Le Grand Depart

Members of Team Garmin-Chipotle, the team to watch in this year's Le Tour, with Scotsman David Millar third from left. Not long to wait now, Le Grand Depart is today on ITV4. Let's see how a clean dope-free team compete. Their strategy is to treat each stage as a race in its own right, probably guaranteeing they won't hold the Yellow Jersey in Paris in three weeks time, but they will definitely entertain. Let's hope they at least get to wear yellow once or twice over the next three weeks.

Team Clean

With "Le Tour" now less than a week away, the Sunday Times had an interesting article this week which included an interview with ex-cyclist Jonathan Vaughters.

Vaughters has got the backing to set up a dope free team in this year's Tour de France, known as Team Clean but actual name Team Garmin-Chipotle. They test their riders more stringently than any cycle racing authorities and deserve to do well this year for that reason alone.

Think I'll be keeping a close eye on them. Interestingly Vaughters first professional team in Europe was a Spanish team run by Opus Dei.