Tour de France 2011: Day-by-day guide

• Dates: Saturday 2 July - Sunday 24 July
• Coverage: Listen live to every stage finish on the BBC Sport website (UK only); live text commentary on key stages; updates on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra
• Get involved: Tweet with the hashtag #bbccycling to join the discussion

The Tour includes a celebration of the 100th year since the first ascent of the Galibier

Over three gruelling weeks, the 98th Tour de France will cover 3,430.5km (2132 miles). The race is divided up into 21 stages - 10 flat, six mountain with four summit finishes, three "medium mountain", just one individual time trial and one team time trial.

After trips to Britain and the Netherlands in recent years, the 2011 edition will cross France's borders only once, with a visit to the Italian Alpine stop of Pinerolo on Stage 17.
Route organisers love a good anniversary and to mark the 100th year since Tour founder Henri Desgrange first sent the peloton over the Galibier in the French Alps, the riders will twice climb the most-visited mountain pass in the race's history.
Stage 18 will finish on top of the mountain which, at an altitude of 2,645m, will be the highest in Tour history.
There are a few changes this year which alters the way points are distributed:

• In an effort to involve sprinters in more than just the daily finish, 20 green jersey points - up from six last year - will be on offer in a single intermediate sprint each day and points will also be awarded to the next 14 finishers.
• The polka dot jersey, worn by the best climber, will see double points being awarded only for crossing finishing lines at the summit of category two and harder climbs.

The other two main jerseys are yellow for the leader of the general classification, having taken the least time to complete the course, and white, for the best rider under 25 years old.
Defending champion Alberto Contador of Spain will aim to do the double and become the first rider to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France since the late Marco Pantani achieved the feat in 1998.
Andy Schleck, who has finished second in the last two tours, will be Contador's main challenger, but few will bet against the Spaniard coming out on top, considering he has won three out of the last four Tours, and six Grand Tours in a row.
Contador's presence will prove controversial, however, given that he is awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a provisional ban for a clenbuterol positive test. The appeal won't be heard until August at the earliest.

our de France 2011: Alberto Contador angry at drugs appeal

• Dates: Saturday 2 July - Sunday 24 July
• Coverage: Listen live to every stage finish on the BBC Sport website (UK only); live text commentary on key stages; updates on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra
• Get involved: Tweet with the hashtag #bbccycling to join the discussion

Contador in preparation for this year's Tour de France

Alberto Contador says it will be "ridiculous" if he is stripped of the Tour de France title should he again win the event which starts on Saturday.

The Spaniard tested positive during his victory last year and though cleared he is awaiting results of an
"From the beginning of the season I've been the rider who's had the most doping tests, and I've been tested in all the races I've been in," he said.
"The idea victory could be taken away if I win, I just find ridiculous."
Contador is seeking to become the first man for 13 years to complete the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double as he defends his title, starting in Passage du Gois in the Vendee region of western France.
The late was the last rider to achieve the feat.
Contador tested positive for banned substance clenbuterol on the second rest day of last year's Tour.

Diamond League: Ones to watch in Lausanne

The high-class field has the look of a dress rehearsal for the World Championships in two months time. World record holder David Rudisha of Kenya makes his first Diamond League appearance of the year, having pulled out of the season opener in Doha with an ankle injury. He only returned to competitive action last weekend in Nancy in France, but responded with the fastest time in the world this year.

The 2010 Athlete of the Year claimed a thrilling victory in this race last year when he edged away from South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and fellow Kenyan Alfred Yego in the closing stages. Both men are again likely to provide him with a stern test on Thursday, along with Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop and past and present European champions Bram Som and Marcin Lewandowski.

Steve Parrish's MotoGP column

• enue: Mugello
• Date: 1-3 July
• Saturday 2 July: MotoGP qualifying 1150-1500 BST, BBC Red Button/online
• Sunday 3 July: 125cc & Moto2 races: 0950 -1205, BBC Red Button/online; MotoGP live: 1230-1400, BBC Two/online; MotoGP Extra: 1400-1430, BBC Red Button/online

Valentino Rossi breaks leg in horror crash last year

The MotoGP circus rolls into Mugello this weekend and it is a massive few days for Valentino Rossi.

The nine-time world champion has had a tough start to his life on the Ducati and the return to his native Italy marks the anniversary of his

There should not be any psychological hangover for him at the circuit but he may be a bit cautious in practice on Friday.
At the time I was asked whether that was a career-threatening injury and I said no but he has you wonder how many more he will get.
It has certainly slowed his career down, there is no doubt about that.
Rossi has an unprecedented record at Mugello, he loves the track and he has been testing there so maybe he will be back up at the front. I do not think he can win but he could end up on the podium, which would be a huge boost for all his fans.
Rossi has won seven MotoGP races at Mugello The bike is made just up the road from the Mugello circuit as well so it could be a bit of an embarrassment if they do not manage a respectable result.
but at the top of the standings Casey Stoner is doing what Jorge Lorenzo did last year. He realises that sometimes he cannot win but he is picking up finishes and growing his points lead.
We are all pleased to see  It has been a long time coming but if he can come back 100% fit and challenge from the off this weekend then maybe his decision to stay on the sidelines will be vindicated.
He needs a bit of a miracle to challenge for the title but stranger things have happened. All he can do is concentrate on winning races.

I just hope Marco Simoncelli has still got the fight in him after his latest crash.

Paranoid in Hamburg

 Broadcaster  has gone for the  'The Talk Ends Now'; has gone for 'The War'. Personally, I would have plumped for 'Paranoia': the air was thick with it at the final fight news call on Wednesday.
There is a great scene in the  which kicks off with the line: "In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else." And that is what it was like in the rather more sanitised surroundings of the Mercedez-Benz showroom in Hamburg members of  camp were watching members of camp, men were posted on balconies, men in plain clothes were spying from behind ring posts. No all-seeing "eye-in-the-sky" but this journalist was watching it all.
One  insider told me he locked eyes with  older brother, and was unable to break the stare. In a sport of psychological inches, it would have represented a defeat, at least in this insider's mind. "How did you leave it?" I asked. "I raised an eyebrow and he eventually looked away." Victory! At last...

It is fair to say  was not impressed as he watched  training. Photo: Getty images

Earlier crew had attempted to intercept  entourage on its way into the venue, only for  and co to burrow their way in via another entrance. We were then treated to the surreal sight  camp watching from ringside as  performed a perfunctory workout. At one point,  was shadow-boxing southpaw, before  for a reason that was lost on most - started brandishing a glove on a stick. And so the fun and games continued.
"David  is a bad actor," the told BBC Sport. "But all he's doing is showing he's low in confidence. All these games are burning him up - he's only playing games with himself."
Not surprisingly, Haye disagreed. "Wladimir looks rather wound up," said the Englishman, who will be putting his WBA belt on the line at the Imtech Arena on Saturday. "Everything I've done has worked perfectly, their whole team seems rattled." build-up to Saturday's fight has been stage-managed to the minutest detail, in and out of the ring. T-shirts depicting a headless dark claims about trainer Emanuel Steward and something categorically denied by Steward against .
And as if that was not enough, goes and digs up Hitler.
On Wednesday morning,  tweeted a link to the about the last days of Hitler, with mock subtitles referring to the build-up to the fight. An English guest in Germany making references to  enough to make you wince and there is a real sense that Haye is alienating a lot of would-be British fans with his boorish
Even Steward had to admit that, if it were not for motor mouth, the fight might not have happened. But the ink is dry on the contract, the fight is days away and fans are tired of the trash talk. "I hope shuts up this little upstart," wrote one on a previous blog, "A disgrace to professional sport." And there are plenty more where that came from. That said, and Booth seem so calculating, I'm not sure they care.

Wimbledon 2011: Andy Murray column

It's another chance for me to take him on in a Wimbledon semi-final and I go into it knowing that I've learned something from all 15 matches we've played - last year's defeat as well as the times I've won.
What is for certain in any match against Rafa is that both tactically and mentally you have to be ready for some long rallies, lots of punishment, and you mustn't panic.
Some people think you have to blast through him and go for everything, but you have to be patient.
If you watch how world number two Novak Djokovic played when he beat Rafa on the clay in the Madrid Masters and Rome Masters last month he was very solid, didn't take huge risks, but hit the ball with a lot of authority.
You can't just leave the ball in the middle of the court against Rafa, but at the same time trying to hit winners off the first shot of the rally just doesn't work.
On clay, once you're behind in the rally it's very difficult to get yourself back into it. On grass, if I can get a good, deep hit in when I'm out of position then I can get myself back into the rally pretty quickly.
Lewis Hamilton and his brother Nicholas watched Murray play Lopez It's all about understanding what he's going to do, and what I'm going to do to  his strengths.
I've got Sven from the Adidas coaching team around when I practice if I want to get his thoughts, I'll watch some videos of our previous matches, and along with player Dani from my regular team we'll get as much information on Rafa as we can before I step out on court.
My practice sessions are like events in themselves with so many people around the courts but it's been like that for quite a while, so I'm used to it.
The only thing I do notice is that every time I make any sort of reaction, whether I laugh or shout or close my eyes, I hear the cameras going off.
I'm always conscious that I don't want it to look like I'm messing about or maybe in pain, because by one reaction that can become a whole story, so I try to be as neutral as possible and that's not easy!

Murray's hat-trick of aces blow Lopez away

I think that's one thing people don't that even when I'm coming off the practice court or walking to the car there are questions flying around, so I just need to be careful and not do or say anything silly.
I've had plenty of experience of that now so I can handle it, and nothing will distract me from the job I've got to do.
The chance to make a Wimbledon final is an opportunity to make history and I think every player's interested in that side of the game.
Before the match on Thursday I heard Rafa, his coach Toni and my opponent  Lopez talking in Spanish about players from the past.
When I'm on the court I'm not thinking about my place in history but when I look back on my career, I'll want to see where I was in the grand scheme of things.
It's alright being good in your little two or three-year window, but how that compares to previous eras will be fascinating.
It's also a big part of why Wimbledon is such a huge event and has people queuing for two or three nights to get a ticket on Court.
That's something incredible that you don't get anywhere else and I can see the attraction, I wouldn't mind doing it if I was with a few friends.
I actually never get that flustered off the court so it wouldn't be a problem - I'd need plenty of food and drink though!
Hopefully I can give the people queuing to see me the result they want and reach my first Wimbledon final.
Any time you can get to a Grand Slam final it shows that you're close to the top of the game, and if I can get past Rafa it will give me more than enough belief that I can go on and win the tournament. I've beaten him before but I'll need to play great tennis to do it again.
It promises to be a great match and atmosphere, I can't wait to get playing.

2011 fantasy football sleepers, busts

We polled a number of ESPN.com fantasy analysts and editors  Bell, Matthew Berry, Tristan H. Shawn  Christopher Harris, Dave Hunter, Eric  Keith Lipscomb,  Mass, James Nate  and Brendan Roberts  for their choices for their top sleeper, bust and rookie breakout candidate at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. Plus, there are plenty of explanations for why certain players were chosen because different people have varied definitions of what constitutes a "sleeper" or "bust."