19 update: The latest confirmed list of riders
Astana's Tour de France Pre-Selection Team Announced — astana-cyclingteam
June 19 update: Reminder, all stage profiles, maps and timetables are now available. See the links in the race summary table (right). More updates coming daily now. Stay tuned... Steve
June 18 update: Earpieces banned on two Tour de France stages — sports.yahoo
Nibali aims for Tour de France top ten — cyclingnews
June 16 update: Contador considers Armstrong and Leipheimer Tour rivals — cyclingnews
June 11 update: Garmin-Slipstream's Tour roster is starting to take shape — velonews
June 5 update: Contador asserts status at Astana: Lance Armstrong is "just another member of the team" — news.bbc.co.uk

Precise 2009 route details finally released

June 3 update: The official site has finally released the precise route for this summer's Tour de France. See the 'timetable' links for each stage to the right then click on the 'time schedule' tab on the official site. Stage maps and profiles still haven't been released for the non-mountain stages. — Steve

May 30 update: Just checked again. All the stage maps and profiles for the non-mountain stages have not been released yet. Any day now. Stay tuned... — Steve

April 14 update: The Tour de France ladder: Cyclingnews posts their (early) Tour predicaitons — cyclingnews
March 17 update: The Tour de France announces its team selection for the '09 race — velonews
(Same teams as Paris-Nice)

Intermission and what's ahead

January 29 update: If you've come to this page looking for the latest information on the 2009 Tour de France, then you'll find the links for what's presently available right here. But we are in the quiet period between the October route presentation and before all precise route details and teams are announced. Of course, if we've missed some important (new) piece of information then please let us know. In the mean time, take a look at the updated info on our Paris-Nice Dashboard. Paris-Nice takes place this March and it's referred to as a mini Tour de France featuring teams often invited to the Tour. (ASO runs both events and uses Paris-Nice as a final qualifier for teams on the selection bubble.) Last year's event was very entertaining. — Steve

... Or if you live in a (chilly) northern climate, you can kill some time waiting for your own cycling season to start by checking out our collection France touring reports:

French Pyrenees  • Col du Tourmalet, Luz-Ardiden  • Col du Soulor, Col d'Aubisque  • Col de la Core, Ariege  • Col de la Crouzette, Ariege  • Col d'Agnes and Col d'Escots

French Alps  • Alpe d'Huez and Col du Galibier  • Col de Sarenne (Alpe d'Huez)  • Villard Notre Dame  • The Vercors  • Provence: Le Mont-Ventoux  • Provence: Les Baronnies

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Armstrong realistically thinking of a podium sweep

steephill is now on Twitter with race updates

January 8 update: "We have five riders that have been in the top five in the tour," says Lance Armstrong. "And I think more realistically than theoretically, you could perhaps put three guys on the podium if you did it right. (It would) be exciting for us. Not exciting for the race. But exciting for us."
Armstrong eyes Astana podium sweep, 2010 Tour — abc.net.au

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The official details of the 2010 Rotterdam Grand Depart

December 11 update:
Tour de France 2010 Rotterdam Grand Depart details and map — steephill.tv

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Questions for Lance from one of the so called "blacklisted journalists"

December 3 update:
Lance Armstrong: Exclusive Interview — cyclingweekly.co.uk
... and now back to usual reporting:
Armstrong comfortable supporting Contador at Tour — bikeradar
Armstrong: Contador is world's best — uk.eurosport.yahoo

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November 4 update:

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Analyzing the route

October 24 update: With 40 years of experience covering the Tour de France, John Wilcockson is a good person to turn to for a detailed Tour route preview and analysis:
The first week is probably the toughest ever, while the summit finish on Mont Ventoux the day before the finish in Paris could see the most dramatic eleventh-hour battle for the yellow jersey in Tour history... Race director Christian Prudhomme said at the splashy presentation in Paris that he was pleased with the atypical opening -- in which only three of the first nine stages favor the sprinters -- but there's a danger that the much earlier challenges will make for a long stalemate before the unprecedented finale.
Read more,
2009 Tour will reward consistency, team strength — velonews

The official route is announced

October 22 update: The official route is almost identical to the rumours. Changes: Tonnerre starts stage 12 instead of Auxerre. Barcelona hosts the stage 7 start in addition to the stage 6 finish while Girona hosts the stage 6 start instead of stage 7 as rumoured. There are 20 categorized climbs on seven mountain stages. Distances are now up. Mountain stage profile links are now activated (see right). Feel free to chip in with any good links (especially to video). — Steve
2009 route turns Tour de France upside down — cyclingnews
2009 Tour to climax on Mont Ventoux — tourdefrance.com
  Relive 2008: Ceremony segue into this year's course... letour.fr
  Le Parcours...The route in 3D from the presentation — letour.fr
Rider Route Reactions — cyclingnews
Photos from the presentation ceremony — cyclingnews
  Interviews with Jonathan Vaughters, Johan Bruyneel, Cadel Evans and David Millar (scroll to the top of the page)
 Presentation clips and Christian Prudhomme interview — bikeradar

October 22nd Route Presentation Interviews:
Jonathan Vaughters ()	Johan Bruyneel ()
Cadel Evans ()	David Millar ()

The Official Route Map (la carte du parcours):

map source: the official site
  One-Minute Description and Route Fly Through (English)  |  En Français

Comparing 2009 to previous years...	2009	2008	2007	2006
Flat Stages	10	10	11	9
Medium Mountain Stages	1	4	1	4
Mountain Stages	7	5	6	5
# of Categorized Climbs (Cat 2, 1 and HC)	20	19	21	22
Mountaintop Finishes	3	4	3	3
Total Individual Time Trial Distance	55k	82k	117k	116k
Overall Distance	3435k	3554k	3547k	3657k

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