Tour de France!!

Running from Saturday July 2^rd to Sunday July 24^th 2011, the 98^th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres.
These stages have the following profiles:

Distinctive aspects of the race

• · le Galibier climbed twice,
• · 2 rest days,
• · 23 level 2, 1 or highest level mountain passes or summit finishes,
• · no bonuses will be awarded during the intermediate sprints and stage finishes.

• Stage by stage

Grand start 2011 - THE VENDÉE

A Grand Start between sky and sea… The official start of the 98th edition of the Tour de France will take place at the Passage du Gois. The second day in the Vendée will…

Overall leader

Main article: maillot jaune

Maillot jaune

The maillot jaune (yellow jersey) is worn by the general classification leader. The Tour de France, and other bicycle stage races, are decided by totalling the time each rider takes on the daily stages. Time can be added or subtracted from this total time as bonuses or penalties for winning individual stages or being first to the top of a climb or for infractions of the rules. The rider with the lowest overall time at the end of each stage receives a ceremonial yellow bicycling jersey and the right to start the next stage, usually the next day, of the Tour in the yellow jersey.^[1]
The rider to receive the yellow jersey after the last stage in Paris, is the overall (or ultimate) winner of the Tour.
The winner of the first Tour wore not a yellow jersey but a green armband.^[17] The first yellow was first awarded formally to Eugène Christophe, for the stage from Grenoble on 19 July 1919.^[95] However, the Belgian rider Philippe Thys, who won in 1913, 1914 and 1920, recalled in the Belgian magazine Champions et Vedettes when he was 67 that he was awarded a yellow jersey in 1913 when Henri Desgrange asked him to wear a coloured jersey. Thys declined, saying making himself more visible would encourage others to ride against him.^[17][96] He said:

He then made his argument from another direction. Several stages later, it was my team manager at Peugeot, (Alphonse) Baugé, who urged me to give in. The yellow jersey would be an advertisement for the company and, that being the argument, I was obliged to concede. So a yellow jersey was bought in the first shop we came to. It was just the right size, although we had to cut a slightly larger hole for my head to go through.^{[96][97][n 1]}

He spoke of the next year, when "I won the first stage and was beaten by a tyre by Bossus in the second. On the following stage, the maillot jaune passed to Georget after a crash." The Tour historian Jacques Augendre called Thys "a valorous rider ... well-known for his intelligence" and said his claim "seems free from all suspicion". But: "No newspaper mentions a yellow jersey before the war. Being at a loss for witnesses, we can't solve this enigma."^[98]
The first rider to wear the yellow jersey from start to finish was Ottavio Bottecchia of Italy in 1924.^[99] Nicolas Frantz (1928) and Romain Maes (1935) are the only two other riders who have done the same. The first company to pay a daily prize to the wearer of the yellow jersey – known as the "rent" – was a wool company, Sofil, in 1948.^[100] The greatest number of riders to wear the yellow jersey in a day is three: Nicolas Frantz, André Leducq and Victor Fontan shared equal time for a day in 1929 and there was no rule to split them.^[100]
One rider has won seven times:

• Lance Armstrong in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 (seven consecutive years).

Four riders have won five times:

• Jacques Anquetil in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964;
• Eddy Merckx in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974;
• Bernard Hinault in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985;
• Miguel Indurain in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 (the first to do so in five consecutive years).

Four riders have won three times:

• Philippe Thys in 1913, 1914, and 1920;
• Louison Bobet in 1953, 1954, and 1955;
• Greg LeMond in 1986, 1989, and 1990.
• Alberto Contador 2007, 2009, and 2010.

Seven riders have won the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia in the same year:

• Eddy Merckx three times, in 1970, 1972, 1974
• Fausto Coppi twice, in 1949, 1952
• Bernard Hinault twice, in 1982, 1985
• Miguel Indurain twice, in 1992, 1993
• Jacques Anquetil once, in 1964
• Stephen Roche once, in 1987
• Marco Pantani once, in 1998

The youngest Tour de France winner was Henri Cornet, aged 19 in 1904. Next youngest was Romain Maes, 21 in 1935. The oldest winner was Firmin Lambot, aged 36 in 1922. Next oldest were Henri Pélissier (1923) and Gino Bartali (1948), both 34. Gino Bartali holds the longest time span between titles, having earned his first and last Tour victories 10 years apart (in 1938 and 1948).
Riders from France have won most (36), followed by Belgium (18), Spain (13), United States (10), Italy (9), Luxembourg (4), Switzerland and the Netherlands (2 each) and Ireland, Denmark and Germany (1 each).
See also List of Tour de France winners

Stage points

Alessandro Petacchi in the green jersey

Main article: Points classification in the Tour de France

The maillot vert (green jersey) is awarded for sprint points. At the end of each stage, points are earned by the riders who finish first, second, etc. Points are higher for flat stages, as sprints are more likely, and less for mountain stages, where climbers usually win. In the current rules, there are five types of stages: flat stages, intermediate stages, mountain stages, individual time trial stages and team time trial stages. The number of points awarded at the end of each stage are:

Flat stages

35, 30, 26, 24, 22, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points are awarded to the first 25 riders across the finish line.

Intermediate stages

25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points are awarded to the first 20 riders across the finish line.

High-mountain stages

20, 17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points are awarded to the first 15 riders across the finish line.

Time-trials

15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 points are awarded to the top 10 finishers of the stage.

In addition, stages can have intermediate sprints in which 6, 4, and 2 points are awarded to the first three. In case of a tie, the number of stage wins determine the green jersey, then the number of intermediate sprint victories, and finally, the rider's standing in the general classification. The points competition began in 1953, to mark the 50th anniversary. It was called the Grand Prix du Cinquentenaire and was won by Fritz Schaer of Switzerland. The first sponsor was La Belle Jardinière. The current sponsor is Pari Mutuel Urbain, a state betting company.^[101]
One rider has won the points competition six times:

• Erik Zabel 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (consecutive years)

One rider has won the points competition four times:

• Sean Kelly 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989

Michael Rasmussen wearing the polka dot jersey on the individual time trial (stage 20) of the 2005 Tour de France.

King of the Mountains

Main article: Mountains classification in the Tour de France

The King of the Mountains wears a white jersey with red dots (maillot à pois rouges), inspired by a jersey that one of the organisers, Félix Lévitan, had seen at the Vélodrome d'Hiver in Paris in his youth. The competition gives points to the first to top designated hills and mountains.
The best climber was first recognised in 1933, prizes were given from 1934, and the jersey was introduced in 1975.^[101] The first to wear the maillot à pois was Lucien Van Impe, who earned the honour en route to his third mountains title.
The first Tour de France included one mountain pass – the Ballon d'Alsace in the Vosges^[102] – but several lesser cols. The first was the col des Echarmeaux, on the opening stage from Paris to Lyon, on what is now the old road from Autun to Lyon. The stage from Lyon to Marseille included the col de la République, also known as the col du Grand Bois, at the edge of St-Etienne. True mountains, however, were not included until the Pyrenees in 1910. In that year the race rode, or more walked, first the col d'Aubisque and then the nearby Tourmalet. Desgrange once more stayed away. Both climbs were mule tracks, a demanding challenge on heavy, ungeared bikes ridden by men with spare tyres around their shoulders and their food, clothing and tools in bags hung from their handlebars. The assistant organiser, Victor Breyer, stood at the summit of the Aubisque with the colleague who had proposed including the Pyrenees, Alphonse Steinès. Breyer wrote of the first man to reach them:

His body heaved at the pedals, like an automaton, on two wheels. He wasn't going fast but he was at least moving. I trotted alongside him and asked 'Who are you? What's going on? Where are the others?' Bent over his handlebars, his eyes riveted on the road, the man never turned his head nor uttered one sole word. He continued and disappeared round a turn. Steinès had read his number and consulted the riders' list. Steinès was dumfounded. 'The man is François Lafourcade, a nobody. He has caught and passed all the cracks' ... Another quarter-hour passed before the second rider appeared, whom we immediately recognised as Octave Lapize. Unlike Lafourcade, Lapize was walking, half leaning on, half pushing his machine. But unlike his predecessor, Lapize spoke, and in abundance. 'You are assassins, yes, assassins!' To discuss matters with a man in this condition would have been cruel and stupid.

—^[103]

Desgrange was confident enough after the Pyrenees to include the Alps in 1911.^[104]
The highest climb in the race was the col de la Bonette in the 2008 Tour de France, reaching 2715 m. The highest mountain finish in the Tour was at the col du Granon in 1986.^[105][106] The 2413 m pass was reached first by Eduardo Chozas of Spain. The 2011 Tour de France will break the record for highest mountain finish during the 18th stage, it will finish on the Col du Galibier at 2645m.^[107] Mountains such as the Galibier, Tourmalet, Alpe d'Huez, Madeleine, Ventoux and Aubisque attract amateur cyclists every day in summer to test their fitness on roads used by champions.
The difficulty of a climb is established by its steepness, length and its position on the course. The easiest are graded 4, most of the hardest as 1 and the exceptional (such as the Tourmalet) as beyond classification, or hors catégorie. Notable hors catégorie peaks include the col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, col du Galibier, the climb to the ski resort of Hautacam, and Alpe d'Huez. In 2011, the attributed points were changed: http://www.letour.fr/2011/TDF/LIVE/us/reglements.html.
Climbs rated "hors catégorie" (HC): 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 and 2 points awarded for first 6 riders to reach the summit.
Category 1: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points awarded for first 6 riders to reach the summit. Category 2: 5, 3, 1 and 1 points awarded for first 4 riders to reach the summit. Category 3: 2 and 1 points awarded for first 2 riders to reach the summit. Category 4: 1 points awarded for first rider to reach the summit.
Points awarded are doubled for finishing on the 12th, 14th, 18th and 19th stages.
One rider has been King of the Mountains seven times:

• Richard Virenque in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004.

Two riders have been King of the Mountains six times:

• Federico Bahamontes in 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964.
• Lucien Van Impe in 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1983.

Miscellaneous categories

Andy Schleck in white.

Since 1975, there has been a competition for young riders. From 1975 to 1989 and from 2000, the leader has worn a white jersey (maillot blanc in French) Two riders have won three times:

• Jan Ullrich in 1996, 1997, 1998. In these years however, this classification did not have its own jersey.
• Andy Schleck in 2008, 2009, 2010.

The prix de la combativité goes to the rider who most animates the day, usually by trying to break clear of the field. The most combative rider wears a number printed white-on-red instead of black-on-white next day. An award goes to the most aggressive rider throughout the Tour. Already in 1908 a sort of combativity award was offered, when Sports Populaires and L'Education Physique created Le Prix du Courage, 100 francs and a silver gilt medal for "the rider having finished the course, even if unplaced, who is particularly distinguished for the energy he has used."^[99][108] The modern competition started in 1958.^[99][109] In 1959, a Super Combativity award for the most combative cyclist of the Tour was awarded. It was initially not rewarded every year, but since 1981 it has been given annually.
The team prize is assessed by adding the time of each team's best three riders each day. The competition does not have its own jersey but since 2006 the leading team has worn numbers printed black-on-yellow. Until 1990, the leading team would wear yellow caps. The competition has existed from the start; the most successful trade team is Alcyon, which won from 1909 to 1912 and from 1927 to 1929. The best national teams are France and Belgium, with 10 wins each.^[101] From 1973 up to 1988, there was also a team classification based on points (stage classification); members of the leading team would wear green caps.