The Tour de France

The Tour de France gets under way later today and with a huge line-up of stars this year it is set to be a cycling blockbuster.

Alberto Contador (2nd L) and teammate Lance Armstrong train for the Tour de France in Monaco

Roll on an eighth victory? Lance Armstrong (centre) trains for the big race

The main plot will focus on a certain larger-than-life Texan who has come out of retirement.

Lance Armstrong believes he still has the strength in his legs and the wind in his lungs to take an eighth yellow jersey.

But the odds are stacked against him.

At the age of 37, he will have to defy biology and the history books to end up in yellow in Paris in three weeks time.

No rider has won the race at his age before. The oldest winner of the Tour was 36 – Firmin Lambot won way back in 1922.

Mark Cavendish

Briton Mark Cavendish

But despite this Lance is still in with a chance, because he is Lance.

And the peloton is certainly receptive to the idea that a miracle may reveal itself on the long and winding roads in the weeks to come.

Veteran Tour rider and sprinter Stuart O’Grady told Sky News Armstrong’s return was good news for the sport.

“He’s one of the biggest legends in the sport and the influence he has had has been absolutely incredible and for him to come back shows a lot of courage,” he said.

“It is also great publicity for the sport whether or not he wins.”

The overall favourite for the Maillot Jaune has got to be Armstong’s Astana team-mate Alberto Contador.

The Spaniard is simply awesome in the mountains and has improved his time trialling greatly in the last few years.

Another Grand Tour win – he’s already won all three – may be about to come his way.There is also some exciting British talent coming through.

We are in Monaco and this is the Formula one of cycling. It is a big effort by everybody. The teams all have five mechanics, a chef, doctors and management staff. It is a huge road show.

Nic Sims, Global Marketing Manager For Specialized

Mark Cavendish has already established himself as a superstar in the world of cycling but with this Tour he may well also become a household name.

The 24-year-old is fast, very fast; he is perhaps the quickest thing on two wheels in the pack.

He won four stages in last year’s Tour; this year he may even take the coveted green jersey.

“I’m a sprinter. I win stages and maybe the green comes at the end of that. I don’t know but my aim is to just win really,” he said.

The Tour as an institution will be hoping to redeem itself in the eyes of sceptical public.

Doping scandals in recent years have tarnished the jewel in cycling’s crown.

This year the event promises to be cleaner than ever before.

Rigorous testing is being implemented with the focus very much on suspicious riders.

Blood will be frozen and kept so it can be tested retroactively as more advanced forensic techniques become available.

But fans will be hoping it is the sport that dominates not controversy and 21 stages over three weeks of racing is a mouth-watering prospect for many.

Keeping Le Tour on the road is also a huge logistical enterprise.

The Global Marketing Manager for Specialized, Nic Sims, says the amount of planning and support the team riders are given is huge.

“We are in Monaco and this is the Formula one of cycling. It is a big effort by everybody. The teams all have five mechanics, a chef, doctors and management staff. It is a huge road show.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 4th, 2009 at 9:17 pm and is filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.