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Course: Starting from the ferry port at Fromentine, this opening time trial has a few twists and turns in the first 2km, then heads up a curving concrete bridge to the course high point 114 feet above the narrow strait between the mainland and the island of Noirmoutier. The next 11km is on a flat divided highway before a few final curves and turns into Noirmoutier town. History: The last time there was a comparable start to the Tour was at Futuroscope in 2000, when the traditional 8km-or-shorter prologue was replaced by a rolling 16.5km TT. That time, a youthful David Millar surprised Lance

Back in 1965, the renowned French film director Louis Malle made a superb documentary on the Tour de France, titled “Pour un Maillot Jaune” (“For a Yellow Jersey”). There was no commentary to the film. Malle used the sounds and sights of the Tour, and inserted a dramatic soundtrack that switched between total silence and haunting, throbbing techno music. It was not a story of the race. The race told its own story, and produced a totally unexpected winner, an Italian who was a last-minute replacement and riding his first Tour. His name: Felice Gimondi. Forty years later, there could again be

Foto file

Noirmoutier, France, July 2 (AFP) - Bradley McGee might be engaged in his own battle to boost his overall performance on the Tour de France but that has not stopped him tipping Michael Rogers to become the first Australian winner of the yellow jersey in Paris. McGee, who won the prologue at the 2003 Tour for his Francaise des Jeux team, has spent the last few campaigns in July helping teammate Baden Cooke in the bunch sprints. But after a long, hard 10 months year of climbing in the mountains in a bid to better prepare himself for this year's race, the 29-year-old New South Wales rider

By blasting away his main overall rivals in the stage 1 time trial Saturday, Discovery Channel's Lance Armstrong wiped away any lingering suspicion that he has come to the Tour de France short on form. Now, his goal of taking a seventh consecutive title already looks a lot closer. He may have finished two seconds shy of winning the 19km race against the clock from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-I'Ile, but losing the stage to former teammate David Zabriskie of CSC was no disgrace. The 26-year-old from Salt Lake City completed his ride in a blistering 20:51. That's an average speed

Fred Rodriguez will be Robbie McEwen’s top lead-out man in the hunt for stage wins in the mass sprints, and that’s just fine by him. “Fast Freddy” believes his chances will come in what’s his fifth Tour de France start. “I’ll be mostly working for Robbie,” Rodriguez told VeloNews. “I think in the second half of the Tour there will be some chances for me, on the courses that are a little more selective, when maybe some of the bigger guys will have some trouble getting through.” The Californian said working for other sprinters is something he’s used to. In his 2000 Tour debut with Mapei, he

Stage 1 - results1. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 19km in 20:51 (54.676kph)2. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, at 00:023. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, at 00:534. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, at 00:575. Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun), Credit Agricole, at 00:596. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, at 1:027. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Fassa Bortolo, at 1:028. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, at 1:049. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears, at 1:0510. Igor Gonzalez Galdeano (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 1:06 11. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, at 1:0712. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, at 1:0813. Jose Enrique

In his interview with L’Equipe at the end of last year, Walter Godefroot acknowleged that he “had been forced to think commercially” in holding onto Jan Ullrich as a captain, even though Andreas Klöden was clearly the stronger man. Ullrich is the marketing front of the T-Mobile corporation, the most popular German cyclist ever. So despite the fact that Klöden was second in last year’s Tour and that Alexandre Vinokourov was having a superb spring campaign, Ullrich has been relentlessly sold to the German public as Lance Armstrong’s main challenger and the undisputed number one at T-Mobile. It

David Zabriskie’s third brake lever probably did not play a role in Saturday’s opening time trial, although his bunny-hopping entire traffic circles instead of riding around them certainly raised a few eyebrows (just kidding). But the extra brake lever on the handlebar extensions has been a source of great interest (see VeloNews, June 27, 2005), and a number of the teams are using them. In a flat individual time trial like the one that opened the 2005 Tour de France, the third lever may not help much beyond taking a little speed off for a corner here or there. It is very useful in courses

Keepers of statistics will love this one. In trouncing his main GC opponents at the opening 19km time trial of the Tour on Saturday, Lance Armstrong raced at precisely 54.545 kph. Sound familiar? Well, yes. When Greg LeMond rode his famous 24.5km time trial between Versailles and Paris at the 1989 Tour, to overcome a 50-second deficit on Laurent Fignon, he raced at precisely 54.545 kph. What’s even more important for Armstrong is that, while conceding the stage win to former teammate Dave Zabriskie by two seconds, he defeated third-place Alexandre Vinokourov by 51 seconds, Floyd Landis by

Hello,Well, I had planned to start this Tour with a good result early on, and frankly, as I rode the time trial today, I felt pretty good … until I was caught and passed by Lance. That is not a particularly good feeling, especially on the first stage. I really can’t explain it. Maybe it did have something to do with the crash I had the other day. I did lose some blood, but really, I don’t believe that is the cause. I didn’t feel too bad at all this morning and I felt pretty optimistic about the stage and the Tour in general. Then Lance came flying past me, finishing just two seconds off of

Zabriskie en route to victory

Photo Files - TDF05

Armstrong overhauls Ullrich

Zabriskie dons the first yellow jersey of the 2005 Tour

Vinokourov may be T-Mobile's leader, after all.

Landis expanded the U.S. presence in the top 10, crossing sixth

Hincapie rides into fourth place

Horner finished more than two minutes off of Zabriskie's pace

Leipheimer

Is Ullrich seeing this Tour ride away from him, too?

T-Mobile has another serious threat in Vinokourov

The Lampre-Caffita bikes sport a third brake lever, like Zabriskie's

Um, now, about that wheel fairing . . .

A little detail on that brake lever.

PROF6

Prof7

Didi by

Tourmalet

Photo Files - TDF05

Photo Files - TDF05

Photo Files - TDF05

Viaduc de Millau

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So here we are - the Tour de France starts Saturday. It’s almost hard to believe that after all the hype and buildup the race is actually set to begin. All the racers, team staff, officials, work crews, media and fans have been looking forward to this for months, and the start day is finally around the corner. I know we at VeloNews worked hard on our Tour de France guide, even if some of our readers’ pets don’t appreciate our efforts. Anyhow, buckle up, I think it’s going to be a good one this year. With the exception of the unforgettable 2003 Tour, it seems as though for the past five

Jan Ullrich's bid to upstage six-time champion Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France got off to a bad start Friday when the T-Mobile rider crashed into a team car during training. The 1997 Tour winner was training with his team when he failed to spot a warning to brake and slammed into the car's back window. The five-time runner-up sustained minor cuts and scratches to his neck, but will start Saturday's time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile. “He did not see the special sign we make when the car has to brake,” T-Mobile press officer Luuc Eisenga said by

Yellow-jersey contender Ivan Basso is not new to the idea of hoping to win the Tour de France, and the Italian affirmed here Friday he is ready to give Lance Armstrong a run for his money. Basso, who has already won the race's white jersey for the best-placed rider age 25 years or under, was the only rider to really threaten Armstrong in the Pyrenees last year. The 28-year-old Italian won a stage at La Mongie ahead of Armstrong, who relegated the classy CSC rider to second place a day later. Basso's efforts left him with a respectable third-place finish on the Champs Elysées last

Reigning champion Lance Armstrong will begin his bid for a seventh consecutive Tour de France crown on Saturday when he starts last off the ramp for the opening stage, a 19km time trial through western France. For a course profile, click here Armstrong, who begins his race at 18:48 local time (16:48 GMT), is among the favorites to pull on the race's yellow jersey along with Italian Ivan Basso, Germany's Jan Ullrich and Colombia's Santiago Botero. Organizers have made the opening stage more difficult, compared to the traditional prologues of around 6-8km in recent years, by

Few people in cycling have been to the Tour de France as often as T-Mobile director Walter Godefroot. This year he will accompany the Tour for the 32nd and final time - Godefroot is resigning from team management at the end of this year, to be replaced by former sprinter Olaf Ludwig. In an interview with the Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung yesterday, Godefroot was unusually candid about the dynamics within the team, renewing his criticism of T-Mobile star Jan Ullrich, discussing his strained relationship with team co-founder Rudy Pevenage, and outlining T-Mobile’s strategy to defeat Lance

Levi Leipheimer huddled against the cold wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean at a Gerolsteiner team presentation Friday afternoon. He wouldn’t shake hands with journalists who came for an interview. With Leipheimer starting the Tour in his best condition ever, there’s no jinxing the form now. Sitting on a beach with the Pont de Noirmoutier towering overhead -- the same bridge he and the 188 other starting riders will tackle in Saturday’s 19km time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile – a leaner, meaner Leipheimer quietly puts himself among the top-line contenders. “Yes, I am more

Dave Zabriskie was gobbling down French sweets at an alarming rate Friday afternoon as journalists gathered around the tall, slender Utahan to learn more about this American making his Tour de France debut. “I feel stupendously happy. There’s a lot of free candy in the press room,” Zabriskie said with a wry smile. “Who doesn’t like free candy?” The world’s press is about to get the “Zabriskie treatment,” a mixture of humor, sarcasm and insight that keeps the hacks in stitches. How’s the motivation for the team? “Super motivated – the Prozac is being passed around nightly.” Are you

The riders of the 2005 Tour de France were on display Friday during a parade for the fans and the traditional team introductions. Our man Casey Gibson was on hand with his bag of cameras - here are a few of the postcards he sent home.

A critic savaged this year's Tour de France Guide

Just when you thought TV couldn't get any worse, we have Roll in the raw

'Hell on Wheels' rolls into Boulder tonight

Armstrong and Simeoni carry their dispute into stage 18 of the 2004 Tour

Basso and Riis before the start of the 2005 Tour

Leipheimer and the Gerolsteiner guys recon the stage-1 route

The parade leaders - future yellow jerseys?

The defending champ, riding in his final Tour

Faithful lieutenant Hincapie

Perennial rival Ullrich, sporting a bandage after a training mishap

Horner finally gets to the big show, and seems happy to be there

Rodriguez, sans stars-and-stripes this year

The wise-cracking Zabriskie takes his sense of humor to a whole new level

The Lithuanian cycling federation on Thursday deplored the aggressive manner in which the Baltic state's star cyclist Raimundas Rumsas was arrested in Italy this week. “Why use these hard-line tactics?" questioned Vytautas Zubernis, vice-president of the Baltic state's cycling federation. "Raimundas Rumsas lives in Europe. He is not in hiding. This kind of arrest would be justified if he had refused to attend his hearing" Rumsas was detained Wednesday in Italy on a European international arrest warrant issued by French prosecutors investigating drug trafficking. In 2002 Rumsas was

When Lance Armstrong announced his retirement, to begin July 24, theimplications for the 2005 Tour de France couldn’t have been more profound.Three weeks after the six-time defending champion takes the start in Fromentineon July 2, one of two historic scenarios will develop: Either a rival willrise to the occasion and become the only rider to have stopped Armstrongin his streak of Tour victories, or Armstrong will further distance himselffrom an elite group of five-time Tour champions with an unprecedented seventhconsecutive victory. Either way, the cycling world awaits the outcome. Since

With a little bit of luck, T-Mobile will arrive at the 2005 Tour withits full weaponry in place and finely honed. The German powerhouse hopesto wage a three-front war on Lance Armstrong, spearheaded by perennialTour contender Jan Ullrich and buttressed by a resurgent Andreas Klödenand the ever-combative Alexander Vinokourov. And if all goes accordingto plan, T-Mobile hopes its time to bring down Armstrong may have finallycome. “I’ve been trying for a long time to prove that there is strength innumbers, but I’ve never been able to get everything to come together,”says T-Mobile team manger

The latest Photo Gallery in our continuing photo contest has now been posted for your viewing pleasure. Last Week's WinnerWe’ve awarded a copy of Graham Watson’s "Landscapes of Cycling." to Bill Parsons for "Bug Eyes," a shot that perfectly captures that "Oh $#@&!!!!" moment of realization that something is going on behind you. Thank you and congratulations Bill. We'll be sending you a copy of Graham Watson's "Landscapesof Cycling. This Week's ContestThe announcement of a winner also signals the start of a New Contest, so go ahead and take a look at the Gallery from this

Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said he isn’t quite ready to decide on his post-cycling career path until after he finishes this year’s race and takes “a few years to just relax and really evaluate what I want to do with my life.” Armstrong held a pre-Tour press conference in Challans, France. Thursday, two days before the start of what he has promised will be his final professional race. Armstrong will saddle up on Saturday hoping that the "tough" 19km time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier will begin a successful final trek around the country which has been his home every July

The 92nd edition of the Tour de France promises to be one of the most competitive in the event’s history. Each of the 21 teams is made up of riders with specific roles. Climbers, sprinters, time trialists and domestiques. Each is essential to a team’s success at the tour. Here is a look at each of the teams contesting the race. AGR-Prevoyance (France)Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra)Ludovic Turpin (Fra)Mikel Astarloza (Spa)Nicolas Portal (Fra)Samuel Dumoulin (Fra)Simon Gerrans (Aus)Stéphane Goubert (Fra)Sylvain Calzati (Fra)Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) Bouygues Telecom (France)Anthony Geslin (Fra)Didier

Once a year we get a cycling event that is so big that it deserves its own special corner of VeloNews.com. Keep track of the greatest sporting event in the world by logging visiting www.velonews.com/tour2005/ and bookmarking the site to follow developments throughout the three-week-long Tour de France. We will have live daily coverage, daily highlight videos of each stage, full results, and pictures. Don't miss out on any of the great stories that will make up the fabric of this year's Tour de France!

Armstrong's Stage 17 win last year capped a dominant Tour.

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new winner and a new gallery

Armstrong works his way through a crowd of reporters to attend a pre-Tour press conference in Challans on Thursday.

Armstrong and his Discovery Channel teammates reconnoiter Saturday's time trial course.

Floyd Landis isn’t one to take things too seriously; be it himself or the often-intense business of racing bicycles. The 29-year-old enters this year’s Tour de France anxious to prove to the world he deserves his shot at being a team leader, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun along the way. After a strong ride at the Dauphiné Libéré, Landis rolls into Fromentine this Saturday knowing his form is on target for the season’s big test. Phonak officials are quietly confident their man can deliver a top-five result, perhaps even claw his way onto the podium. VeloNews European

Dan Coyle is a contributing editor for Outside magazine, a two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and the author of “Hardball: A Season in the Projects.” Most recently, Coyle spent the 2004 season following Lance Armstrong and has offered his insights in his book "LanceArmstrong's War," which reached bookstores last week. VeloNews contributor Sebastian Moll recently had a chance to sit down with Coyle and discuss the impressions a year spent with "Lance Inc." made on the author from Homer, Alaska. VeloNews: So, after nearly a year trying to figure it out, maybe we should start

Lithuanian rider Raimondas Rumsas has been detained in Italy on a European international arrest warrant issued by French prosecutors investigating drug trafficking. His French lawyer, Alexandre Varaut, told AFP they would be appealing to a Florence court to get the 33-year-old Rumsas released. In 2002 Rumsas was involved in a scandal after his wife Edita was caught with large quantities of growth hormones and other drugs in her car after the Tour de France in which Rumsas had finished third. Rusmas had already left France but his wife was jailed for several months before being released and

The week before the Tour de France is finally here. The second half of the season has already begun. The Giro d’Italia is long over, along with the Dauphiné and Tour du Suisse. Before you know it, we will be at Lombardi racing the last race of the calendar. I raced – well okay, I participated – in the Dauphiné after the Giro. I stopped with one day to go and even that was a few days too late. I have been at home ever since. It's a weird feeling being home after more-or-less racing non-stop for five weeks. You find yourself ridiculously restless and then absolutely knackered all at

PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's team director says only three riders could threaten the Texan's bid for a seventh straight Tour de France title when cycling's showcase race begins Saturday. Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's tactical adviser in each of his six Tour wins, picked 1997 winner Jan Ullrich, Alexandre Vinokourov and Ivan Basso as the main competition. ''I think those three are the real challengers,'' Bruyneel said this week in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Vinokourov is not as quick as his T-Mobile teammate Ullrich on time trials, but