The 100th edition of the Tour de France kicks off in Corsica on Saturday, with Britain's Chris Froome taking to the start line as heavy favourite.
Mark Cavendish eyes yellow jersey
Mark Cavendish is targeting winning the yellow jersey on the opening stage of the Tour de France in Corsica. The Tour usually starts with a prologue time trial, but this year offers sprinters a rare opportunity to get their hands on the coveted
maillot jaune with a flat stage one from Porto Vecchio to Bastia. The yellow jersey is one of few absentees from Cavendish's glittering CV, but he said: "It's a big, big goal and a huge motivation for a team built around stage wins. It is a strong group of sprinters this year. To get a win won't be easy, especially in the first stage of the Tour."
The Tour's key climbs
The Tour de France's mountains invariably decide the destination of the yellow jersey and this year that is almost guaranteed to be the case. A brutally mountainous route has been laid out to mark the 100th staging of the race and any rider not on his game in the hills can forget about topping the podium in Paris. We looked at
eight climbs that could make or break the riders' chances, including the merciless Mont Ventoux, spectacular Alpe d'Huez, Col de la Madeleine, Cold u Glandon, Ax 3 Domaines and Annecy Semnoz.
Team Sky name strong squad
Chris Froome's bid to win this summer's Tour de France will be
supported by a Team Sky squad packed with climbing experts, Olympic champions and stage-race specialists. Team Sky have named the same squad that helped Froome dominate the Criterium du Dauphine earlier this month, with Belarusian workhorse Kanstantsin Siutsou added to make up the nine-man roster. Also included are Paris-Nice winner Richie Porte, Olympic track champions Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh, 2012 British national road race champion Ian Stannard, climbers Vasil Kiryienka and David Lopez, and all-rounder Edvald Boasson Hagen.
