THE OFFICIAL 2017 RACE GUIDE
TOUR DE FRANCE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
STAGE ANALYSIS
Leading contenders profiled including Froome, Quintana and Contador
Maps, profiles and expert insight from the route director
EVERY TEAM
BEHIND THE SCENES
Rider stats, ones to watch plus predictions from Stephen Roche
© ILLUSTRATION: Alexis Boulivet
UK EDITION
Altitude training and in the wind tunnel with the world’s greatest riders
Volta Catalunya Spain 20-26 March 2017 Froome and Team Sky are caught out on the penultimate stage, losing over 26mins. The result drops Froome from second to 31st overall. He bounces back on the final stage with a late attack, but it only elevates him one position on GC. Image: Getty Images
6 Procycling / Chris Froome: Anatomy of a Champion
GALLERY
Tour de Romandie Switzerland 30 April 2017 The 31-year-old Brit continues his moderate start to the 2017 season with 18th overall. “There's a lot of work to do ahead of the Tour,” he says, “but I'm confident I know how to get the job done.” Image: Getty Images
Chris Froome: Anatomy of a Champion / Procycling 7
14
TOUR ROUTE
TOUR ROUTE
Stage winner Yellow jersey Green jersey Young rider King of the Mountains Race start Race finish Start town Finish town Rest day Stage Individual time trial
Tour de France 2017
Official Programme
CONTENTS
15
CONTENTS 18 Hotshots: The Tour in pictures All the colour, chaos, culture and carnage
34 The guide Everything you need to know about the Tour jerseys, prizes, rules and more
40 Race director Q&A Christian Prudhomme explains the significance of the Tour heading to Germany
42
La Course on the rise La Course by Le Tour is the biggest women’s event of the year
88
Behind the scenes Why the world’s best train at altitude postDauphiné plus wind-tunnel innovations
100
The teams Ultimate guide to every team and rider plus analysis from Tour legend Stephen Roche
146 The route The key stages and mountains that will make or break a rider’s Tour dreams
165 The stages Maps, itineraries, stage profiles and exclusive insight from experienced route director Thierry Gouvenou
213 The records The statistics and records that have made this the world’s greatest sporting event
Official Programme
Tour de France 2017
136
TEAMS
TEAM SKY
Team Sky
Established 2010 Bike sponsor Pinarello Team manager Dave Brailsford DS Dario Cioni, Servais Knaven, Brett Lancaster, Nicolas Portal, Gabriel Rasch, Xabier Zandio
C
hris Froome lines up on 1 July aiming to become only the fifth rider to win four or more times at the Tour de France. If he does, he’d have ridden a different path than his previous three victories where he swept up many a title in the Tour build-up. In 2017, Froome’s finished well down the field at his last two races – Volta a Catalunya and the Tour of Romandie. But Sky intimated at the start of the season that it was all about peaking for the ‘right’ races and Froome remains calm. Which is hardly surprising when he has a support crew that’s the envy of the peloton. Take the Dutch rider Wout Poels, who would lead most Tour teams. And then there’s Stannard, Rowe…
TEAM RANKING
03
2014
26
WINS 2015
2016
45
39 RIDER TO WATCH
RIDER STATISTICS RIDER
DOB
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
TYPE
PRO DEBUT
1
Christopher FROOME
20/05/85
1.86m
69kg
Leader
2007
Team Sky
2
Ian BOSWELL
07/02/91
1.85m
70kg
Climber
2009
Team Sky
3
Philip DEIGNAN
07/09/83
1.80m
65kg
Rouleur
2005
Team Sky
4
Michal GOLAS
29/04/84
1.80m
65kg
All-rounder
2007
Team Sky
5
Sebastián HENAO
05/08/93
1.71m
57kg
Climber
2012
Team Sky
6
Sergio Luis HENAO
10/12/87
1.69m
61kg
Climber
2007
Team Sky
7
Beñat INTXAUSTI
20/03/86
1.76m
59kg
Rouleur
2007
Team Sky
8
Peter KENNAUGH
15/06/89
1.73m
62kg
Rouleur
2010
Team Sky
9
Vasil KIRYIENKA
28/06/81
1.82m
70kg
All-rounder
2004
Team Sky
10 Christian KNEES
05/03/81
1.94m
81kg
Rouleur
2004
Team Sky
11 Michal KWIATKOWSKI
02/06/90
1.76m
68kg
Rouleur
2010
Team Sky
12 Mikel LANDA
13/12/89
1.72m
60kg
Climber
2010
Team Sky
13 David LîPEZ
13/05/81
1.79m
68kg
Rouleur
2003
Team Sky
14 Mikel NIEVE ITURRALDE
26/05/84
1.73m
62kg
Puncheur
2008
Team Sky
15 Wouter POELS
01/10/87
1.83m
66kg
Climber
2006
Team Sky
16 Salvatore PUCCIO
31/08/89
1.82m
62.8kg
All-rounder
2012
Team Sky
17 Luke ROWE
10/03/90
1.83m
72kg
Rouleur
2012
Team Sky
18 Ian STANNARD
25/05/87
1.89m
83kg
Rouleur
2008
Team Sky
19 Geraint THOMAS
25/05/86
1.83m
70kg
Rouleur
2007
Team Sky
20 Danny VAN POPPEL
26/07/93
1.83m
72kg
Rouleur
2012
Team Sky
21 Elia VIVIANI
07/02/89
1.78m
67kg
Sprinter
2010
Team Sky
22 Owain DOULL
02/05/93
1.81m
73kg
Rouleur
2014
Team Wiggins
23 Kenny ELISSONDE
22/07/91
1.59m
52kg
Climber
2012
FDJ
24 Diego ROSA
27/03/89
1.78m
65kg
All-rounder
2013
Astana
25 Lukasz WISNIOWSKI
07/12/91
1.90m
79kg
All-rounder
2013
Etixx-Quick Step
Tour de France 2017
Official Programme
2016 TEAM
CHRIS FROOME The Briton is the man to beat at the Tour, although the likelihood is that it'll actually be difficult to beat him. The big aim remains the Tour-Vuelta double, which he almost pulled off last year.
F O R T U N E O -V I TA L C O N C E P T
TEAMS
137
ROCHE’S ANALYSIS
Froome remains the favourite Chris Froome has already won three Tours. He is the favourite. When his achievements are brought into question, he always likes to adopt the attitude: “I’m here, say what you want, do what you want, find what you want, I know who I am and I’m moving on.” Faced with the same degree of criticism, another person might be more aggressive. But he always acts the gentleman, showing correctness in all circumstances. He deserves 10/10 for his management of the situation and also the respect of the public rather than the whistles that can sometimes be heard.
Official Programme
Tour de France 2017
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