Hello all, this is a post to direct you to the TDF coverage here, and in other places.
My contribution is my comprehensive preview post, covering the general race info (such as the jerseys and how they are award), a general overview of the course, and a in depth analysis of the contenders for the main competitions. Another post should come out very soon on riders to watch in terms of stage wins and a couple of posts of key stages of the Tour de France in terms of the overall competition.
I will post links here to good sources for understanding and viewing the Tour de France
Glossary: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-glossary
There are many terms used in cycling to describe the race, and to newcomers this can seem like a massive wall of jargon. These terms have come about naturally throughout the 10o year plus history of cycling from several different languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Flemish, Dutch, Basque, English and more), including a number of dialects. This link provides a comprehensive overview of the jargon used in cycling and what it means.
How cycle racing works:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2005/07/how_do_cycling_teams_work.html
Cycling is a very unique sport, due to the nature of it and due to its history. It is one of the few main sports not to have originated in the UK, and for most of its history it has been an exclusively continental European sport. In addition, the extreme demands of cycling make it quite different from say running. For all these reasons cycling can seem very alien and hard to understand. This link explains well the tactics and the reasons for these tactics.
TV Coverage: The Tour de France is covered extensively by TV in the UK. ITV4 will be showing every stage live, plus hour long highlights at 19:00. The stages will be on ITV4 every day at 14:00-17:30 (sometimes later), these times will change when the race enters the mountains (starting earlier and ending later). The ITV 4 coverage is very good, it is very entertaining and informative, with good features and good explanation of how cycling works. ITV4 have even more coverage on their website, with a number of interviews, features and sections on the history of the TDF etc:
http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/
http://www.itv.com/ - to stream live
In addition there is comprehensive coverage from Eurosport, including the option to watch the TDF in HD and online (if you subscribe for £3-5 per month). The Eurosport is a bit more “hardcore”, with no features, and the commentators go into great detail/ So it is probably more suited to people familiar with cycling. The commentary is at a slighter higher level than ITV 4 with very strong analysis, especially from Sean Kelly, a cycling legend who can read a race very well and has had a wealth of experience at the highest level of cycling. In addition they often get good interviews due to the fact that Eurosport is a European wide broadcaster of cycling and can get interviews from all riders, which the commentators can translate.
Eurosport have a decent TDF online presence here:
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/cycling/tour-de-france/
Online in-depth news coverage/ analysis:
If you get really into the TDF/ cycling general these links are brilliant. Cycling news is the best for up to date news, including riders perspectives on the race (as most of these interviews/ coverage is done by foreign media, which cycling news translate). Cycling news also has some analysis, either by staff, or guest blogs from ex-pros. It also hosts blogs by riders (including some big names) in the TDF (and other races) providing there insight into the race.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/
Velonews and Velonation are good for in depth features about cycling, including good analysis of the race progression.
http://www.velonation.com/
http://velonews.competitor.com/
Behind the scenes info/ in-depth analysis: The inner ring is the best place for this, offering insightful information even for those with a very good knowledge of cycling.
http://inrng.com/
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