2011 Tour de France takes to the road

The world’s best-known cycling event, the Tour de France, got underway on Saturday 2 July as 20 teams with nine riders each set off from Passage de Gois in the eastern Vendée region. The 98th Tour  has 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres and will finish on the Champs Elysees in the capital on 24 July. 

Reuters/Denis Balibouse

The race takes the teams through some of the most gruelling terrain in France. At 226.5 kilometres, Stage 6 from Dinan to Lisieux, is the longest stage of the Tour while the 200.5 kilometres Stage 18 sees the riders climb 23.7 kilometres to reach the Agnel summit at 2744 metres.

Favourites to win the race this year include.

• Alberto Contador, team Saxo Bank-Sungard. Despite the three-time champion testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol during last year’s race, the Spanish Cycling Federation finally cleared the 28-year-old rider in February.
• Andy Schleck, team Leopard Trek. Twice runner-up to Contador in 2009 and 2010, he is thought to be the Spaniard’s nearest challenger. The two came in way ahead of the rest of the riders in 2010.
• Bradley Wiggins, team Sky. He exchanged the World Champion’s rainbow jersey for the yellow jersey in 2010. Finished 24th in last year’s tour, but the three-time Olympic champion believes he can claim a podium place this year
   

 What do the jerseys mean?

• Yellow jersey - Given to the rider who has completed the stages so far in the shortest combined time. Said to take the colour from l’Auto, the newspaper owned by the race found and sponsor Henri Desgrange.
• Green jersey – Most coveted jersey given to the leader in the points classification which rewards sprinters.
• Polka Dot jersey – Awarded to the ‘King of the Mountains’. These are the riders who make it first to the top of designated hills and mountains.
• White jersey – Given to the best-placed, under-25-year-old rider. This is the newest category introduced into the Tour in 1975.