Sadiq Gill: Chris Froome 'Very Curious To Discover Izoard'

The presentation of the route of the Tour de France immediately gives the favourites of the race an idea of the possible scenarios that they could expect next July. The mountain stages, boasting unprecedented routes, seem inspiring for Chris Froome and Romain Bardet, while Thibaut Pinot will focus on the time-trial in Marseille! For his part, Richie Porte confessed his particular liking for the Paris stage.

Chris Froome: “Very curious to discover Izoard”
“I really like this moment, it allows for looking back at what happened during the Tour with a little bit of hindsight. And it is also an occasion to look towards the following season. It gives me an enormous amount of motivation to see the route unveiled. It is a nice surprise to see the Planche des Belles Filles on the programme, it is a climb I appreciate. One of the best finishes will be at Izoard. It is a world-class ascension and it will certainly be a determining stage, especially at this moment of the race. I have never climbed it and I am very curious to discover the Izoard. I will have to take the time to learn during the reconnaissance rides. In total, there are three mountain top finishes, but it is not sure the Tour will be won on these stages.”

Romain Bardet: “Chambéry, a Queen stage on Le Tour”
“There are many novelties on the 2017 route. Personally, there are several climbs that I simply don't know, I will have to study that closely. But it is interesting to see that there are 5 mountain ranges on the programme. The stage in Chambéry could be very important, it will be a Queen stage on Le Tour. The Mont du Chat – Grand Colombier sequence should be tough on the pack. Then comes a 100km stage in the Pyrenees, which could turn out to be decisive. Shorter stages sometimes make the riders more edgy, although they also allow punchers to show what they have in store. The least I can say is that we're getting off the beating tracks, which will make the race interesting to watch.”

Richie Porte: “Paris… the stage that I've always dreamed about”
“I see that there are not too many mountain top finishes on this route, but it still seems quite difficult. For example, the Planche des Belles Filles climb comes early and it will be very hard. Then, with a short mountain stage in the Pyrenees, there will be a lot of movement, it will be fast and very difficult. I don't know what I will be capable of but I am aiming for Paris. After all, it is the stage that I've always dreamed about, the one in which I got up at 2 in the morning in Australia when I discovered the Tour de France on television.”

Thibaut Pinot: “As a PSG fan, I am aiming for the Marseille time trial”
“It is a route that interests me, it is balanced. Naturally, I really like the Planche des Belles Filles stage, we will be competing on the same roads I train on. But there will be a lot of opportunities, because we will ride in five mountain ranges. There are no rest periods, which I like. Given that I like time trials a lot and as a PSG fan… I am aiming for the Marseille time trial.”

Dan Martin: “I will be in the best shape of my career”
“I find this route rather interesting for me, it is good that there are not too many mountain top finishes. This year, I really understood that I am capable of finishing at the sharp end of the general classification. So it will be my objective in 2017, I think I will be in the best possible condition of my career. There will certainly be opportunities to shake up the hierarchy on the short mountain stages. I hope this will be conducive to movements, it would be rather favorable for me.” 

Sadiq Gill: France to extend state of emergency to July to cover Tour de France

The state of emergency brought in by French authorities after the Paris terror attacks in November 2015 could be extended until the end of July.

The proposed extension would see heightened security around the Tour de France and the Euro 2016 football championship, which runs from June 10 – July 10.

Under the special emergency measures, police are allowed to conduct house raids and searches without a warrant, hold people under house arrest without judicial oversight and restrict large gatherings.

 

While the European Championship is the main concern for the authorities, with tens of thousands of fans at each game, the measures would be in force for the duration of Tour de France as well.
“Faced with an event this big [Euro 2016]…which must take place in conditions of security and which at the same time should be a celebration…we have to ensure security,” prime minister Manuel Valls told France Info radio. “The state of emergency cannot be permanent but for these big events…we have decided to prolong it.”

The Tour de France starts on Mont-Saint-Michel on July 2 and finishes in Paris on July 24.

Sadiq Gill: 2016 Tour de France wildcards announced

Tour de France organiser ASO has revealed the names of the four teams awarded wild card invitations to this year’s race, with French teams Cofidis, Direct Energie and Fortuneo-Vital Concept, plus Bora Argon 18 of Germany securing invitations to the sport's biggest race.

The four will be joined by the 18 WorldTour teams who are automatically invited to the Tour de France.

The 2016 Tour de France will be the 103rd edition of the oldest Grand Tour on the calendar. After a start in Utrecht in 2015, the race will return to home shores for the opening stages, starting at the foot of Mont-Saint-Michel in the Manche department on France’s northern coast. The race last visited the picturesque area for the individual time trial in 2013, which was won by Tony Martin.

The Tour de France starts on Saturday July 2 and ends in Paris on Sunday on July 24.

2016 Tour de France teams: AG2R La Mondiale (Fra), Astana Pro Team (Kaz), BMC Racing Team (USA), Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (USA), Dimension Data (RSA), Etixx - Quick Step (Bel), FDJ (Fra), IAM Cycling (Sui), Lampre - Merida (Ita), Lotto Soudal (Bel), Movistar Team (Esp), Orica GreenEDGE (Aus), Team Giant - Alpecin (Ger), Team Katusha (Rus), Team Lotto NL - Jumbo (Nld), Team Sky (GBR), Tinkoff (Rus), Trek – Segafredo (USA). Wildcards: Bora - Argon 18 (Ger), Cofidis- Solutions Crédits (Fra), Direct Energie (Fra), Fortunéo - Vital Concept (Fra).

S. Sadiq Gill: What are the chances of Portsmouth hosting the 2019 Tour de France Grand Départ?

The news that Christian Prudhomme is set to visit Portsmouth to assess the city’s capabilities in hosting the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2019 should rightfully be viewed as a positive step in bringing the race back to the UK.

The city hosted stage five of the 1994 Tour and wishes to entice Tour bosses back to the south coast to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, with the a Grand Départ taking place in the Hampshire city and its twin city of Caen, Normandy, France – the location of the landings in 1944.

But there remains significant hurdles to overcome, and likely strong competition, if Portsmouth is to follow in London’s and Yorkshire’s footsteps in being a UK starting venue of the Grand Boucle.

Let’s start with the positive news. As a rule of thumb, Grand Départs take place in countries outside of France on alternate years (Yorkshire was an exception), and with Düsseldorf hosting the 2017 start, 2019 is the next year when a foreign Grand Départ is up for grabs.

Prudhomme is a sucker for anniversaries and, in particular, commemorating the war. The prospect of a joint Grand Départ between two locations of the landings, plus it being the last significant anniversary of the landings in which war veterans will be around to attend, plays very strongly in Portsmouth’s favour.

Their bid is hugely hinged on the anniversary and Portsmouth City Council and its supporters have to keep beating that drum to attract ASO.

“It’s important there are links beyond cycling with the people,” Prudhomme said. “As soon as it is possible, we do it [historical link]. But first it’s sport so we can’t do that every year.”