NEW YORK, NY, (BRAIN)—Bicycling magazine will once again provide fans of the biggest cycling event in the world with live, comprehensive coverage of the 2011 Tour de France at its online destination, www.bicycling.com, including exclusive daily video contributions from inside the peloton provided by U.S. star Chris Horner, winner of this year’s Amgen Tour of California and one of the top U.S. hopefuls in this year’s race.
Bicycling.com’s coverage of the Tour de France, which begins this Saturday, July 2 and continues through the final stage on the famed Champs-Elysees on July 24, will also include a daily live blog with up-to-the-minute updates on each tour stage, expert commentary from Bicycling’s editors and expert contributors, including editor-at-large Bill Strickland, columnist Joe Lindsey and longtime European correspondent Jim Startt, who will be on the ground with the peloton for every mile. In addition, former pro cyclist and well-known cycling commentator Frankie Andreu will contribute a variety of video reports, tapping his deep racing experience and extensive relationships with the pro cycling community.
This year’s online coverage will be further bolstered by the exclusive daily video commentary from Horner, the Team RadioShack rider who, along with teammate Levi Leipheimer and Garmin-Cervelo rider Christian Vande Velde, enters the Tour as America’s top hopeful for a podium finish. In May, Horner claimed first place at the Tour of California, the largest bike race in the U.S., and he finished 10th overall in the Tour de France last year. Leipheimer, who captured the Tour de Suisse title in mid-June, finished third overall in the Tour de France in 2007.
To further prepare cycling fans for this year’s Tour de France, the August issue of Bicycling, on newsstands July 5th, includes a 17-page special that frames the many dynamics to watch for when the Tour kicks off this weekend, including:
· Classic photography from throughout the previous 97 years of the Tour.
· An exclusive interview with one of the top contenders, Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck, conducted by his Leopard Trek teammate—and regular Bicycling contributor—Jens Voight, who will be responsible for protecting Schleck over much of the 2,131 total miles.
· A special pull-out section featuring the key stages to watch, the top podium contenders, and a look at how you, the average cyclist, stacks up against the pros.
