In The (Time) Zone by David Olle, France, +39 333 5959 217 (twitter feed @DavidOLLE)

The Bike Race:
The 2011 Tour de France starts this Saturday in the Vendee region, west-south-west of Paris.  225 riders representing 25 teams are competing for the prestige of wearing the yellow jersey into Paris.  Col de Galibier is climbed twice, with 23 level 2, 1 or HC (unclassified) mountain passes or summit finishes, and 2 rest days, covering 3,430.5k, running July 2 - 22.  
If you have any questions about the other races within the race, ie the sprinters or climbers jerseys, please shoot them through.

Skippy report:  Six skips in this year's TdF, here they are, by number:  6  Richie Porte, 19  Stuart O'Grady, 106  Simon Gerrans, 121  Cadel Evans, 192  Mark Renshaw, 194  Matthew Harley Goss.  All, apart from Cadel, are riding in the service of their team captains.  Wish them luck.

Also worth noting here are the 8 Australian women racing the Giro Donne (Women's Tour of Italy) that also starts this weekend, 4 Rachel Neylan, 57 Tiffany Cromwell,  64 Chloe Hosking, 86 Bridie O'Donnell, 121 Rochelle Gilmore,  135 Davina Summers,  146 Alexis Rhodes, 155 Angela McClure.  You may struggle to find TV coverage of their event at home.

Lance Report:  Leave Lance Alone.  I feel like doing a youtube clip holding a blanket over my head (like the one for Britney).  I just can't see what will be achieved (by pursuing Lance).  I'm sure if we dug hard enough in Belgium, we'd find someone happy enough to decry Eddy Merckx, but to what end?  Lance has to live with himself, that should be enough punishment.

Contador report:  A couple of years back I wrote he was the either the greatest cyclist of our time, or a drug cheat.  I'm beginning to think that he's both, but that's just my opinion.  Consider him innocent until proven otherwise.  Good stayer in all conditions, track suits him, has won here before, should win again.  

Cuisine Report:  Have cracked duck three different ways this week, before the TdF has even started.  Hoping for ‘Magret de Canard' again shortly.  This one is the favorite so far...

Saturday:  Stage 1, July 2, Passage du Gois La Barre-de-Monts - Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers

The Writer:  This is my 10th TdF, at the barriers, and my 24th grand tour, enough said.