[mp417]

The 2016 Tour de France will be the 103rd edition of the oldest Grand Tour on the calendar. Every cycling enthusiast in the world is eagerly waiting for 2nd July every year. There is so much history involved with Tour de France. It's a Mega Cycling event which should not be missed. The adrenaline pumping finish line sprints, the massive mountain climbs and the beautiful locations in France are treat for your eyes.



The 2016 tour kick off from the foot of Mont-Saint-Michel in the Manche department. The race last visited the picturesque area for the individual time trial in 2013, which was won by Tony Martin.

The full race route was announced on October 20 in Paris, with organizer ASO revealing an innovative but mountainous route that visits the Pyrenees, Mont Ventoux and the Alps. The race will not remain entirely in France, with three days to be spent in the Principality of Andorra and a visit to Berne in Switzerland - the home town of Fabian Cancellara.

In 2016 Tour de France, there will be just 54 kms of time trials, divided between a twisting 37 kms between Bourg-Saint-Andéol and La Caverne du Pont-d’Arc on stage 13 and then a hilly, almost mountain time trial on stage 18 between Sallanches and Megève in the Alps. The race will, of course, finish with the traditional stage through the streets of Paris.

The 2016 Tour de France starts on Saturday July 2 an ends on Sunday July 24. There will be two rest days in Andorra and Berne.


What is Tour de France?

Please refer the 2015 Tour thread for basic details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/intl-m...need-know.html


Here's the best of 2015 Tour video to bring you up to speed on what happened last year.

https://youtu.be/BXzfY28QYWU

Tour de France 2016 Route

Running from Saturday July 2nd to Sunday July 24th 2016, the 103th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,519 kilometers.

These stages have the following profiles:

• 9 flat stages
• 1 hilly stage
• 9 mountain stages including 4 summit finishes (Andorre Arcalis, Mont Ventoux, Finhaut-Emosson et Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc)
• 2 individual time trial stages
• 2 rest days

Here is a video showing the entire route in 3D

https://youtu.be/s69OE99usEk

2016 : The Contenders


Chris Froome
Team: Team Sky, Great Britain
Best finish overall: Tour de France winner in 2013, 2015




Nairo Quintana
Team: Moviestar Team, Spain
Best finish overall: Tour de France 1st Runner up in 2013, 2015




Alberto Contador
Team: Tinkoff-Saxo, Russia
Best finish overall: Tour de France winner in 2007 and 2009




Thibaut Pinot
Team: FDJ, France
Best finish overall: Tour de France 2nd Runner up in 2014




Romain Bardet
Team: AG2R, France
Best finish overall: Tour de France 6th overall in 2014




Fabio Aru (new Team leader of Astana)
Team: Astana Pro Team, Kazakistan
Best finish overall: NA




Glimpse of first stage location

https://youtu.be/PPKODB6KlK4

Watch this space for more updates as we dive into this grand event.

References:
http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2016/us/
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.cyclingnews.com

Disclaimer: All images and videos are copyright to their respective owners.

[mp417]

The Teams

In accordance with Union Cycliste Internationale rules, the following eighteen teams UCI WorldTeam are automatically invited to the race:

1. AG2R La Mondiale (Fra)
2. Astana Pro Team (Kaz)
3. BMC Racing Team (USA)
4. Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (USA)
5. Dimension Data (RSA)
6. Etixx - Quick Step (Bel)
7. FDJ (Fra)
8. IAM Cycling (Sui)
9. Lampre - Merida (Ita)
10. Lotto Soudal (Bel)
11. Movistar Team (Esp)
12. Orica GreenEDGE (Aus)
13. Team Giant - Alpecin (Ger)
14. Team Katusha (Rus)
15. Team Lotto NL - Jumbo (Nld)
16. Team Sky (GBR)
17. Tinkoff (Rus)
18. Trek – Segafredo (USA)

In addition to these eighteen teams, the organizers have awarded the following wildcards:

1. Bora - Argon 18 (Ger)
2. Cofidis, Solutions Crédits (Fra)
3. Direct Energie (Fra)
4. Fortuneo - Vital Concept (Fra)

Quick look at the Team jersey's. Which jersey you like the most?






Sporting stakes : What is there to win?


In the pack of 198 riders, there are many different objectives, depending on the temperament, qualities and missions of each rider. The most collective of individual sports involves the majority of them in multi-layered strategies. The distinctive jerseys and other goals to be achieved during the 3 weeks of racing are listed below.


Stage victories

The stage victory has been sponsored by Powerbar.
€ 8,000 for winner (€ 4,000 second, € 2,000 third….all the way down to € 200 for 20th)


The Yellow Jersey

It is worn by the leader of the general individual time classification.
The Yellow Jersey has been sponsored by LCL since 1987.
€ 450,000 (€ 200,000 second, € 100,000 third….€1,000 for 19th, all the way down to € 400 for 150th (and for all classified riders)).
The yellow jersey winner of the day is awarded €350


The Green Jersey

It is worn by the leader of the points classification. The points are won on the intermediate sprints and at the stage.
The Green Jersey has been sponsored by Skoda since 2015.
€ 25,000 (€ 15,000 second, € 10,000 third….all the way down to €2,000 for 8th).
There is also daily prize money awarded for placings in the intermediate sprints (€800, €450, €300)


The Red Polka Dot Jersey

It is worn by the best climber. Points for the best climber classification are awarded at the top of any classified slope.
The prize money is doubled on the stage finishes that will take place at the summit of climbs.
The Polka Dot Jersey has been sponsored by Carrefour.
€ 25,000 (€ 15,000 second, € 10,000 third….all the way down to €2,000 for 8th).
There is also daily prize money awarded for placings over some of the KOM’s (€800, €450, €300)


The White Jersey

It is worn by the best young rider aged 25 years old or less (in the running year) in the general individual time classification.
The White jersey has been sponsored by Krys since 2015.
€ 20,000 (€ 15,000 second, € 10,000 third, €5,000 fourth)


Most Aggressive rider prize

This distinction is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury made up of cycling specialists. An overall winner is designated after the last stage of Le Tour. The Most aggressive rider Prize has been sponsored by Antargaz since 2014.
Prize money: € 20,000


The team classification

This classification is determined by adding the times of the best three riders of each team in each stage (except for the team time-trial).
The team classification has been sponsored by RAGT Semences.
€ 50,000 (€ 30,000 second, € 20,000 third, €12,000 fourth, €8,000 fifth)


All these prizes make the Total Prize Money Pool to whopping €2.03 million

[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Int'l Motorsport Section. Thanks for sharing!

[tifosikrishna]

What a time to land up on this thread :-) Just now I was asked to create some awareness about TDF in a cycling club FB page that I am member of, now I don't have to look elsewhere to source information :-)

Thannks mp417.

[mp417]

In the News

Merckx: Froome will win the Tour again as he has no real rivals

Five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx doesn't believe Chris Froome has any real challengers for the 2016 yellow jersey

Cycling great Eddy Merckx is backing Chris Froome to win his third Tour de France in four years next July, claiming the Team Sky rider has no real rivals for the crown.

Froome blew the peloton away on stage 10 of the 2015 Tour, beating eventual runner-up Nairo Quintana by a decisive 64 seconds and defending his lead all the way to Paris.

But Merckx says the Colombian’s weaknesses in the time trials will be his downfall in 2016, while Froome other main rival, Alberto Contador, will be too old to present a real challenge.

“Of course he’s going to win it again,” five-time Tour winner Merckx said in an interview with L’Equipe. “If it’s not him, then who else?”

He added: “It won’t be Quintana who will worry him, because he’s too limited in time trials. Quintana climbs well, but he’s a bit weighed down, too cautious. Waiting for the penultimate day and Alpe d’Huez [in the 2015 Tour] to attack Froome revealed a lack of calibre.

“As for the others: Nibali won’t be there, Contador will be another year older, Aru I don’t really know… No, on paper, Froome hasn’t really got any rivals.”

With two individual time trials, including a mountain test in the third week, Froome’s dominance against the clock is likely to be a leading factor in him retaining his title.

Nibali, who came fourth in 2015, will not likely not have the chance to win his second Tour as he is targeting the Giro d’Italia, leaving Fabio Aru to lead Astana in his debut Tour.

Alejandro Valverde, third in 2015, will also not challenge Froome, with the Spaniard also racing the Giro and using the Tour to gain form for the Olympic Games. His acceptance of playing the domestique role could play into Quintana’s hands, though, with Valverde providing a strong motor in the mountains.

Contador, meanwhile, won’t be coming into the Tour off the back of winning the Giro in 2016, but Merckx doesn’t believe the 33-year-old will have the legs to hold off Froome’s assault at another title.

Nairo Quintana: I’m not obsessed with winning the Tour de France

Nairo Quintana currently rides for team Movistar and is one of cycling’s foremost climbers. Still only 26-years-old, Quintana has already shown his talent with his biggest career win to date, taking overall victory at the 2014 Giro d’Italia.

With two second place finishes at the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015, the Colombian is widely expected to be the biggest challenger to defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) along with former winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff).

Fans will have a say in who wins the Tour de France ‘Super Combativity’ prize in 2016

The fans will have a say in who is awarded the 'super combativity' prize at the Tour de France for the most aggressive rider over the 21 stages

Following in the footsteps of races such as the Tour de Yorkshire, the Tour de France will offer the public the chance to vote for the most combative rider in the race this year.

Fans will be able to vote on social media for the rider who they think was the most attacking for the duration of the Tour, with their voice added to a five-man jury.

On the jury will be former riders Greg Le Mond and Laurent Jalabert, two journalists and race director Thierry Gouvenou. Should the voting end in a tie, Gouvenou will have the deciding say.

[tifosikrishna]

"Contador, meanwhile, won’t be coming into the Tour off the back of winning the Giro in 2016, but Merckx doesn’t believe the 33-year-old will have the legs to hold off Froome’s assault at another title"

2016 Giro was won by Nibali. Think it is a mistake.

[sgiitk]

One small point but of interest to many of us. What channel(s) is covering it in India?

[Aditya]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

One small point but of interest to many of us. What channel(s) is covering it in India?

Ten Sports has the broadcasting rights if I'm not mistaken. Can't wait for the Tour to start. It's the only sports event that my dad and I watch together.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Ten Sports has the broadcasting rights if I'm not mistaken. Can't wait for the Tour to start. It's the only sports event that my dad and I watch together.

Yes, Ten Sports it is.

Sgiitk - not sure how far you are conversant with the sport. It is a team sports & involves lots of mind game. Teams has their own strategies and usually have a top guy whom all of them support.
During the race, based on attacks & dynamics of the race, team director (who has total picture of what's going on) instructs team members on critical moments and the riders respond accordingly.
This they do while the cover ~3k - 3.5k and gain 50,000 + meters of altitude. Its a spectacle.

Not only TdF, other grand tours like Vuelta & giro, apart from one day classics like Paris Roubaix, Flanders are highly competitive.

[mp417]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

2016 Giro was won by Nibali. Think it is a mistake.

Yes, I overlooked this mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.

Originally Posted by Aditya

It's the only sports event that my dad and I watch together.

Awesome
My kids also watch the tour with me. My daughter simply loves the mountain stages and the way the riders dance on their bicycles during the climbs.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

One small point but of interest to many of us. What channel(s) is covering it in India?

Ten1 HD and Ten1 will broadcast the tour. Will share the detailed schedule as soon as it's launched.
Usually the stages are available live between 5 pm to 9 pm for India.

[sgiitk]

@tifosikrishna; I was fortunate to be in Grenoble one year when the TdF went through the Alps there so I even got to see the excitement first hand. We used to go to Grenoble a few times every year for research while I/we were in the UK :1973-76 and 89-91.

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@tifosikrishna; I was fortunate to be in Grenoble one year when the TdF went through the Alps there so I even got to see the excitement first hand. We used to go to Grenoble a few times every year for research while I/we were in the UK :1973-76 and 89-91.

Wow. lucky you are. Surprising that you don't find it interesting. Some the one day classics & stages in multi-day tours are nerve wracking.

To quote an example, in this year's Paris-Roubaix, in the last 10km or so, a group of riders were literally exchanging blows, continuously attacking one after the other, producing insane power. This, after bone breaking, energy sapping 5+ hours in racing (that too in cobble stones).

Race ends in a velodrome and the top contenders entered together and the winner won by less than bike length. Phenomenal it was.

[reverse_gear]

Originally Posted by tifosikrishna

"Contador, meanwhile, won’t be coming into the Tour off the back of winning the Giro in 2016, but Merckx doesn’t believe the 33-year-old will have the legs to hold off Froome’s assault at another title"

2016 Giro was won by Nibali. Think it is a mistake.

Originally Posted by mp417

Yes, I overlooked this mistake. Thanks for pointing it out.

The article is correct, though not clearly worded. What the author means to say is that in 2015, Contador put a lot of effort into winning the Giro, which made him less prepared and more jaded for the TdF, which follows shortly thereafter. Compared to that, this year, since he has not put effort into winning the Giro, he should theoretically be better prepared for the TdF.

Just seeing the route map, the last week seems to be really brutal. Continuous alpine mountain stages right up to the day before the finish.

[killjoy]

When did cycles come under motorsport?

[tifosikrishna]

Originally Posted by killjoy

When did cycles come under motorsport?

you know what, fad is to have hidden motors and it is called mechanical doping.
Check this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJ76n-ic1I