The Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages over 23 days and will cover a total distance of 3,519 kilometers. The Tour will comprise of:
- 9 Flat Stages
- 1 Hilly stage
- 9 Mountain stages, including 4 summit finishes
- 2 Individual time trial stages
- 2 rest days.
Distinctive aspects of the race:
- Borders : The 103rd Tour de France will visit three neighboring countries: Spain, the Principality of Andorra and Switzerland.
- Time-Trials: The Individual TT's make a stylish return in the 2016 edition with two sequences, a 37-kilometer stretch during Stage 13 and a 17-kilometer stretch during Stage 18.
- Bonuses: The bonus point system came back in 2015 after a seven-year absence and time bonuses will again be given at the finishes of normal stages. The bonuses will be of 10, 6 and 4 seconds for the first three finishes of each stage.
Jerseys and their significance:Each team has their own unique jersey, which carry the logos of their sponsors. In addition to these, there are distinctive coloured jerseys which hold special merit:
- The Yellow Jersey - is the most coveted one of the lot for it is awarded to the overall champion.
- The Green Jersey - is given to the race's best sprinter.
- The White Jersey - is awarded to the highest ranked rider less than 25 years of age.
- The Pink and Red Polka dot Jersey- is awarded to the race's best climber.
Top Contenders to win the Tour de France:
- Chris Froome (Team Sky): Last years winner of the Yellow Jersey looks to be the first rider since Miguel Indurain in 1995 to win back to back titles.
- Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team): The Italian road cycling champion is fresh of his wins at the Giro di Italia and Tour of Oman and will look to repeat his 2014 tour victory this year.
- Alberto Contador (Tinkoff): will be looking to add another Tour win to his impressive list of accomplishments.
- Nairo Quintana (Movistar): Nairo has had a strong start to the 2016 season and will be looking to capitalize on his good form.
- Richie Porte(BMC): he is one of the best climber in the world for the last couple of years and has been riding to support Chris Froome. His transfer to BMC his main objective is to win big this July.
The pattern formation of multi-coloured jerseys; the French countryside backdrop; selfless teammates performing their best so that their leader can find a way to win it all provides an emotional roller-coaster that draws over 15 million people across the world every July and makes the Tour de France one of the most spectacular sporting events in the world.The Ten Sports Network will be telecasting the Tour de France live in India and you can follow ChooseMyBicycle's Facebook page for updates.
