HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

No place like home. This year’s 21 stages of the race will take place almost completely within France, kicking off in the Vendée region on the country’s western coast. The flat terrain there will suit sprinters like British racer Mark Cavendish, but massive winds barreling in from the ocean could help thin the herd before the race turns inland. Dutch riders are particularly adept at racing through the wind, so look for 2017 Giro d’Italia winner Tom Dumoulin to take advantage. Ultrashort Stage 17 will make history, though, with a Tour first: Riders starting in a grid formation that favors those who are already ahead.

Pulling guard. Over 30,000 security agents have been hired to protect riders, following a call to action from Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) President David Lappartient. After the UCI OK’d Froome to participate, Lappartient tweeted that he’d heard calls to “violence” during the Tour. “I cannot accept that and I call on all spectators to protect all the athletes and to respect the judicial decision,” he said, maintaining that the Tour must be a safe place for all.

Playing favorites. With Froome back in the race, many expect the 33-year-old to sweep the contest again this year, after triumphs in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Yet out of 176 riders, there are a handful of racers — including Dumoulin, Romain Bardet of France, Colombian Nairo Quintana and Italian Vincenzo Nibali, aka “The Shark” — who stand a fighting chance. But most bookmakers are playing it safe, with Froome still the heavy favorite at 2-1.

Life after Lance. Armstrong, 46, hasn’t left the public eye after his fall from bicycling grace. Team sponsor the U.S. Postal Service and former teammate Floyd Landis sued Armstrong for $100 million in damages after he admitted to doping and was stripped of his seven Tour wins. In April, he reached a $5 million settlement with the federal government, on top of more than $20 million in damages paid so far in a series of lawsuits. Meanwhile, the UCI announced in March that it’ll use X-ray technology to detect motor doping (tiny motors that cyclists hide in their bikes to give them an extra boost).

WHAT TO READ

The Ridiculous Saga of Lance Armstrong, the Cheater Who Became an Enemy of the State, by Patrick Redford in Deadspin
"Armstrong’s history of cheating can best be understood as an extension of an entrenched doping culture, not as an outlier."

How to Fall in Love With the Tour de France, by Chris Fontecchio in SB Nation
"Even the polemics at the Tour are unlike any other: From fist fights to wars of words over violations of the sport’s endless unwritten rules, people get their backs up in France beyond what you are likely to see anywhere else the rest of the year."

WHAT TO WATCH