Video: The five key stages of the Tour de France

Four days to go until the Tour de France

The peloton will tackle 3358km during the 21 days of racing at this year's Tour de France, as they ride from Utrecht to Paris. There is no time for the general classification contenders to settle into the race this year, with hills, cobbles, coast roads and uphill finishes coming in the first week. The Pyrenees and Alps dominate the second and third weeks, with the lack of individual time trialls putting the focus on the mountains.

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Melissa "Missy" Giove

Missy forged the path for mainstream professional downhill mountain bikers around the globe. A serious force of nature, Missy (42) did not earn her nickname The Missile for nothing.

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Jane Eccles


In 2005, a few days after giving birth, Jane and her family were told she had just hours to live. She had contracted Necrotising Fasciitis (NF) and it was very quickly ripping through her body.

Thankfully their prognosis was not correct, but for Jane this was only the first battle of many. Extensive surgery was required to get rid of the NF, one which involved the removal of her abdominal muscles. As she lay in intensive care, it was becoming clear that her physical ability would never be the same again.

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Tara Llane

Tara Liane's incredible story is not one of how she became paralyzed crashing in a downhill mountain bike race back in 2007 but rather one of determination, drive and the positivity.

The four-time national bike champion may have lost the use of her legs but she is living proof that you can always come back fighting and if you have the will, energy and competitive spirit can help you to achieve what others would deem impossible.

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Eileen Gray

One of the pioneers and champions of women's racing is Eileen Gray. It's a name that might not be familiar to many, but the incredible vision and hard work of this woman made a significant contribution to establishing women's cycle racing on the national and international stage.

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