July 4, 2008 – The 95th Tour de France is set to start this weekend, and while much of the media attention has focused around the ground breaking exclusion of Astana, the team of both last year’s winner Alberto Contador and 3rd-placed Levi Leipheimer from the USA, for Canadian cycling fans will also be the end of a decade-long drought. For the first time since 1997 there will be a Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Chipotle), toeing the start line at the world’s greatest bike race. While in 1997 Gord Fraser, riding for l’Equipe Mutuele de Seine et Marne, failed to finish the race, it remains to be seen if Hesjedal can match Fraser’s top-ten stage performance – he placed 7th on Stage 2.

With two of last year’s podium finishers not there with Astana absent, the pundits have speculated wildly as to who might wear yellow into Paris on the final day. This year’s race profile features more climbing and less time trialing than past editions, with four mountain finishes in store for riders, including the famed Hautacam and L’Alpe d’Huez finishes (stages 10 and 17). By comparison there are a relatively sparse number of time trial kilometres (82.5) between the two time trials on stages 4 and 20. However the 20th stage time trial holds the potential to be the deciding factor if a pure climber were to come out of the mountain stages without a solid lead.

Australian Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) is considered the race favourite, as the only returning rider from last year’s top-3 on GC – Evans finished second last year. His consistency over the last three years bodes well for him to take the final steps to victory this year.

While a host of rivals have declared their intentions to claim the overall title this year, most dangerous amongst them is Italy’s Damian Cunego of the Lampre squad, who has begun to fulfill some of promises of the astronomic talent he displayed a few years back. Cunego won the white young rider’s jersey at his only Tour appearance in 2006.

Also not to be discounted is the versatile Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) who finished 6th last year and is likely to be one of the great animators of the race. Other riders who can set off fireworks are the young and temperamental Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval) and the Schleck brothers (CSC-Saxo Bank).

The sprint competition is likely to de dominated by the likes of Mark Cavendish (Columbia), Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto), Stuart O’Grady (CSC-Saxo Bank) and Barloworld riders, Robert Hunter and Baden Cooke, all looking for stage wins and a piece of the green jersey competition.

Stay tuned for more coverage, results, and photos at pedalmag.com.

2008 Tour de France Stages
Stage 1 – Saturday, July 5 – Brest – Plumelec 197.5 km
Stage 2 – Sunday, July 6 – Auray – Saint-Brieuc 164.5 km
Stage 3 – Monday, July 7 – Saint-Malo – Nantes 208 km
Stage 4 – Tuesday, July 8 – Cholet – Cholet, Individual time-trial 29.5 km
Stage 5 РWednesday, July 9 РCholet РCh̢teauroux 232 km
Stage 6 – Thursday, July 10 – Aigurande – Super-Besse 195.5 km
Stage 7 – Friday, July 11 – Brioude – Aurillac 159 km
Stage 8 – Saturday, July 12 – Figeac – Toulouse 172.5 km
Stage 9 РSunday, July 13 РToulouse РBagn̬res-de-Bigorre 224 km
Stage 10 – Monday, July 14 – Pau – Hautacam 156 km

Rest Day – Tuesday, July 15 Pau

Stage 11 -Wednesday, July 16 – Lannemezan – Foix 167.5 km
Stage 12 – Thursday, July 17 – Lavelanet – Narbonne 168.5 km
Stage 13 РFriday, July 18 РNarbonne РN̨mes 182 km
Stage 14 РSaturday, July 19 РN̨mes РDigne-les-Bains 194.5 km
Stage 15 – Sunday, July 20 – Embrun – Prato Nevoso 183 km

Rest Day – Monday, July 21 – Cuneo

Stage 16 – Tuesday, July 22 – Cuneo – Jausiers 157 km
Stage 17 – Wednesday, July 23 – Embrun – L’Alpe-d’Huez 210.5 km
Stage 18 – Thursday, July 24 – Bourg-d’Oisans – Saint-Étienne 196.5 km
Stage 19 РFriday, July 25 РRoanne РMontlṳon 165.5 km
Stage 20 РSaturday, July 26 РC̩rilly РSaint-Amand-Montrond, Individual time-trial 53 km
Stage 21 – Sunday, July 27 – Étampes – Paris Champs-Élysées 143 km

October 25, 2007 — The 2008 Tour de France will start on July 5 in Brittany’s Brest for the third time since 1905. According to race director Christian Prudhomme, “It’s a fundamental principle: a Tour that starts in Brittany finishes with the crowning of a cycling giant. Look at the evidence: Brest 1952: 1st Coppi; Rennes 1964: 1st Anquetil; Brest 1974: 1st Merckx; Plumelec 1985: 1st Hinault; Saint-Brieuc 1995: 1st Indurain!”

The tour will run through July 27th, covering 3,500km in 21 stages, including four mountain finishes, two rest days, 82 kilometres of individual time-trials and 19 Category 1, Category 2 and highest level passes.

Stages

– Stage 1: Flat – Saturday, July 5 – Brest-Plumelec – 195km
– Stage 2: Flat – Sunday, July 6 – Auray-Saint-Brieuc – 165km
– Stage 3: Flat – Monday, July 7 – Saint-MaloNantes – 195km
– Stage 4: Individual time trial – Tuesday, July 8 – Cholet-Cholet – 29km
РStage 5: Flat РWednesday, July 9 РCholet-Ch̢teauroux Р230km
– Stage 6: Medium mountains – Thursday, July 10 – Aigurande Super-Besse Sancy – 195km
– Stage 7: Medium mountains – Friday, July 11 – Brioude-Aurillac – 158km
– Stage 8: Flat – Saturday, July 12 – Figeac-Toulouse – 174km
РStage 9: High Mountains РSunday, July 13 РToulouse-Bagn̬res-de-Bigorre Р222km
– Stage 10: High Mountains – Monday, July 14 – Pau-Hautacam – 154km
– Rest Day – Tuesday, July 15 – Pau
– Stage 11: Medium mountains – Wednesday, July 16 – Lannemezan-Foix – 166km
– Stage 12: Flat – Thursday, July 17 – Lavelanet-Narbonne – 168km
РStage 13: Flat РFriday, July 18 РNarbonne-N̨mes Р182km
РStage 14: Flat РSaturday, July 19 РN̨mes-Digne-les-Bains Р182km
– Stage 15: High Mountains – Sunday, July 20 – Digne-les-Bains-Prato Nevoso – 216km
– Rest Day: Monday, July 21 – Cuneo
– Stage 16: High Mountains – Tuesday, July 22 – Cuneo-Jausiers – 157km
– Stage 17: High Mountains – Wednesday, July 23 – Embrun-L’Alpe-d’Huez – 210km
– Stage 18: Medium mountains – Thursday, July 24 – Bourg-d’Oisans-Saint-Étienne – 197km
РStage 19: Flat РFriday, July 25 РRoanne-Montlṳon Р163km
РStage 20: Individual time trial РSaturday, July 26 РC̩rilly-Saint-Amand-Montrond Р53km
– Stage 21: Flat – Sunday, July 27 – Étampes-Paris Champs-Élysées – 143km