Tour de France 2012: Bradley Wiggins All But Wraps Up Victory

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Tour de France 2012 Results: Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky Dominate Throughout

Another thrilling Tour de France has come to an end. With the final sprint to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, the 2012 edition of the most well-known Grand Tour came to an end. Bradley Wiggins became the first British-born rider to ever capture the title and wear the yellow jersey on the podium.

Wiggins and Team Sky dominated the Tour, as was expected from the outset. Wiggins was tagged as the early favorite to win before the event even began. Over the course of the Tour, Wiggins steadily gained time over his biggest threat, last year's champion Cadel Evans. Evans attempted several unsuccessful attacks throughout the Tour.

Wiggins had a very strong lieutenant in the race, as teammate Chris Froome rode in support of his captain and took second place in the general classification.

Peter Sagan established early on that he was gunning for the green jersey. He ended up capturing three different stage wins to secure his spot as the leader in the points classification and never let up. The Liquigas rider also placed second in the final stage on Sunday and well outpaced the second-place finisher in the points classification, Andre Greipel, whose 280 points were a far cry from the 421 that Sagan was able to rack up.

Thomas Voeckler once again proved himself to be a monster on the climbs, as he captured the polka-dot jersey of the King of the Mountains ahead of Frederick Kessiakoff. The white jersey went to Tejay Van Garderen as the best Young Rider.

For lots more on the 2012 Tour de France, please visit this StoryStream and for all things cycling, stop by SB Nation's Podium Cafe.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 20: TV Coverage, Route And More

After long, grueling weeks, it has all come down to this. The final stage of the 2012 Tour de France will take place Sunday and, barring a catastrophe, Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky will earn his first title in the most prestigious and important Grand Tour of them all.

Heading into Sunday's Stage 20, Wiggins will hold a 3:21 lead in the general classification over teammate Chris Froome. The final ride will be 120km from Rambouillet to the Champs-Elysees in Paris. It is a road stage and the shortest of the tour, which will certainly not be met with argument from the weary riders. The stage is almost entirely flat, with two short climbs near the beginning. You can expect the customary mad dash for the finish line before the awards are handed out.

The coverage of the final stage will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. A recap show will air at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.

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Tour De France 2012 Stage 19 Results: Bradley Wiggins Wins Stage, Closes In On Tour Victory

As the Tour de France gets closer and closer to its final ride down the Champs Elysées, Great Britain's Bradley Wiggins is putting more and more distance between himself and the field. After the yellow-jersey wearer won the Stage 19 time trial, he's nearly sealed the overall Tour victory, which would make him the first British winner in the Tour's history.

Wiggins crushed the field in the time trial, finishing the 53.5 kilometers in one hour, four minutes and 13 seconds. He was followed by his Team Sky teammate Christopher Froome, who finished a minute and 16 seconds behind him. Team Sky was formed in 2010, and head coach Dave Brailsford proclaimed they would give the U.K. a Tour winner within five years, according to the BBC. Brailsford was exultant after the race.

From the BBC:

"This shows why [Wiggins] is the leader of our team today," Brailsford said. "He smashed it. We can start thinking about winning this race now, barring accidents. A lot of people laughed when we said we could win this race in five years with a clean British rider. Today is all about Bradley and his achievement."

No one had a more appropriate reaction than his wife, Cath, on Twitter. Barring an accident tomorrow, Wiggins will be atop the podium, but Cath might not be on her feet too long.

Right everyone I am calling it. Operation drink as much champagne as you can. GO.

— Catherine wiggins (@Cathwiggins1981) July 21, 2012

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 19: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

Just two stages remain in the 2012 Tour de France. With the final day ride to the Champs-Elysees considered more of a formality, Saturday's Stage 19 time trial from Bonneval to Chartres is likely the last chance anyone has to take the yellow jersey away from Bradley Wiggins.

If all goes according to plan, however, Wiggins will likely assume the final podium atop the general classification. While two to three minute gaps are predicted for the finish along the long 53.5-kilometer trial, those within striking distance of the leader aren't expected to have strong enough rides. The SB Nation blog Podium Cafe doesn't see Wiggins' Sky teammate Christopher Froome making up the difference of 2 minutes 5 seconds to reach the top of the leaderboard, and third-place Vicenzo Nibali (2:41 back) was considerably slower than Froome during the first time trial.

Fourth-place Jurgen Van Den Broeck (5:53 back) and fifth-place Tejay Van Garderen (8:30 back) would likely need a incredible luck along with spectacular rides to challenge Wiggins.

The course itself features none of the rolling hills and treacherous mountain climbs that have highlighted the last three stages. Sprinters should feast, outside of a very mild climb to the finish.

The Stage 19 time trial will be broadcast live by NBC Sports Network beginning at 8 a.m EDT. You can also watch online by subscribing to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France 2012 Stage 18 Results: Mark Cavendish Notches Another Big Win For Team Sky

The 2012 Tour de France is entering its final few days. On Friday, Stage 18 stretched from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde and saw Team Sky reassert its dominance over the rest of the field. Mark Cavendish pulled away and was able to capture the stage, effectively sealing the win for Sky lead rider Bradley Wiggins.

Only two stages remain in the Tour. Saturday will see a time trial which will likely only see Wiggins and the rest of Team Sky extend their lead heading into Sunday's final ride to the Champs-Elysees.

Here are the results of Friday's Stage 18 of the 2012 Tour de France:

Stage Results

1. Mark Cavendish, Sky
2. Matthew Goss, Orica-Green Edge, s.t.
3. Peter Sagan, Liquigas, s.t.

General Classification

1. Bradley Wiggins
2. Chris Froome, at 2.05
3. Vincenzo Nibali, at 2.41
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, at 5.53
5. Tejay Van Garderen, at 8.30

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 18: TV Coverage, Route And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues on Friday with a Stage 18 that is not expected to have a dramatic effect on the current order, including Bradley Wiggins' grip on the yellow jersey.

Wiggins took a decisive lead during Thursday's Stage 17, putting himself in prime position to capture his first Tour de France title with just three stages remaining. Wiggins now holds a 2-minute, 5-second lead over Sky teammate Chris Froome and is looking to become the first ever British winner in the 109-year history of the Tour.

Stage 17 was the last true mountain stage, with the tour now returning to the flatlands. Friday's race will cover a bumpy but not exceedingly hilly stretch on the final run to Paris. The trek will go from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde with four categorized climbs, but none rating more than a category three. It's expected that there will be a tightly packed sprint to Brive-la-Gaillarde at the end, but a significant reordering is not predicted.

Broadcast coverage of Stage 18 will be carried by NBC Sports Network from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. You can also watch online by subscribing to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France 2012 Stage 17 Results: Alejandro Valverde Takes The Stage

Stage 17 of the 2012 Tour de France is over, as the riders completed their 143.5 km (89 mile) route from Bagneres-de-Luchon to Peyragudes. Alejandro Valverde completed the stage in the top spot with a time of 4:12:11, just 19 seconds ahead of Bradley Wiggins and Christopher Froome.

Finishing up in second place keeps Wiggins as the wearer of the coveted yellow jersey, as he's still in the overall individual top spot in the Tour de France through 17 stages.

Here are the results of Thursday's Stage 17 of the 2012 Tour de France:

Stage Results

1. Alejandro Valverde, Movistar
2. Chris Froome, Sky, at 0.19
3. Bradley Wiggins, Sky, s.t.
4. Thibaut Pinot, FDJ, at 0.22
5. Pierre Rolland, Europcar, at 0.26

General Classification

1. Wiggins
2. Froome, at 2.05
3. Nibali, at 2.41
4. Van Den Broeck, at 5.53
5. Van Garderen, at 8.30

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Tour De France 2012, Stage 17: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

The reality of Bradley Wiggins winning his first Tour de France is becoming more and more likely with each passing stage.

Currently holding a 2:05 lead over Chris Fromme, Wiggins will look to at least remain in the thick of things with assistance from his SKY teammates during Thursday's Stage 18 from Bagnères-de-Luchon-Peyragudes as he maintains his status as the holder of the yellow jacket.

The 143.5 km (89 mile) stage marks the final trip through the mountains, boasting two major climbs beginning at the 17km and 95km marks, as racers will return to flat racing beginning on Friday and through the weekend into Paris.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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Tour de France 2012 Stage 16 Results: Thomas Voeckler Takes The Stage, Bradley Wiggins Retains Yellow Jersey

Stage 16 of the 2012 Tour de France is now complete after Wednesday's 197-kilometer ride through the Pyrenees from Pau to Bagneres-de-Luchon. The first of two difficult, back-to-back mountain stages was won by Thomas Voeckler. He managed to edge out Chris Anker Sorensen and claim both the stage and the polka-dot "King of the Mountains" jersey.

In the general classification, Bradley Wiggins stayed in the yellow jersey and held tight to his lead over Sky teammate Chris Froome and Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas. Defending champion Cadel Evans fell off the pace and dropped out of the top five in the general classification standings, effectively ending any realistic chance of a repeat.

Here are the results of Wednesday's Stage 16 of the 2012 Tour de France:

Stage Results

1. Thomas Voeckler, Europcar
2. Chris Anker Sørensen, Saxo Bank - TInkoff, at 1.40
3. Gorka Izaguirre , Euskaltel at 3.22
4. Alexander Vinokourov Astana at 3.22
5. Brice Feillu , Saur Sojasun at 3.58

General Classification

1. Bradley Wiggins, Sky
2. Chris Froome, Sky, at 2.05
3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas, at 2.23
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Lotto, at 5.46
5. Haimar Zubeldia , Radioshack at 7.13

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 16: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

There's still plenty of racing left, but we're nearing the home stretch of the 2012 Tour de France

Wednesday's stage 16, or "Pau - Bagnères-de-Luchon" is a 197 km (122 mi) mountain stage that, if raced well by current yellow-jacket holder Bradley Wiggins, could be the stage that sparks conversation of the Brit being the likely winner of the 2012 editon of the race.

Wiggins currently leades teammate Chris Fromme by 2:05, with Italian Vincenzo Nibali sitting third at 2:23 off the lead.

Throughout the mountain stages, Wiggins Sky teammates have kept a tight hold on the race, creating what Podium Cafe has termed as an "impregnable barrier" around Wiggins as they look to protect his lead.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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Tour de France 2012: Tack-Throwing 'Deviants' Probably Won't Be Caught

In the latest sign of the apocalypse, people who are being called "deviants" sabotaged the Tour de France on Sunday when they threw tacks and small nails onto the road, causing several accidents and forcing the leaders to slow the race for a few hours.

In comments to VeloNation, long-time pro cyclist Frank Schleck doubted that anything could be done:

"It was just some crazy fools throwing nails on the road. I don't think there will be anything done about it [and it won't be] possible to find the person who did it."

It's not the kind of crime where there's a lot of evidence left behind -- any fool can throw some garbage on the road and get away pretty quickly. Unless they confess, there's no real way to prove who did what.

Pro bicyclists, especially on the Tour de France's steep mountain courses, are pretty much putting their lives in the hands of the general public and hoping that no one is that big of a dick.

Unfortunately, it looks like times have changed, and not for the better.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 15: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues with Stage 15 on Monday in France. The stage will consist of a 158.5-km trek from Samatan all the way to Pau. The riders making the journey in Stage 15 will hope for no foul play from spectators this time as some tacks were thrown onto the course for Stage 14 causing nearly 30 riders to suffer flat tires.

Stage 15 consists of three different climbs for the riders, starting off with a 2.1-km category 4 climb at Côte de Lahitte-Toupière. That climb will be followed up by a 1.9-km category 3 climb and then a 1.5-km category 4 climb in the final stretch run of the stage.

After a rough finish on Stage 14 with a flat tire, Bradley Wiggins will look to hold on to the yellow jersey on Monday during Stage 15.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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Tour de France 2012: Tacks On Course Cause Nearly 30 Flat Tires

Stage 14 of the 2012 Tour de France concluded on Sunday morning, but there might have been some nefarious action afoot. Defending 2011 Tour champion Bradley Wiggins suffered a flat tire due to debris in the road, debris that wound up being tacks and gave about 30 riders flat tires, according to race director Jean-Francois Pecheux.

After finishing the Stage, Wiggins was upset but also noted there's not much that can be done. "What can you do? It's something we can't control. There's nothing stopping more of that sort of stuff happening," Wiggins said.

"It's sad. Those are the type of things we have to put up with as cyclists. I think people take that for granted sometimes, just how close they can get to us. If that happened in a football stadium, or wherever, you'd be arrested, CCTV."

As you can clearly see in the video, there were tacks or nails thrown across the course. Race director Pecheux noted that finding the culprit among thousands of roadside fans would be very difficult.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 14: Luis Leon Sanchez Wins, Avoids Sharp Objects

As the Tour de France moved into the Pyreenes, the event became dramatic, if not dangerous, as possible fighting between cyclists, and tacks and nails being thrown onto the road by unruly fans were the story.

While Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez won the stage, the real story was toward the end of the stage, as ITV4 showed video of spectators throwing tacks on to the course. A number of racers' bike tires were punctured, including Robert Kiserlovski, who was forced to remove himself toward the end of the stage after crashing due to a busted tire.

Additionally, Slovakian Peter Sagan, who finished second to Sanchez in Sunday's stage but still holds the green jersey, revealed in his post-stage interview that he was "attacked" by Sanchez while trying to unwrap an energy bar. Sagan admitted that there were no hard feelings toward Sanchez, just a case of inexperience and a lesson learned.

Here are the top 10 racers from Sunday's Mur de Peguere:

Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank

Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale

Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat

Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC

Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi

Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank

Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale

Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep

Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha

Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank

Bradley Wiggins retained the yellow jersey after Sunday's stage, despite finishing nearly 15 minutes back of Sanchez because of tackgate, maintaining just over a two-minute overall lead over his teammate, Robert Fromme.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 14: TV Coverage, Route And More

Stage 14 of the Tour de France is the first in the Pyrenées, the steep mountains that traverse the border between France and Spain, but, according to the Tour's official website, it's "more of an appetizer than a mountain stage proper." The riders will never really leave the foothills of the Pyrenées but, at 191 kilometers with some sections at an 18 percent grade, it's a challenge to all -- climbers in its distance and all-around riders with its hills.

Bradley Wiggins of the United Kingdom continues to hold onto the yellow jersey and he's two minutes ahead of his teammate, Chris Froome. Wiggins grabbed the jersey in the first mountain stages, so it would be surprising to see him relinquish it during Stage 14.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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Tour De France 2012 Standings: Bradley Wiggins Holds Lead Over Teammate Christopher Froome

As the 2012 Tour de France made its move from the Alps into the Pyrenees, Great Britain cyclist Bradley Wiggins holds the yellow jersey through 13 stages.

Wiggins holds a 2:05 lead over his Sky Procycling teammate Christopher Froome despite finishing 12th in Saturday's 217-km trek from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d'Agde.

Overall Sky Procycling is in second place to Radioshack-Nissan in the team standings.

The top 10 racers and their times are below:

1 Bradley Wiggins GB Sky Procycling 59:32:32
2 Christopher Froome GB Sky Procycling 00:02:05
3 Vincenzo Nibali Ita Liquigas-Cannondale 00:02:23
4 Cadel Evans Aus BMC Racing Team 00:03:19
5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck Bel Lotto Belisol Team 00:04:48
6 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre Spa RadioShack-Nissan 00:06:15
7 Tejay Van Garderen USA BMC Racing Team 00:06:57
8 Janez Brajkovic Slo Astana Pro Team 00:07:30
9 Pierre Rolland Fra Team Europcar 00:08:31
10 Thibaut Pinot Fra FDJ-Big Mat 00:08:51

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2012 Tour de France Results, Stage 13: Andre Greipel Wins, Bradley Wiggins Maintains Yellow Jersey

Stage 13's 217-km trek from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d'Agde is in the books, and Andre Greipel of Lotto-Belisol is the winner of the Bastille Day ride. It was a sprint finish in an unexpectedly difficult race but Greipel came on and just edged out Peter Sagan of Liquigas-Cannondale in a photo finish. The stage lasted just under five hours, with Greipel crossing the line in a time of 4:47:59.

It was a picturesque day in a beautiful part of France, with many vacationers taking in the race on the holiday. But the transitional stage, which takes the Tour from the Alps to the Pyrenees, was much more difficult than expected as significant crosswinds affected the competitors during the relatively flat portions. A number of cyclists, including Mark Cavendish and Tyler Farrar, dropped off during the Category 3 climb before the finish. The descent from that climb and the final stretch to Le Cap d'Agde was a mad dash, however, with Greipel taking the stage win in the final centimeters.

Donning the yellow, Bradley Wiggins came on strong towards the end and took the lead in the final kilometer around a dramatic turn. But he eventually stepped aside to try and deliver his teammate Edvald Boassen Hagen the victory. Wiggins will still hold on to the yellow jersey with a +2:05 lead over Sky teammate Chris Froome.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 13: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

The 2012 Tour de France is officially out of the Alps with Stage 13's 217-km trek from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Le Cap d'Agde featuring just one Category 3 climb just before the finish. There will be two opportunities for sprinters to gain points Saturday at Mas de Londres: at the 190-km mark and, of course, at the finish line.

Bradley Wiggins held his 2:05 lead over Sky Procycling teammate Christopher Froome on Thursday, and will wear the yellow jersey for the sixth straight stage. Peter Sagan will wear the green jersey as the Tour's points classification leader.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 12: TV Coverage, Route And More

The Tour de France leaves the Alps in Stage 12, but not before climbers have two opportunities to pick up some points in the quest for the polka dot jersey.

Stage 12 takes riders 226 miles and sees them slightly closer to sea level at the end in Annonay Davezieux than where they started in Saint-Jean-De-Maurienne. But the stage features a pair of Category 1 climbs towards the beginning of the race, the Col de Grand Cucheron and the Col du Granier, as well as a Category 3 climb near the race's end.

Bradley Wiggins extended his lead in the general classification with a sixth-place finish on Stage 11, putting even more space between himself and the field. Christopher Froome is now in second place, 2:05 behind the leader. Though both riders belong to Sky Procycling, their team still trails Radioshack-Nissan over the course of the race.

Television coverage of the stage is available starting at 6:30 a.m. ET on the NBC Sports Network. You can also watch by subscribing to Tour de France Live online.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 11: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

After a challenging mountain ride on Wednesday in Stage 10, the Tour de France riders will face another challenge Thursday with the second straight mountain stage.

Although Stage 11 is one of the shorter stages at 148km, it is also one of the more challenging with virtually no flat terrain. The day will begin in Albertville and finish in La Toussuire-Les Sybelles. The average incline during Stage 11 is 6.2 percent with the steepest grade coming in at 9.5 percent.

Bradley Wiggins enters Stage 11 wearing the yellow jersey with 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans 1:53 behind in second place. Wiggins' Sky Procycling team is expected to be one of the strongest teams in the 11th stage. They are currently in second place behind the Radioshack-Nissan team.

Television coverage of Thursday's 11th stage of the Tour will begin at 7 a.m. EDT on the NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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2012 Tour de France Results, Stage 10: Thomas Voeckler Wins Ride To Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine

Thomas Voeckler is well out of contention for the yellow jersey at the 2012 Tour de France. He proved on Stage 10 that he is still a rider to be reckoned with, however, winning the 194.5 km ride to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine for his third career stage win.

A fivesome of Voeckler, Luis Leon Sanchez, Michele Scarponi, Dries Devenyns and Jens Voigt led a hard-charging escape from the Peloton. Voigt didn't join the other four riders until just eight kilometers. He attempted an attack but was quickly consumed by the other four. Devenyns then took a stab at breaking away with three kilometers ago, but was quickly followed by Voigt, and eventually Voeckler before falling back.

With under 1.5 kilometers to go, Voeckler found himself in first place. He held off his rivals, finishing three seconds ahead of Scarponi, who also put on an impressive, albeit late show to the finish.

Voeckler took the podium three times after the race. He took over the polka dot jersey as the leader in the best overall climber classification after winning the grueling Col du Grand Colombier category H climb. Voeckler was also voted the stage's most competitive rider.

Bradley Wiggins will hold onto the yellow jersey after finishing in a group of 16 riders at 3:16 back from Voeckler. You can check out the Top 10 in the overall classification below.

1. Bradley Wiggins, Sky
2. Cadel Evans, BMC, at 1.53
3. Chris Froome, Sky, at 2.07
4. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas, at 2.23
5. Denis Menchov, Katusha, at 3.02
6. Haimar Zubeldia, Radioshack-Nissan, at 3.19
7. Maxime Monfort, Radioshack-Nissan, at 4.23
8. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Lotto-Belisol, at 4.48
9. Nicolas Roche, AG2R, at 5.29
10. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC, at 5.31

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 10: TV Coverage, Route And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues along with Stage 10 on Wednesday morning. Stage 10 makes up the 194.5 km trek from Macon all the way to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine and will present a grueling climb after a day of rest on Tuesday.

The stage has three heavy climbs on the route, including a 7.4 percent incline for 17.4 kilometers with a category H climb at Col du Grand Colombier. There is also a category 2 climb for 6.4 kilometers and a category 3 climb for 7.2 kilmometers in the final stretch of the stage at Col de Richemond.

Television coverage of Tuesday's tenth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. EDT on NBC. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France Rider Arrested As Part Of Doping Investigation

Team Confidis rider Remy Di Gregorio has been arrested in connection with a doping investigation, and will have to withdraw from this year's Tour de France. Two other people suspected of supplying banned substances to Di Gregorio were also arrested.

Confidis has suspended Di Gregorio pending the outcome of the investigation, and said that he will be fired if he is found guilty. They released a statement about the allegations on Tuesday.

"The suspicion surrounding the rider that has been implicated, Remy Di Gregorio, led us to strictly and immediately apply our team sanctions for breaking ethical rules."

Di Gregorio was in 35th place in the 2012 Tour de France after Stage 9 on Monday. The 26-year-old's biggest career victory came in 2011, when he won a stage at Paris-Nice.

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 9: Bradley Wiggins Wins Stage, Holds On To Yellow Jersey

Stage 9 of the 2012 Tour de France was completed on Monday, with Bradley Wiggins continuing his hold on the yellow jersey and finishing with the best time on the stage with a 51:24, 35 seconds ahead of the next best rider in Christopher Froome. Stage 9 is a 41.5 km trek from Arc-et-Senans to Besançon sprint that didn't have much of a climb for any of the riders during the individual time trial.

After Wiggins and Froome, Fabian Cancellara, who at one point held the yellow jersey early on, finished up in third place on the stage, 57 seconds behind the leader. Following Cancellara, Tejay Van Garderen and Sylvain Chavanel finished up in fourth and firth place, +1:06 and +1:24 behind Wiggins, respectively.

Cadel Evans, who is in second place overall behind Wiggins, finished the stage sixth coming in at +1:43 behind the stage winner.

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Tour de France 2012: Bradley Wiggins Isn't A Fan Of Twitter

British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, on top of the Tour de France after Stage 8, didn't appreciate internet speculation about doping after his latest win:

The Briton lost his composure when asked by a reporter to comment on comparisons between the teams and "cynics who believe that you have to be doped up to win the Tour."

Wiggins replied with a profanity-laced tirade, adding: "I cannot be dealing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can't ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives."

"And it's easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of (thing)," he added, using an expletive.

To defend himself, Wiggins went all philosophical, bringing up the old Teddy Roosevelt "it's not the critic who counts" argument.

However, whether or not the people who criticize him do it out of cynicism or "bone-idleness" really has no effect on whether or not he's been doping. The fact remains that doping works, numerous cyclists have been caught doing it and everyone of them has furiously denied doping allegations while they were doing it.

None of that means Wiggins is doping, but it does mean he has very little control of people's perception of him and the sport he plays. All he can control is his performance, so if people are going to accuse him of cheating, he's better off shrugging his shoulders then getting all angry.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 9: Route, TV Coverage, Live Updates And More

The 2012 Tour de France keeps trucking (biking?) along, with Stage 9 beginning on Monday. The first long time trial of the race, it's a 41.5 kilometer stage from Arc-et-Sanons to Benancon made up mostly of long, flat stretches.

Without any steep climbs, it's a chance for the top contenders to create some separation. One of the riders likely going for the kill on Monday is Bradley Wiggins, the current wearer of the yellow jersey. He will be trying to put some distance between him and his competitors.

Stage 9 will cap a grueling first week, as the Tour's first rest day will come on Tuesday.

Television coverage of Sunday's ninth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. EDT on NBC. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France 2012: Radioshack-Nissan Takes Lead Atop Team Classification

Team Radioshack-Nissan placed four riders in the same group, or within four seconds of current yellow jersey holder Bradley Wiggins, during Stage 8 on Sunday. Thanks to this effort, Radioshack-Nissan finally dethroned Sky Procycling atop the team classification at the 2012 Tour de France. Tony Gallopin and Haimar Zubeldia placed third and ninth respectively, finishing 26 seconds off winner Thibaut Pinot. Frank Schleck and Chris Horner took ninth and tenth, 30 seconds behind the winner.

Team Sky, headed by Wiggins, led the classification since the prologue. Fabian Cancellara and his teammates will now wear yellow back numbers to denote their new standing.

You can check out the Top 10 in the team standings below. The classification is based off the total time of the top three riders of each team added after every stage.

1. Radioshack-Nissan - 114:56:52
2. Sky Procycling - +2:51
3. Liquigas-Cannondale - +10:06
4. Katusha Team - +10:40
5. Omega Pharma-Quick Step - +13:07
6. Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne - +15:38
7. BMC Racing Team - +16:17
8. Movistar Team - +16:53
9. Astana Pro Team - +18:57
10. AG2R La Mondiale - +19:05

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 8: TV Coverage, Route And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues on Sunday with Stage 8. Sunday will mark the first time a stage has begun with someone other than Fabian Cancellara wearing the yellow jersey. Bradley Wiggins, an Englishman, overtook the race lead during Stage 7.

The eighth stage, classified as a hilly stage, begins in Belfort, France and ends 157.5 km later in Porrentruy, France. Stage 8 is the shortest stage thus far and will lead into an individual time trial on Monday before the riders will get their first rest day on Tuesday.

Stage 8 begins with Wiggins wearing the yellow jersey and 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans 10 seconds behind Wiggins in second place.

Television coverage of Sunday's eighth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. EDT on NBC. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France 2012: Ryder Hesjedal Withdraws From Race Due To Injury

The massive crash in Friday's Stage 6 of the 2012 Tour de France has had enormous implications, including the withdrawal of 2012 Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal.

The wreck that split the peloton in half about 26km from the finish line of Stage 6 involved several top names and resulted in multiple serious injuries. The most notable to be injured is Hesjedal, who suffered leg and hip injuries in the wreck and lost 13 minutes off the pace, dropping to 108th place at the end of the day on Friday.

The Canadian cyclist has officially withdrawn from the Tour, Dean Campbell of CTVOlympics.ca reports.

"It's very disappointing to leave the Tour this way," Hesjedal said in a statement. "I was in good form and feeling comfortable, just really settling in to the first week with an eye on the mountains.

"I'll go home, keep working with the medical staff on my recovery, and refocus everything on the Olympics. I will be rooting for them from home and I wish everyone luck for the rest of the Tour."

This is a big blow to Hesjedal's Garmin Sharp team and a blow to the Tour in general. Current favorites Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans are still in the running and this may now boil down to be a two-rider dogfight for the title.

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 7: Bradley Wiggins Snatches Yellow Jersey While Teammate Wins Stage

The seventh stage of the 2012 Tour de France started with 11 fewer riders than Stage 6, after a massive crash left some teams, particularly Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda and Rabobank, without several of their riders. Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda is down three riders, including team leader Ryder Hesjedal, who lost 13 minutes yesterday alone from the crash, and is suffering from an apparent hip injury. Here's how Rabobank described the state of its team, from The Guardian:

On Twitter, Rabobank summed up the condition of their team at the start of today's stage, stating that between them, they've notched up 15 crashes, two broken ribs, one punctured lung and one square metre of missing skin. Lovely.

All that devastation has cleared the way for Team Sky Sports. Tour rookie Chris Froome zoomed by Cadel Evans for the first climbing stage win, and Brit Bradley Wiggins, who started the day seven seconds behind Fabian Cancellara for the overall lead, finished in third in the stage and seized the yellow jersey for Stage 8.

Stage 7 had an average grade of 8.5 percent and got as steep as 13 percent -- so it's a good indicator of what's to come on the mountain stages in the future -- and Sky Sports staked its flag pretty convincingly.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 7: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

Stage 7 of the 2012 Tour de France begins on Saturday morning with the riders starting off at Tomblaine and finishing up the 199-kilometer trek at La Planche des Belles Filles. The stage will give way to the riders who are better at climbing than sprinting, as it features two 3.1-km category 3 climbs on the route as well as a 5.9-km category 1 climb.

Through six stages of the Tour de France, Fabian Cancellara still holds the yellow jersey with Bradley Wiggins bringing up second place.

A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Saturday's seventh stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. EDT on NBC. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 6: Peter Sagan Wins On Day Marred By Massive Crash

Fraught with drama, Stage 6 of the 2012 Tour de France played host to a massive crash in the peloton with 16 miles left. Many big names were involved in the terrifying crash, including Mark Cavendish, Frank Schleck -- whose loss of time from the crash may have taken him straight out of contention -- and Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal, who lost nearly 13 minutes as a result. Hesjedal also appeared to injure his left hip in the crash, which may effect his performance going forward.

Leading up to the finish line for Stage 6, Andre Greipel looked set to win his third straight stage, but had chain issues and was overtaken by Peter Sagan for the win. Matt Goss from Australia came in third.

Fabian Cancellara will retain the yellow jersey. Here are the General Classification standings after Friday's ride:

1. Fabian Cancellara 29:22:36
2. Bradley Wiggins, 7 sec. behind leader
3. Sylvain Chavanel, 7 sec.
4. Tejay van Garderen, 10 sec.
5. Denis Menchov, 13 sec.
6. Cadel Evans, 17 sec.
7. Vincenzo Nibali, 18 sec.
8. Peter Sagan, 19 sec.
9. Andreas Klöden, 19 sec.
10. Maxime Monfort, 22 sec.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 6: TV Coverage, Route And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues Friday with Stage 6. It will be the third straight flat stage of the Tour, providing another opportunity for sprinters to take advantage.

State 6 begins in Epernay, France and ends 207.5 km later in Metz, France. The top of the leaderboard did not change in Stage 5, with Fabian Cancellara holding the yellow jersey and Bradley Wiggins and Sylvain Chavanel seven seconds behind. Andre Greipel enters stage 6 off of back-to-back stage wins, while Peter Sagan still holds the green jersey.

A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Friday's sixth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Former Lance Armstrong Teammates Deny Report Of USADA Ban

Lance Armstrong is currently facing doping charges from the USADA and according to a Dutch paper, five of Armstrong's former teammates agreed to testify against him in exchange for lessened penalties.

France riders Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie, and two more American cyclists on other teams, had agreed to give evidence in exchange for delayed six-month bans.

While this might look like a big blow against Armstrong, who has denied the charges, it doesn't appear to be totally accurate. Jonathan Vaughters, a former Armstrong teammate and current director of team Garmin-Sharp, took to Twitter early on Thursday to deny the report.

Regarding the Dutch media report: No 6mos suspensions have been given to any member of Slipstream Sports. Today or at any future date.

— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) July 5, 2012

Vaughters then held an impromptu press conference outside the team bus in which he called the claims "completely untrue" and denied the existence of any six-month bans for the team members, per the Associated Press.

A director of Garmin-Sharp denied that any of the cycling team's riders have been banned for six months by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency as part of its doping probe into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
Jonathan Vaughters said on Thursday that a Dutch media report about six-month bans is "completely untrue.''

None of the riders listed in the Dutch report felt compelled to comment on the matter, noting they're just trying to prepare for their current events.

For more on Lance Armstrong and the worlds of running and cycling, visit Podium Cafe andStride Nation. For more on Lance Armstrong, stay tuned to this StoryStream.

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 5: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

The 2012 Tour de France continues Thursday with Stage 5, which will begin in Rouen before riders trek 196.5 kilometers, finishing the stage in Saint-Quentin. Fabian Cancellara enters the day wearing the yellow jersey, with pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins in second place.

Stage 5 is expected to to be a bunch sprint with likely very little change in the leaderboard, barring a crash or other unexpected event. Peter Sagan will look to increase his lead in the chase for the green jersey with his third stage victory.

A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Thursday's fifth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France 2012 Standings: Fabian Cancellara Still In Yellow For Stage 5

Stage 4 at the 2012 Tour de France wasn't short on excitement, as a crash at 2.6 kilometers to go knocked out several riders for the much-anticipated sprint finish. Andre Greipel earned the stage win with some well-executed help from his Lotto-Belisol teammates. The overall standings were not affected, however, as judges gave the peloton the same time as the winner. Fabian Cancellara will once again wear the yellow jersey when Stage 5 gets underway Thursday.

Peter Sagan will hang onto the green jersey as the points classification leader. Several riders dropped in the standings, however -- notably Mark Cavendish, who was anticipating a stage win. Cavendish dropped from third to fourth overall. Cancellara dropped from second to sixth.

Overall Standings Top 10:

1. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 20:04:02
2. Bradley Wiggins, Sky - :7
3. Sylvain Chavenal, Omega Pharma-Quick Step - :7
4. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC Racing - :10
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - :11
6. Denis Menchov, Katusha - :13
7. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing - :17
8. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale - :18
9. Ryder Hesjedal, Garmin-Barracuda - :18
10. Andreas Klodern, RadioShack-Nissan - :19

Points Classification Top 10:

1. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale - 147 points
2. Matthew Harley Goss, Orica-GreenEdge - 92 points
3. André Greipel, Lotto-Belisol - 87 points
4. Mark Cavendish, Sky - 86 points
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - 81 points
6. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 74 points
7. Allesandro Petacchi, Lampre-ISD - 71 points
8. Tom Veelers, Argos-Shimano - 56 points
9. Mark Renshaw, Rabobank Cycling - 33 points
10. Michael Morkov, Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank - 40 points

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Tour de France Live 2012: 3 Riders Lead Midway Through Stage 4

Three riders have broken away from the peloton on Stage 4 of the 2012 Tour de France. Yukiya Arashiro of Japan, and David Moncoutie and Anthony Delaplace of France hold a roughly six-minute lead over the peloton midway through the 214.5-kilometer ride from Abbeville, through Normandy, to Rouen.

Arashiro attacked at the drop of the flag, and was eventually joined by Moncoutie and Delaplace. All three riders are well down the standings. Arashiro is the highest ranked at 54th on the overall classification, 2:03 behind leader Fabian Cancellara. Moncoutie and Delaplace are 140th (10:32) and 148th (11:07), respectively.

Moncoutie has moved to second on the leaderboard for the climber classification. He has three points in the race for the polka-dot jersey, and is now behind only Michael Morkov. There is one more Category 4 climb in the race, as well as a sprint left to go.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 4: TV Coverage, Route And More

The fourth stage of the 2012 Tour de France gets started on Wednesday morning, beginning in Abbeville, France and finishing up at Rouen, France. Through Stage 3 of the Tour, Fabian Cancellara continues to maintain hold of the individual yellow jersey as the overall leader, as he did through the first two stages, while Bradley Wiggins has moved into second place.

The Stage 4 trek from Abbeville to Rouen will cover 214.5 km with some category four climbs through the stage. This stage of the Tour will be a chance for some of the sprinters to make up ground that was lost during Stage 3 on Tuesday.

A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Wednesday's fourth stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France Standings 2012: Fabian Cancellara Maintains Overall Lead On Stage 3

Fabian Cancellara will wear the yellow jersey for a fourth straight stage, after placing fourth on Stage 3 of the 2012 Tour de France on Tuesday. Cancellara was given the same time as the peloton, one second behind winner Peter Sagan. Sagan strengthened his grasp on the green jersey in the points classification with the win.

There was little change at the top of the overall classification. Philippe Gilbert dropped out of the Top 10 after finishing over seven minutes off the lead, allowing Andreas Kloden to sneak in at No. 10 at 19 seconds behind Cancellara.

Overall Standings Top 10:

1. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 14:45:30
2. Bradley Wiggins, Sky - :7
3. Sylvain Chavenal, Omega Pharma-Quick Step - :7
4. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC Racing - :10
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - :11
6. Denis Menchov, Katusha - :13
7. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing - :17
8. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale - :18
9. Ryder Hesjedal, Garmin-Barracuda - :18
10. Andreas Klodern, RadioShack-Nissan - :19

Points Classification Top 10:

1. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale - 116 points
2. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 74 points
3. Mark Cavendish, Sky - 73 points
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - 67 points
5. Matthew Harley Goss, Orica-GreenEdge - 55 points
6. André Greipel, Lotto-Belisol - 42 points
7. Michael Morkov, Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank - 40 points
8. Mark Renshaw, Rabobank - 36 points
9. Philippe Gilbert, BMC Racing - 33 points
10. Peter Velits, Omega Pharma-Quick Step - 32 points

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 3: Peter Sagan Wins 2nd Tour Stage Tuesday

Peter Sagan won his second stage of the 2012 Tour de France with an impressive sprint to the finish at Boulogne-sur-mer on Stage 3, Tuesday. Sagan earned a one second advantage over Edvald Boasson Hagen and the peloton, thanks in part to a crash in the final kilometer that held up several riders.

Fabian Cancellara finished in fourth to maintain his spot atop the general classification at a time of 14:45:30. Sagan extended his lead over Cancellara in the points classification to hold onto the green jersey for another day.

Here is the Top 10 from Tuesday:

1. Peter Sagan, 4:42:58
2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, +0:01
3. Peter Velits, +0:01
4. Fabian Cancellara, +0:01
5. Michael Albasini, +0:01
6. Cadel Evans, +0:01
7. Nicolas Roche, +0:01
8. Samuel Sanchez, +0:01
9. Bauke Molema, +0:01
10. Vincenzo Nibali, +0:01

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 3: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

Through the first two stages of the 2012 Tour de France, Fabian Cancellara has managed to retain the yellow jersey as the overall leader, while Peter Sagan is the current points leader, with Mark Cavendish moving into second place on the points standings with his Stage 2 win.

On Tuesday, Stage 3 will take place, beginning in Orchies and running for 197 km to Boulogne-sur-mer. The ride will be a preview of the strenuous climbing that lies ahead. The route is relatively flat for the most part, although the latter portion of the stage features a series of short, steep climbs, including a 1 km climb at a 9.2% grade. In all, there will be six big climbs, with four of those climbs coming in the final 16 km.

A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Tuesday's third stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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2012 Tour de France Standings: Fabian Cancellara Retains Yellow Jersey After Stage 2

Mark Cavendish edged out André Greipel in an impressive sprint at the finish line on Stage 2 of the 2012 Tour de France on Monday. The overall standings remained the same afterward, however, as the peloton was given the exact same time as the winner. As a result, Fabian Cancellara will wear the yellow jersey for a third straight day Tuesday.

You an check out Top 10 in the general classification below.

1. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 10:02:31
2. Bradley Wiggins, Sky, at :7
3. Sylvain Chavenal, Omega Pharma-Quick Step - :7
4. Tejay Van Garderen, BMC Racing - :10
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - :11
6. Denis Menchov, Katusha - :13
7. Philippe Gilbert, BMC Racing - :13
8. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing - :17
9. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale - :18
10. Ryder Hesjedal, Garmin-Barracuda - :18

Cavendish's big sprint did shake up the points classification, however. Cancellara topped the standings after Stage 1, though Peter Sagan wore green Monday while Cancellara donned yellow. On Tuesday, Sagan earned the maillot vert outright, finishing sixth in the final sprint. Cavendish moved up to second overall while Cancellara dropped to third.

1. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale - 78 points
2. Mark Cavendish, Sky - 63 points
3. Fabian Cancellara, RadioShack-Nissan - 55 points
4. Matthew Harley Goss, Orica-GreenEdge - 52 points
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky - 42 points
6. André Greipel, Lotto-Belisol - 42 points
7. Philippe Gilbert, BMC Racing - 33 points
8. Mark Renshaw, Rabobank - 31 points
9. Tom Veelers, Argos-Shimano - 26 points
10. Michael Morkov, Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank - 25 points

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 2: Mark Cavendish Wins 21st Career Stage

Mark Cavendish won Stage 2 at the 2012 Tour de France with a sprint past André Greipel at the finish line Monday. Cavendish came in at a time of 4:56:59 for the 21st stage win of his career in his six years at the Tour. Fabian Cancellara will hold onto the yellow jersey as the Tour's overall leader after finishing with peloton, which was given the same time as Cavendish.

Greipel of team Lotto-Belisol seemed to be in prime position to take his second career stage win. Greg Henderson led his teammate to the 250 meter mark at the head of the peloton before peeling off for the final sprint. Seipel jumped ahead, but Cavendish remained on his wheel and showed off why he remains one of the most feared sprinters in the world.

Cavendish remains in second place for the green jersey, handed out to the overall points leader. Peter Sagan, Sunday's Stage 1 winner, held onto the jersey after finishing in sixth place Monday.

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2012 Tour de France, Stage 2: TV Coverage, Route And More

The Tour de France finally sets up for the sprinters in its third day on Monday, as riders take on a mostly flat route from Vise, on the outskirts of Liege, to Tournai, one of the oldest cities in Belgium and located right on the French border. Stage 1 featured a sharp uphill climb at the end of the day that favored stage racers and classics riders, but Stage 2 should be all about the sprinters.

Stage 2 does feature one category four climb, a bit before the midway point the stage. It could make for a good spot for someone to attempt a breakaway, but the road to Tournai after the climb should allow the pelaton to catch the breakaway with relative ease. A race map and profile of the stage can be found at the official website of the Tour de France.

Television coverage of Monday's second stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France Results 2012, Stage 1: Peter Sagan Wins Race From Liege To Seraing

Peter Sagan won his first career stage at his first career Tour de France in the Stage 1 race from Liege to Seraing. Sagan beat out Fabian Cancellara and Edvald Boasson Hagen in the final kilometer sprint after the three broke away late from the peloton. The three riders were given the same time, meaning Cancellara will hold onto the yellow jersey as the Tour's overall leader.

Six riders -- Yohann Gene, Pablo Urtasun Perez, Maxime Bouet, Nicolas Edet, Anthony Delaplace, Michael Morkov -- led almost from the outset of the 198-kilometer race. The breakaway led by as many as much as 4:50 at the 42 km mark, and put up an impressive fight holding the lead until just eight kilometers to go.

The pace picked up inside of six kilometers to go, led by Belgian team Lotto-Belisol on the front end of the peloton. Cancellara just needed to remain in the peloton so he could earn the same time as the leaders and hold on to the maillot jaune. He initiated the late break from the peloton, however, appearing determined to earn another stage win. Sagan recognized the move immediately and stayed right on Cancellara's wheel. Boasson Hagen snuck up to join them, setting up an exciting three-way sprint to the finish line.

Here are the top five finishers on Stage 1:

1. Peter Sagan (SVK) LIQ - 198km in 4h58'19"

2. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) RNT at same time

3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) SKY at same time

4. Philippe Gilbert (BEL) BMC at same time

5. Bauke Mollema (NED) RAB at same time.

And the overall classification:

1. Fabian Cancellara (SUI) RNT - 5h6'32"

2. Bradley Wiggins (GBR) SKY - 00'07"

3. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) OPQ - 00'07"

4. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC - 00'10"

5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) SKY - 00'11"

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Tour de France 2012, Stage 1: Route, TV Schedule, Live Updates And More

The 2012 Tour de France began Sunday with the Prologue in Belguim, but the first of 20 stages begins Monday with the Liege to Seraing stage.

The 198 kilometers shouldn't give riders too much trouble as the stage is mostly flat. However, there are enough hills to prevent it from being a pure sprinter stage.

via www.letour.fr

Fabian Cancellara enters stage 1 as the leader with pre-race favorite Bradley Wiggins just behind him in second place. Defending Tour champion Cadel Evans begins Stage 1 in 13th place.

Television coverage of Sunday's first stage of the Tour will begin at 8 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Those who are unable to watch the full day of riding can watch the abbreviated recap on NBC from 4 to 6 p.m. ET. Fans can also watch the Tour online with a subscription to Tour de France Live.

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Tour de France Odds 2012: Bradley Wiggins, Cadel Evans Are Overwhelming Favorites

With the 2012 Tour de France set to begin, two riders stand apart from the pack as the betting favorites. Britain's Bradley Wiggins remains the favorite with defending Tour champion Cadel Evans just behind.

Wiggins, who is attempting to become the first British rider to win the Tour, is a 5/4 favorite to win it in 2012, according to the current odds from Bovada. The Australian Evans has the second best odds at 9/4. Following Wiggins and Evans, there is a substantial drop off with the no other rider having better than 20/1 odds.

The top 10 betting favorites heading into the 2012 Tour can be found below:

Bradley Wiggins -- 5/4
Cadel Evans -- 9/4
Vincenzo Nibali -- 20/1
Chris Froome -- 22/1
Denis Menchov -- 22/1
Jurgen Van Den Broeck -- 22/1
Ryder Hesjedal --22/1
Frank Schleck -- 28/1
Robert Gesink -- 28/1
Samuel Sanchez -- 33/1

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Tour de France 2012: George Hincapie Riding For History

The 2012 Tour de France begins Saturday, and although American George Hincapie is unlikely to be competing for the yellow jersey at the end of the race, he is set to make history this year.

Hincapie is riding in a record 17th Tour de France; if he finishes the race, he will tie Joop Zoetemelk for the Tour record of 16 completed races. Hincapie raced in his first Tour in 1996, which was also the only time he didn't finish the race.

Throughout his career, he has played a major role in nine Tour de France victories, including riding alongside Lance Armstrong for all seven of his wins. He is also the last American rider to wear the yellow jersey, earning it for one stage in 2006. The 2012 Tour will be his last, but not before he has ridden a staggering distance through France.

The AP reports:

To put that into perspective, Hincapie's 15 Tours and the 14 stages he finished in 1996 add up to almost 38,000 miles of cycling around France - or one-and-a-half times around the Earth.

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Tour de France 2012, Prologue: Route, TV Coverage, Video And More

The Tour de France starts on Saturday with the prologue, an individual time trial race in Liège, Belgium. While the results of the starting stage probably won't have much effect on the overall competition, winning the time trial is a badge of honor and represents an opportunity to win a major tour stage for time-trial specialists like Fabian Cancellara, the Swiss rider who won the time-trial gold at the 2008 Olympics.

Since the prologue isn't held every year -- last year's race started with a road stage, as will next year's -- these opportunities are few and far between for riders like Cancellara, who has won the last four prologues at the Tour de France. The stage itself is pretty straightforward: 6.4 kilometers through Liège on a flat route, which should take riders about eight minutes.

NBC Sports Network will have coverage of the stage starting at 8 a.m.

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Tour de France Streaming: Watch Every Stage Online

The 2012 Tour de France is set to begin, and this year, fans can watch all of the action live online. Not only will the prologue and all 20 stages of the race be available via an online stream, but they will all also be archived for on-demand viewing.

All the action will be available with a subscription to NBC Sports' Tour de France Live. Users have two subscription options -- they can either purchase a pass for the entire 2012 Tour de France for $29.99, or they can pay $4.99 per stage. All Tour de France Live coverage will be archived and available on demand until August 31.

Tour de France Live is also available on mobile applications for the iPad, iPhone and Android devices. In addition to the live video, Tour de France live also includes live GPS tracking and the ability to personalize coverage to track your favorite riders.

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Tour de France 2012: Lots Of Prize Money Up For Grabs

There are a lot of good reasons to follow the 2012 Tour de France. Seeing the best in any endeavor compete is always a thrill, especially when the arena is a picturesque country filled with rolling countryside, castles, quaint villages and mountain peaks. The riders may have ulterior motives, however. As Christ Fontecchio at Podium Cafe points out, the Tour de France is also flush with cash to be doled to the athletes for anything and everything.

Now, I'm not an insider but people who are tend to say things like "teams pay their year's worth of bills at the Tour." What they mean is, they compensate a year's worth of sponsorship through their exploits at the Tour. This is especially true of cycling industry sponsors, who like to run ads in August saying "our wheels just won the yellow jersey!" and distribute posters to that effect to every bike shop in the western world.

Inside the teams themselves, there is another important development going on at the Tour: prize money! This is undoubtedly the biggest direct cash payout available in the sport, and somehow I doubt, looking at the numbers, that this goes unnoticed.

Riders not only earn money for winning the maillot jaune or maillot vert for the Tour's overall and points leaders, respectively. Prizes are also given out for each stage's most competitive rider, as well as for simple participation. A grand total of 3,412,546 euro will be handed out at this year's Tour, making it an excellent source of income for many riders, as well as a grand sporting tradition.

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Tour de France 2012: Bradley Wiggins The Betting Favorite

Suspensions and injuries have depleted the Tour de France field, but that doesn't mean the 2012 race lacks strong competitors. Heading into Saturday's prologue, Britain's Bradley Wiggins is the favorite to win the yellow jersey.

Current bedding odds from Bovada have Wiggins as the 7/5 favorite and for good reason. Wiggins has been especially strong in 2012, becoming the first rider to win Paris-Nice, the Tour of Romandie and The Criterium du Dauphine in the same season.

Wiggins, who will ride with Team Sky, is attempting to become the first British rider to win the Tour de France. His best finish at the Tour came in 2009 when he came in fourth. This time, he avoided declaring himself the favorite, instead pointing to defending Tour de France champion Cadel Evans.

"I still think Cadel is the man to beat,'' Wiggins said, according to the Associated Press. "He was the winner last year, he's a good time trialist, a good climber, he can win sprints on small mountains, so he without doubt is still the man to beat for this year's Tour.''

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Tour de France 2012: Cadel Evans Hopes To Repeat

Australian cyclist Cadel Evans took seven attempts before finally winning the Tour de France, but the 2011 defending champion knows it's no easy task to win multiple times.

"Everybody's asking me: 'Can you win two?' When Lance Armstrong won his first he was asked the same and then he won five and he was asked: 'Can you win six?' and he went on to win seven. That's the nature of our sport," Evans, the BMC team leader, told Reuters earlier this month.

"The approach changes a little bit when you've won it. I would not say I'm less ambitious but ambitious in a different manner. Before you won your first Tour you ask yourself: how do I do it? The second: let's just repeat what we did."

The 35-year-old has twice been a runner-up, but knows the odds are stacked against him with an emphasis on time trials as opposed to mountain stages.

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Tour de France 2012: Loaded Field Looks To Snatch Maillot Vert From Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish hopes to storm away once again with the Maillot Vert at the 2012 Tour de France. The green jersey is given to the leader in the Tour's points competition each year, who often happens to be an elite sprinter. Under a revised points system, Cavendish blew out the competition last year to solidify himself as one of the fastest cyclists in the world in terms of pure speed.

This year, the field looks even stronger, however, with a number of young cyclists looking to knock Cavendish from his perch. Chris Fontecchio at the SB Nation blog Podium Cafe took a look at the field, and broke down what makes this group very special.

Pure sprinters: Borut Bozic, Tyler Farrar, Alessandro Petacchi, Andre Greipel, Marcel Kittel, Mark Cavendish

Versatile fastment: Oscar Freire, Peter Sagan, JJ Rojas Gil, Matt Goss, Leo Duque, Jimmy Casper, Jeremy Roy.

Glaring omission: Arnaud Demare! OK, he conked out in the Giro, and he's very, very young. So it's the smart move, dagnammit.

This is a positively stellar field. Kittel and Sagan are flying. Goss is locked and loaded, with some experience to his name. Greipel has his sights trained on Cav. Farrar is a bit more of a wild card this year after his Classics focus, but he has undoubtedly gotten back into sprint fitness. Former winners in Freire and Petacchi. And best of all, a great mix of pure fastmen and versatile finishers who can climb. Every year we say the Tour field is loaded, and most years attrition winnows it down some, or a lot. For now, this field is really, really loaded.

The rest of the post is a must-read, as Fontecchio gives his Top 10 sprinters in the field. Surprsingly, Cavendish checks in at No. 2 overall. Who is No. 1? Tour of California points winner Peter Sagan, who will be making his Tour de France debut at 22 years old. With so many promising riders, this year's battle for the green jersey could be one of the most exciting in some time.

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Tour de France 2012: Race Is Wide Open After Injuries, Suspensions

Heading into the 2012 Tour De France, one of the top competitors in the event, Spain's Alberto Contador, has been suspended for doping. Contador's suspension essentially makes the 2012 race a wide open competition, according to The New Zeland Herald.

Contador, the biggest name in cycling since the Lance Armstrong era, had one of his three Tour titles stripped in February and was banned from racing through August this year after he tested positive for the banned stimulant clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour.

Pre-race injuries and mishaps, too, have depleted the cast of contenders: RadioShack Nissan leader Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, who inherited Contador's 2010 title and is also a two-time Tour runner-up, will be at home after sustaining a spine injury this month in the Criterium du Dauphine race. Norway's Thor Hushovd, who won two Tour stages last year, is out as he recovers from a virus.

With all of the injuries and suspensions, it looks like the Tour could be in store for some fresh new faces to make a name for themselves.

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Tour de France 2012: Samuel Sanchez May Be Taking Final Shot At Title

At 34 years old, team Euskaltel-Euskadi leader Samuel Sanchez will be one of the oldest contenders at the 2012 Tour de France. The Spaniard has had a productive career, but he is still missing a title on cycling's biggest stage. The SB Nation blog Podium Cafe writes that Sanchez is running out of time, and that this year may very well be his last good chance to climb the podium. With that said, Sanchez hasn't lost his legs yet:

As I just noted, Sam San is 34 this year so the clock is ticking on his ability to make a TdF podium or produce an upset win like Carlos Sastre did in 2008 at age 33. You never know when an aging GC rider loses that special little bit extra where he goes from GC heavyweight to afterthought to retired until its already happened. Sastre retired only three years after winning the Tour. Guys like Menchov, Leipheimer, Evans, Basso, Scarponi, Kloden, Horner: some have already slipped; all eventually will succumb.

So is Samu past his due date? Judging from his results so far this year, no. Since his late 20's he's been a pretty consistent rider and this year he's had the best first half of any year for him:

• 6th overall at Murcia
• 2nd overall at Catalunya where he might have won if the queen stage hadn't been snowed out.
• 1st at Pais Vasco
• two 7th place finishes at Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege

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Tour de France 2012: Garmin-Barracuda Riding For Giro Winner Ryder Hesjedal

Garmin-Barracuda didn't have a big-name general classification contender coming into this season, but found one in Ryder Hesjedal after his surprising Giro d'Italia victory. They announced that Hesjedal would be the leader of their team and that the team would be focusing on riding for him at the Tour de France.

Before Hesjedal won the Giro, the position of GC contender for Garmin-Barracuda was up for grabs, but Tom Danielson and Christian Vande Velde lost out to the first man to win a major tour for the team, and will now ride in support roles.

"We have put together a well-balanced team with an emphasis on support for our leader, Ryder. We have Christian (Vande Velde) and Tom (Danielson), both excellent climbers who each have had great GC rides in the Tour and have shown their strength in recent racing."

It makes sense that Garmin-Barracuda wants to stick with the man who won the Giro, but as Podium Cafe points out, it's rare for anyone but truly elite riders to do well in both the Giro and the Tour in the same year. Alberto Contador did reasonably well at the Tour last year after winning the Giro, but the previous two winners, Ivan Basso and Denis Menchov, didn't look their best in the second grand tour of the season.

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Tour de France 2012: Sprinting Champ Mark Cavendish More Focused On Olympics

The Tour de France is the pinnacle of cycling, universally recognized as the sport's greatest race. However, for British sprinting champion Mark Cavendish, it's pretty much no biggie at this point. He's aiming for an Olympic gold in front of his countrymen. From the Associated Press:

"In cycling, the Olympics does not rank highly, it is not a prestigious event, but as a Great Britain athlete to compete for the flag I was born under, is a big thing," he said. "It brings extra motivation. That is why I am changing (my training). I will not be as successful in the Tour de France as I have been in the past."

Cavendish has reportedly lost more than 10 pounds in his efforts to transform from a pure sprinter to a cyclist capable of winning a stage-race. He won his first of those, the Ster ZLM Toer, in the Netherlands last week, which he called "a benchmark" in his career.

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Tour de France 2012: Bradley Wiggins, Cadel Evans Early Favorites To Win

The 2012 Tour de France will begin on Sunday, June 30. The top riders in the world will be duking it out to capture the most prestigious and well-known title in professional cycling.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Australian Cadel Evans is one of the favorites to win the Tour. Evans is the defending champion, having won his first Tour in 2011, coming in ahead of Andy and Frank Schleck.

Evans, however, is not the overall odds-on favorite to win as of one week before the race begins. That distinction belongs to British rider Bradley Wiggins, who is on an unbelievable roll thus far in 2012. Wiggins had won three straight stage races and is the first person to ever win the Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné in one season.

Giro d'Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal is at 28/1 to win the Tour, while Tour of California winner Robert Gesink has odds of 25/1.

Here are the early odds for the 2012 Tour de France:

Bradley Wiggins 5/4
Cadel Evans 9/4
Denis Menchov 14/1
Jurgen Van Den Broeck 22/1
Vincenzo Nibali 22/1
Chris Froome 25/1
Frank Schleck 25/1
Robert Gesink 25/1
Ryder Hesjedal 28/1
Samuel Sanchez 28/1
Alejandro Valverde 33/1
Pierre Rolland 40/1
Jani Brajkovic 50/1
Andreas Kloden 66/1
Tony Martin 66/1
Ivan Basso 80/1
Levi Leipheimer 80/1
Peter Velits 125/1
Chris Horner 150/1

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