User:Formula164457/sandbox/2011 FDT

The 2011 Tour de France was the 98th edition of the race. It started on 2 July at the Passage du Gois and ended on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 24 July. The cyclists competed in 21 stages over 23 days, covering a distance of 3430 km. The route entered Italy for part of two stages, including an overnight stop.

The emphasis was on the Alps in 2011, as it was on the Pyrenees in 2010, commemorating the 100th anniversary of those peaks first being visited in the Tour. The Col du Galibier was visited twice during the race and the 18th stage was the first time the peloton finished on the 2645 m pass. It was the highest summit finish in Tour history, beating the finish of the Col du Granon (2413 m) during the 1986 Tour. For only the second time since 1967, the 2011 Tour started with a mass start stage instead of a prologue, the last occasion being in 2008.

Rule changes
New rules were adopted for the 2011 Tour regarding the points classification and King of the Mountains competitions.

Previously, stages classified flat had three intermediate sprint points worth 6, 4, and 2 points to the first three riders across the line. Starting in 2011, flat stages have just one intermediate sprint, but it is now worth 20 points to the first rider across the line, and the first 15 score points. The intention is to have green jersey favourites needing to sprint twice during the day to score well. Points awarded at the finish of flat stages also increased, from 35 points for the winner in 2010 to 45. Medium mountain stages award 30 points to the winner, high mountain stages and the individual time trial 20 points.

Previously in the mountains classification, any hors catégorie, first-category, or second-category climb awarded double points if it was the last of the day. In 2011, only the summit stage finishes awarded double points, specifically stage 12 ending at Luz Ardiden, stage 14 at the Plateau de Beille, stage 18 at the Col du Galibier, and stage 19 at L'Alpe d'Huez. Previously the first eight riders across a first-category climb scored points, as well as the first six across a second-category and the first four across a third-category. The new points schedule for the mountains classification is:
 * Climbs rated "hors catégorie" (HC): 20, 16, 12, 8, 4 and 2 points awarded for first 6 riders to reach the summit.
 * Category 1: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points awarded for first 6 riders to reach the summit.
 * Category 2: 5, 3, 2 and 1 points awarded for first 4 riders to reach the summit.
 * Category 3: 2 and 1 points awarded for first 2 riders to reach the summit.
 * Category 4: 1 point awarded for first rider to reach the summit.

Early analysis led to speculation that the mountains classification winner would be more likely, under this system, to be a general classification contender than in years past.