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Featured this year during Stage 11, Col du Tourmalet is the highest paved road in the French Pyrénées at 2115m (6939'). This is a view looking down the more scenic west side where the riders will climb over from on July 13th. Here's our photo and video preview report of Col du Tourmalet which has become the most popular report posted on steephill.tv
Now posted: 2007 Tour de France route map and stage details
2006 Tour de France Stage Details, Route Map, Teams, TV Schedule, Live Updates, Results and Photos
If you are looking for one single “dashboard” page that summarizes this year's Tour de France and points you to the important stuff on the official site and elsewhere then here it is. The complete provisional starting rosters have been added at the bottom of this page and other details will be added as released.
Of course, the mountain stages are of particular interest and Russell Standring of the Grenoble Cycling Pages, has put together a nice preview show of the three French Alps stages and last year, we filed an extensive photo and video Col du Tourmalet report which has easily become the most popular report posted on steephill.tv to date. The Team Discovery Channal site has a good video that captures their recon mission along the two Pyrenees stages as well. Unfortunately, I can't give the direct link but it's easy to find on their Race 2 Replace page.
Follow the news and updates on the banned riders associated with Operación Puerto.
Each day during the Tour, we'll find the best live feed be it video, audio or text. As content becomes available, the "live", "results" and "photos" links (see right in Stage Details table) will be activated. Stay tuned...
— Steve, June 17th, 2006Update Wednesday July 05 14:27 CST: Lots of updates have been made to this page. The best online live coverage is being provided by Eurosport. Eurosport also has streaming (live) audio and video clips from the 2006 Tour. -- Steve
Update Thu July 06 through Sat July 22: It's great watching the Tour with few commercials here in France. The HDTV quality I had yesterday along with the great production was beautiful to watch. Tomorrow (July 07), I'm off on a 10 day cycling trip in the Alps. I've activated the links (to the right) for the rest of the Tour. -- Steve
Update July 25: Congrats to Floyd on a great win. Last week, I watched the entire Morzine stage here in France as Floyd solo'ed to victory and lifted himself back into the GC. An incredible effort needless to say. Up next on steephill.tv, a first draft on my France cycle touring reports featuring the French Alps, Vercors and Provence regions visited this month (July). See you out there -- Steve
Update August 5: Floyd Landis: Did he or didn't he?
Update November 2: Just found a nice recap video (see below) originally uploaded to YouTube on September 26th:
2006 Tour de France Recap Video:
Tour de France Route Map
source: http://www.letour.fr
Running from Saturday July 1st to Sunday July 23th 2006, the 93rd Tour de France will be made up of a prologue and 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.
The 20 stages have the following profiles:
* 9 flat stages,
* 4 medium mountain stages,
* 5 mountain stages,
* 2 individual time-trial stages,
Key points to this year's event
* only 3 mountain finishes,
* 2 rest days,
* 116 kilometres of individual time-trials (including the prologue). No team time-trial.
* 22 category 1, category 2 and hors catégorie climbs
International Television Schedule:
Tour de France on OLN
OLN TV Canada Tour de France
Eurosport will televise stages and highlights.
It's also going to be on ITV4 from 7-8 each night with live weekend coverage on ITV3.
VeloNews 2006 Official Tour de France Guide
2006 Tour de France Team Rosters Start list -- final
Discovery Channel Team CSC 1 José Azevedo (Por) 11 Bobby Julich (USA) 2 Viatsjeslav Ekimov (Rus) 12 Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) 3 George Hincapie (USA) 13 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) 4 Egoi Martinez (Spa) 14 Carlos Sastre (Spa) 5 Benjamin Noval (Spa) 15 Frank Schleck (Lux) 6 Pavel Padrnos (Cze) 16 Christian Vandevelde (USA) 7 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) 17 Jens Voigt (Ger) 8 José Luis Rubiera (Spa) 18 David Zabriskie (USA) 9 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) T-Mobile AG2R-Prevoyance 21 Andreas Klöden (Ger) 31 Christophe Moreau (Fra) 22 Giuseppe Guerini (Ita) 32 José Luis Arrieta (Spa) 23 Serguei Gonchar (Ukr) 33 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) 24 Matthias Kessler (Ger) 34 Sylvain Calzati (Fra) 25 Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) 35 Cyril Dessel (Fra) 26 Michael Rogers (Aus) 36 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) 27 Patrik Sinkewitz (Ger) 37 Simon Gerrans (Aus) 38 Stephane Goubert (Fra) Gerolsteiner Rabobank 41 Levi Leipheimer (USA) 51 Denis Menchov (Rus) 42 Marcus Fothen (Ger) 52 Michael Boogerd (Ned) 43 David Kopp (Ger) 53 Bram De Groot (Ned) 44 Sebastian Lang (Ger) 54 Erik Dekker (Ned) 45 Ronny Scholz (Ger) 55 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) 46 Georg Totschnig (Aut) 56 Oscar Freire (Spa) 47 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) 57 Joost Posthuma (Ned) 48 Peter Wrolich (Aut) 58 Michael Rasmussen (Den) 49 Beat Zberg (Swi) 59 Pieter Weening (Ned) Davitamon-Lotto Phonak 61 Cadel Evans (Aus) 71 Floyd Landis (USA) 62 Mario Aerts (Bel) 72 Bert Grabsch (Ger) 63 Christophe Brandt (Bel) 73 Robert Hunter (RSA) 64 Christopher Horner (USA) 74 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) 65 Robbie McEwen (Aus) 75 Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spa) 66 Fred Rodriguez (USA) 76 Axel Merckx (Bel) 67 Gert Steegmans (Bel) 77 Koos Moerenhout (Ned) 68 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) 78 Alexandre Moos (Swi) 69 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) 79 Victor Hugo Pena (Col) Lampre-Fondital Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears 81 Damiano Cunego (Ita) 91 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) 82 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) 92 David Arroyo (Spa) 83 Daniele Bennati (Ita) 93 Florent Brard (Fra) 84 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) 94 Isaac Galvez (Spa) 85 Salvatore Commesso (Ita) 95 Jose Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) 86 Daniele Righi (Ita) 96 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) 87 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) 97 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) 88 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) 98 Nicolas Portal (Fra) 89 Patxi Vila (Spa) 99 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Quick-Step-Innergetic Crédit Agricole 101 Tom Boonen (Bel) 111 Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) 102 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) 112 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) 103 Steven De Jongh (Ned) 113 Anthony Charteau (Fra) 104 Juan Manuel Garate (Spa) 114 Julian Dean (NZl) 105 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) 115 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) 106 José Rujano (Ven) 116 Patrice Halgand (Fra) 107 Bram Tankink (Ned) 117 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) 108 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) 118 Thor Hushovd (Nor) 109 Cédric Vasseur (Fra) 119 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Euskaltel-Euskadi Cofidis 121 Iban Mayo (Spa) 131 David Moncoutié (Fra) 122 Iker Camano (Spa) 132 Stéphane Auge (Fra) 123 Unai Etxebarria (Ven) 133 Jimmy Casper (Fra) 124 Aitor Hernandez (Spa) 134 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) 125 Inaki Isasi (Spa) 135 Arnaud Coyot (Fra) 126 Inigo Landaluze (Spa) 136 Cristian Moreni (Ita) 127 David Lopez (Spa) 137 Ivan Ramiro Parra (Col) 128 Gorka Verdugo (Spa) 138 Rik Verbrugghe (Bel) 129 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) 139 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Saunier Duval Francaise Des Jeux 141 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) 151 Sandy Casar (Fra) 142 David Canada (Spa) 152 Carlos Da Cruz (Fra) 143 David De La Fuente (Spa) 153 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) 144 José Angel Gomez (Spa) 154 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) 145 Ruben Lobato (Spa) 155 Sébastien Joly (Fra) 146 David Millar (GBr) 156 Gustav Larsson (Swe) 147 Riccardo Ricco (Ita) 157 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) 148 Christophe Rinero (Fra) 158 Christophe Mengin (Fra) 149 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) 159 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Liquigas Bouygues Telecom 161 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) 171 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) 162 Michael Albasini (Ita) 172 Walter Beneteau (Fra) 163 Magnus Backstedt (Swe) 173 Laurent Brochard (Fra) 164 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) 174 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) 165 Kjelt Carlström (Fin) 175 Anthony Geslin (Fra) 166 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) 176 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) 167 Matej Mugerli (Slo) 177 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) 168 Luca Paolini (Ita) 178 Didier Rous (Fra) 169 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) 179 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Milram Agritubel 181 Erik Zabel (Ger) 191 Juan Miguel Mercado (Spa) 182 Mirko Celestino (Ita) 192 Manuel Calvente (Spa) 183 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) 193 Cédric Coutouly (Fra) 184 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) 194 Moises Duenas (Spa) 185 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) 195 Eduardo Gonzalo (Spa) 186 Christian Knees (Ger) 196 Christophe Laurent (Fra) 187 Fabio Sacchi (Ita) 197 José Alberto Martinez (Spa) 188 Björn Schröder (Ger) 198 Samuel Plouhinec (Fra) 189 Marco Velo (Ita) 199 Benoît Salmon (Fra)Follow the news and updates on the bans related to Operación Puerto
