Week 3: Tour de France Preview

Six final stages will determine the winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Following today’s rest day, the riders will warm up their legs before fighting for big glory in the Alps, racing against the clock at the time trial, and rolling into Paris for the grand finale. Then, they go home and collapse.

But first, Stage 16 resumes the racing tomorrow. The 162.5 kilometer course in southeast France features a slow and steady incline, with a moderate climb and descent into the finish at the city of Gap. The route favors a breakaway and riders who like to attack in the medium mountains. The stage victory will likely go to a surprise winner, while the overall contenders will lay low.

On Wednesday, the Tour de France enters the Alps for Stage 17. The five categorized climbs will challenge the peloton, but only Sestrieres is likely to provide an opportunity for the race leaders to attack. The mountain requires 11.1 kilometers of climbing at an average 6.3% grade. It is a Category 1 climb, meaning very difficult. Because the overall contenders are all within striking distance of the win, each one will try to attack, so tune in for the start of the climb at about 65K to the finish.

Stage 18 on Thursday will decimate the peloton. Three climbs are “hors categorie,” meaning so difficult that they are “beyond category.” The leaders will attack, and somebody is going to get dropped today. The overall winner may be revealed today, or a few might go on fighting it out.

Stage 19 will be the epic battle of this year’s Tour de France. With a finish at the infamous L’Alpe D’Huez, the athletes will try to rip each other apart, while roadside fans in their speedos and devil costumes provide an amusing sideshow. We will probably know the general classification winner at the end of the day. If you are going to watch one mountain stage of the race, watch this one.

If there is any question to the winner of the overall race, it will be decided at the individual time trial in Grenoble on Stage 20 on Saturday. Each cyclist will race against the clock, with the lowest placed man starting first and the current race leader starting last. If the top few riders are within seconds of each other going in to the time trial, it could be a hot contest of individual determination. Evans is a great time trialer, Contador is so-so, and Schleck is not great. Aside from the overall contenders, the time trial will showcase the talents of Fabian Cancellara, the favorite for the stage win, but he will be contested by American Levi Leipheimer, among others. This is the final day of true racing, and exciting performances will occur throughout the stage.

Champs Elysees

Finally, the race returns to Paris for the finale. Most of the course is a symbolic ride, as the winner toasts with champagne on the bike and no one contests the general classification victor. However, when the peloton nears the City of Lights, the sprinters come forward for one last contest for a stage win. Mark Cavendish will look to capture his third annual victory on the finish line at the Champs Elysees, while rivals Tyler Farrar, Alessandro Petacchi, and others aim to best him. After the finish, the winners are presented, including the overall winner who gets the yellow jersey and the points competition winner in the green jersey, among others. And as soon as the men step off the podium, the countdown begins for the 2012 race. It can’t come soon enough!

Television coverage is on Versus, while the online coverage on NBC Sports is available for the final week for a reduced rate of $19.99.