YOUR 2021 TOUR GUIDE

24 THE FAVOURITES : Roglič , Pogačar , Simon Yates , Thomas ? One thing ’ s for sure : all-round ability will be vital on a route where two time trials made for specialists balance demanding mountain climbs

12 Defending champ : The Tour ’ s youngest winner since 1904 , Tadej Pogačar wants to prove he can do it again

16 World champ action : Julian Alaphilippe tells us where he wants to make his mark on the roads of France this year

18 Dutch superstar : Mathieu van der Poel is all set to light up the Tour ’ s first week

20 Ineos Grenadiers : The empire strikes back with three Grand Tour winners in the race

22 Green contenders : There ’ s plenty of opportunity for the peloton ’ s rocket men to score points this year

30 African heroes : Why the pros from our continent have to fight even harder to get on the start line at the world ’ s biggest races

36 SA Champs : Who can wear the flag on their jersey after winning at the Road and Time Trial Championships in Swellendam this March

RACE CALENDAR A selection of SA ’ s best gravel and tarmac rides to reignite your redline race stoke this winter

HOT STUFF Time to get back outdoors in style

42 Ride2Live : The CTC Academy wants to help Cape youngsters aspire to compete on cycling ’ s biggest stages

52 Tour history : With Brittany hosting the Grand Départ , we look back at Bretons who shone at Le Tour

66 Virtual racing : Team Qhubeka Assos on how doing it inside came to cycling ’ s rescue

162 Classics rule : Real cycling happens in Belgium in Spring says our ardent Classics fan

TESTED Grand Tour bibs shades rated

71 THE MAP : The 2021 route across France and into Andorra at a glance

72 THE TOUR DIRECTOR : Christian Prudhomme looks forward to some explosive action on terrain that ’ s been chosen to encourage attacks

74 THE ROUTE : The highlights of this year ’ s Tour , from the hallowed roads of Brittany , through a double ascent of Provence ’ s mythical Mont Ventoux and the high mountain passes of Andorra , to the flat and fast time trials

76 THE WOMEN : La Course by Le Tour de France kicks off the action on Brittany ’ s hills

90 THE REGULATIONS : The key jerseys and prizes , plus how the neutral service works

92 THE 21 STAGES : Race director Thierry Gouvenou talks us through key action points , plus all the stage maps and profiles from Paris HQ

136 THE 23 TEAMS : Two-time Tour winner Bernard Thévenet looks at who ’ s targeting stage wins , jerseys and overall GC

56 THE PALMARÈS : Past winners of the yellow , green , white and polka-dot jerseys

PHOTOGRAPHS : ASO / PAULINE BALLET , CRAIG KOLESKY , SUPPLIED

8 | TOUR DE FRANCE 2021