Questions and answers about the 105th Tour de France

The starting signal is a 201 km long flat stage in the Vendee, at the end of which a sprinter is expected to take the yellow jersey. 3351 km and 21 stages lie ahead of the 176 riders from 22 teams. The most important cycling race in the world traditionally ends on July 29th on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Who are the favorites? The overall victory goes to Christopher Froome again this year. After his acquittal in the asthma drug affair, the Briton is allowed to compete and is aiming for a historic fifth overall victory in France. However, the Sky captain has the Giro d'Italia in his bones, which he won in May. The competition sees their opportunity in this. The Frenchman Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), ex-tour winner Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Bahrain-Merida), the Australian Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team), last year's runner-up Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First-Drapac) and his Colombian compatriot Nairo Quintana (Movistar) are among the toughest rivals. What are the highlights of the 2018 tour? The course is equally challenging for all starters. In the fight for overall victory, five stages are likely to be particularly influential: the team time trial on Monday around Cholet, the cobblestone sections on the way to Roubaix, the legendary climb to L'Alpe d'Huez, the 65 km long mountain sprint in the final week and the mountainous time trial the penultimate stage. What's new this year? The rules of the Tour de France 2018 have been modified in some places compared to the previous year. The most crucial change was in the size of the team: only eight drivers instead of the previous nine will compete in each of the 22 teams, and the size of the field will be reduced accordingly from 198 to 176 drivers. Time credits of 3, 2 and 1 seconds will be reintroduced for the intermediate sprints of the first nine stages - the team time trial is excluded. Where can you watch the Tour de France on TV? Eurosport will broadcast every stage of the Tour de France 2018 live and in full length with the start of the international signal on free TV on Eurosport 1 and in the live stream. The first usually starts broadcasting live in the afternoon, and ARD also shows the entire race on sportschau.de and the channel One. What is there to win? Compared to other sports such as tennis and golf, the prize money in the world's most important cycling race is relatively modest, but by cycling standards the financial incentives are enormous. Anyone who stands on the podium in Paris wearing the yellow jersey will receive a prize of an impressive 500.000 euros. The difference to the other jersey ratings is huge. The winners of the green and polka dot jerseys have to be content with 25.000 euros each. The best young professional in the white jersey receives 20.000 euros. A stage win brings 11.000 euros. There is 50.000 euros for victory in the team classification, 20.000 euros for the most combative driver of the entire tour. What is the situation regarding doping? The Christopher Froome case was ultimately not a doping case - that's what the world association UCI decided shortly before the tour. The British defending champion, who had high levels of the asthma drug salbutamol in his blood at the 2017 Vuelta, was acquitted of any wrongdoing after an agonizingly long trial. But it is precisely because of the Froome case that the tour is now particularly under observation when it comes to doping.

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Questions and answers about the 105th Tour de France

The 105th Tour de France starts on Saturday.

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