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The 100th Tour de France begins this Saturday. Starting in Corsica, 198 cyclists will roll away from the start line with 3,000km ahead of them, through some of the most brutal and picturesque terrain Europe has to offer. Twenty-one stages over three weeks, with just two rest days among the chain-slips, crashes, saddle sores and terrifying descents: it should be enthralling viewing.
Alongside the excellent and comprehensive coverage, our recent love-in with all things spoked could make this the biggest annual sporting event on the planet. After the major successes of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Team Sky in the last few years, the Tour de France is becoming as major a televisual occasion over here as it is in Continental Europe.
Although Wiggins is absent through injury, last year’s runner-up Chris Froome is favourite, with former doper and ex-champion Alberto Contador his main rival. Expect this race to twist and turn like an Alpine ascent to the very last Saturday.