All the big guns are back with their eyes firmly set on cycling’s biggest prize. Last year’s Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will be out to defend his crown against former teammate and seven time winner Lance Armstrong. This year marks a record 18 Australians competing in the event, a huge increase on the previous high of 12 and a massive indication of the sport’s growing strength and popularity in this country.
Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers will again lead the Aussie assault but look out for young gun Richie Porte after he scooped up the Young Riders Jersey at this year’s Giro d’Italia.
The 20 stages of the 2010 Tour de France will consist of one individual time trial, nine flat stages, four medium mountain stages and six mountain stages including three summit finishes. Competitors will have just two days off over the course of the three week event to rest their weary legs.
There will be the usual visual delights of cobblestone streets and jaw dropping mountain scenery but the real action of the 2010 Tour de France will be out on the road. With 21 teams competing for the various jerseys’ on offer this year’s event is certain to be a hotly contested one.
Press play on the video to get a genuine feel for the enormity of the race and check out the tables below for all your Tour de France stage and team information.
2010 Tour de France Stages
| Stage | Type | Date | Start and Finish | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Prologue | Saturday 3 July | Rotterdam > Rotterdam | 8.9 km |
| 1 | Plain | Sunday 4 July | Rotterdam > Bruxelles | 223.5 km |
| 2 | Hilly | Monday 5 July | Bruxelles > Spa | 201 km |
| 3 | Plain | Tuesday 6 July | Wanze > Arenberg Porte du Hainaut | 213 km |
| 4 | Plain | Wednesday 7 July | Cambrai > Reims | 153.5 km |
| 5 | Plain | Thursday 8 July | Épernay > Montargis | 187.5 km |
| 6 | Plain | Friday 9 July | Montargis > Gueugnon | 227.5 km |
| 7 | Medium mountains | Saturday 10 July | Tournus > Station des Rousses | 165.5 km |
| 8 | High Mountains | Sunday 11 July | Station des Rousses > Morzine-Avoriaz | 189 km |
| R | Rest Day | Monday 12 July | Morzine-Avoriaz | |
| 9 | High Mountains | Tuesday 13 July | Morzine-Avoriaz > Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne | 204.5 km |
| 10 | Medium mountains | Wednesday 14 July | Chambéry > Gap | 179 km |
| 11 | Plain | Thursday 15 July | Sisteron > Bourg-lès-Valence | 184.5 km |
| 12 | Hilly | Friday 16 July | Bourg-de-Péage > Mende | 210.5 km |
| 13 | Plain | Saturday 17 July | Rodez > Revel | 196 km |
| 14 | High Mountains | Sunday 18 July | Revel > Ax 3 Domaines | 184.5 km |
| 15 | High Mountains | Monday 19 July | Pamiers > Bagnères-de-Luchon | 187 km |
| 16 | High Mountains | Tuesday 20 July | Bagnères-de-Luchon > Pau | 199.5 km |
| R | Rest Day | Wednesday 21 July | Pau | |
| 17 | High Mountains | Thursday 22 July | Pau > Col du Tourmalet | 174 km |
| 18 | Plain | Friday 23 July | Salies-de-Béarn > Bordeaux | 198 km |
| 19 | Individual time-trial | Saturday 24 July | Bordeaux > Pauillac | 52 km |
| 20 | Plain | Sunday 25 July | Longjumeau > Paris Champs-Élysées | 102.5 km |
2010 Tour de France Teams
| Team | Team code | Manager |
|---|---|---|
| AG2R-LA MONDIALE | ALM | Vincent Lavenu |
| ASTANA | AST | Yvon Sanquer |
| CAISSE D’EPARGNE | GCE | Eusebio Unzue |
| EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI | EUS | Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano |
| FRANCAISE DES JEUX | FDJ | Marc Madiot |
| FOOTON - SERVETTO | FTS | Mauro Gianetti |
| GARMIN - TRANSITIONS | GRM | Jonathan Vaughters |
| KATUSHA TEAM | KAT | Andreï Tchmil |
| LAMPRE | LAM | Giuseppe Saronni |
| LIQUIGAS - DOIMO | LIQ | Roberto Amadio |
| OMEGA PHARMA – LOTTO | SIL | Marc Sergeant |
| QUICK STEP | QST | Patrick Lefévère |
| RABOBANK | RAB | Erik Breukink |
| TEAMHTC – COLUMBIA | THR | Bob Stapleton |
| TEAM MILRAM | MRM | Marlies Liebregts-Van Gerwen |
| TEAM RADIOSHACK | RSH | Johan Bruyneel |
| TEAM SAXO BANK | SAX | Bjarne RIIS |
| T EAM SKY | SKY | David Brailsford |
| BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM | BBO | Jean-René Bernaudeau |
| BMC RACINGTEAM | BMC | John Lelangue |
| CERVÉLO TEST TEAM | CTT | Joop Alberda |
