Lance Armstrong is giving the Tour de France one last go and two-time winner Alberto Contador is again the man standing between the Texan and an eighth title in cycling’s showcase event.
And this time they aren’t on the same team.
With their rivalry in the open, the action on the road has a chance to chase away the perennial doping cloud that lingers over the three-week race.
The nearly 200 competitors in the 97th Tour will start …Â Details
RadioShack might not have the Tour de France favorite in its ranks, but team boss Johan Bruyneel hopes a trio made up of Lance Armstrong, Andreas Kloeden and Levi Leipheimer will derail defending champion Alberto Contador’s bid to win the showcase event for a third time.
Contador, who defeated Armstrong last July to claim a second Tour victory, is favored to defend his title.
But although the Spaniard has the odds on his side, seven-time champion Armstrong  … Details
The route for the 2010 Tour de France starting on Saturday: July 3: Prologue – Rotterdam, 8.9 km
It will be the first time the Tour de France starts with a prologue since the London grand depart in 2007. The route will be flat and is likely to favour a specialist like Swiss Fabian Cancellara. July 4: Stage 1 – Rotterdam – Brussels, 223.5 km
A flat stage that is likely to be decided in a mass sprint. July 5: Stage 2 – Brussels – Spa, 201 km … Details
Cycling’s governing body will perform tests at this year’s Tour de France to ensure that racers are not cheating by using motors hidden in their bicycle frames.
The International Cycling Union said in a statement that “a scanner will be used from the time of the Tour de France.â€
Recent speculation has focused on Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, who denied he won Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders this year with the help of a motorized bike … Details