The Tour is coming!!!

The Tour de France is simply the greatest cycling spectacle there is. France is a beautiful backdrop to the most inspiring, painful, tactical and insane sporting event around.

The tour still boasts the biggest audience at any sporting event ever when in 2004 over a million spectators crammed the Alpe de Huez time trial course.

This year the race becomes even more exciting for Australia. We have a genuine contender in Cadel Evans. He showed last year that he had what it takes in the mountains and he has always been strong in time trials so that gives him General Classification possiblity. He kept on saying that it was just a fact finding mission last year and then he finished in the top ten. This year his team have bought a few riders to support him, not just the powerhouse sprinter Robbie McEwen. There will be a lot of other riders there for Australia as well. Michael Rogers will play wing man to the great Jan Ullrich (if Cadel can't I hope Jan can). Stuart O'Grady will be a key supporter of Ivan Basso (the clear favorite at this time). Matt White should be there as well as probably Matt hayman and a few others as well.

My tips for watching the tour are:
1. When it comes out in a few weeks go and purchase the RIDE magazine guide to the tour.
this publication will inform you about the difference between The Yellow, Green, Polker Dot and White Jersey.
2. Look carefully at each stage map so that you can understand the agony the riders are going through and know which stages are most important.
3. Get a general understanding of who controls each stage and why certain teams push to the front so that it all makes sense and then becomes more exciting.
4. Sleep at work so that you can get enough energy to stay up most nights glued to the screen.
5. Read updates on cyclingnews.com
6. If you can't watch the whole stage on SBS its acceptable to watch the 30min nightly wrap up (probably 6pm or 6:30pm on SBS)
7. Make sure you have a few cycling buddies along side in the best stages
8. If beer is your drink stick to the lights or you'll sleep through the finish.

Keep an eye on the Aussie's and have a great time watching one the most exciting and gruelling events you'll ever see. Will power at its best!

STEVE