Where and how will the teams compete? The Tour will begin in Luxembourg with a 7.3-km prologue. The course is short but technical and slow. It has 20 turns, cobblestone stretches, narrow streets, and three bridge crossings. The terrain is rolling. Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service) figures to win the prologue, but he will get competition from the likes of Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto), David Millar (Cofidis), and his old friend Tyler Hamilton (CSC-Tiscali).

The first three road stages will take place on flat to rolling terrain. Stage 1, a 192-km trip through Luxembourg, will feature 12 climbs that could break up the field. Stage 2, a 181-km run from Luxembourg to Saarbrucken, Germany, will be fairly flat and should end in a cavalry charge led by sprinters such as Erik Zabel (Telekom), Robbie McEwen (Lotto), and Tom Steels (Mapei). Stage 3, a 174.5-km gallop from Metz to Reims, is also flat, and a sprinter should win it.

Stage 4 will be the first battle for team supremacy. It will be a 67.5-km team time trial from Epernay to Chateau-Thierry. The course is flat except for a 3.5-km climb in the middle. U.S. Postal Service, which won the team time trial in the Tour of Catalonia, should win the event, but ONCE and Credit Agricole will give them a run for their money.

Stages 5 through 8 will belong to the flatlanders. Stage 5 is the only stage without a categorized climb. By definition, the 195-km ride from Soissons to Rouen belongs to the sprinters. Stage 6, a 199.5-km run from Forges-les-Eaux to Alencon, is rolling and twisting, but the field should finish together. Stage 7, a 176-km trip from Bagnoles-de-l'Orne to Avranches, is flat to rolling and has a slightly uphill finish that may favor a sprinter who can climb, such as Erik Zabel. Stage 8, a 217.5-km ride from St. Martin-de-Landelles to Plouay, should end in a bunch sprint, also.

Stage 9 will be a 52-km individual time trial from Lanester to Lorient. The first half to two thirds of the event will be hilly, with the remainder being flat. Lance Armstrong will be the favorite, and anyone who has serious ambitions to win the Tour de France must stay close to him. Tyler Hamilton should make a good showing, and so should Santiago Botero (Kelme), David Millar (Cofidis), Christophe Moreau (Credit Agricole), Joseba Beloki and Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (both from ONCE), and Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank).

Stage 10 will take the riders into the foothills of the Pyrenees. The last third of the 147-km ride from Bazas to Pau will be rolling. With the time trial behind the riders and the Pyrenees ahead of them, a small group will be given its freedom. This group might contain Rik Verbrugghe (Lotto), Fred Rodriguez (Domo), Christophe Agnolutto (AG2R), and Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo).

Stages 11 and 12 will be the 2002 Tour's Pyrenean stages. Stage 11, a 158-km ride from Pau to La Mongie, will take the riders over the Hors Categorie Col d'Aubisque en route to the Category 1 finishing climb. Stage 12 will be harder. It will be a 198-km trip from Lannemezan to Plateau-de-Beille that will feature the Category 1 Cols de Monte and de la Core as well as the Hors Categorie finishing ascent. In both stages, look for Armstrong to be among the heads of state, with riders for Spanish teams such as Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero (both from Kelme), Francisco Mancebo (iBanesto.com), and particularly Basque riders such as Joseba Beloki (ONCE) and Roberto Laiseka and Iban Mayo (both from Euskaltel), to be prominent.

Stage 13 will be a 171-km ride out of the Pyrenees. After an early climb, the stage from Lavelanet to Beziers will be downhill. It should end in a mass cavalry charge, with Zabel, McEwen, Steels, and other sprinters battling for the day's honors.

Stage 14 will be a one-climb stage--but what a climb! The 221-km trip will take the riders from Lodeve to Mont Ventoux. The finish will be one for the climbers. Expect Armstrong to win it to compensate himself for giving the stage to Marco Pantani (Mercatone Uno) in 2000.

Stage 15 will be the longest stage of this year's Tour, but not the hardest. The 226.5-km ride from Vaison-la-Romaine to Les Deux-Alpes will take the riders over seven categorized climbs, but only one of them--the finishing ascent--will be a Category 1. This stage might be one for the no-hope climbers, particularly because Stage 16 will be the Tour's hardest stage.

And what a stage Stage 16 will be! The 179.5-km slog from Les Deux-Alpes to La Plagne will feature Hors Categorie ascents of the Cols du Galibier and de la Madeleine before ending with the Hors Categorie finishing climb. If the Tour is close, this stage could decide it. Look for Armstrong to win it and for climbers such as Richard Virenque (Domo), Giuseppe Guerini (Telekom), and Tyler Hamilton to assert themselves.

Stage 17 will be the 2002 Tour's last Alpine stage. The riders will breast the Category 1 Cormet de Roselend, Col des Saisies, and Col de la Colombiere before descending to the finish. The 142-km trip from Aime to Cluses will probably not decide leadership, but it could be critical for riders fighting for lesser places.

Stage 18 will take the riders out of the Alps. Nonetheless, the 176.5-km run from Cluses to Bourg-en-Bresse will be challenging, with the Category 1 Col de Richemont in mid-stage. Moreover, the stage will feature six other categorized climbs. Look for a small band of no-hopers to escape and fight out the finish. Because the final time trial is the following day, the bunch will not oppose the escapees.

The 2002 Tour de France's final test will be Stage 19. The 50-km individual time trial will feature a Category 3 climb 10 km into the stage, with the remainder of the event being downhill and flat. Armstrong will be the favorite to win the ride from Regnie-Durette to Macon, with Hamilton, Leipheimer, Botero, Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, and Beloki battling for the lesser places. They could be fighting for lesser places on the podium in Paris as well as in the stage.

Stage 20 will be a procession for the winner. The 140-km trip from Melun to Paris will be one for high spirits and high jinks until the field reaches Paris for the first of ten 6.15-km circuits of the Champs-Elysees. With the points jersey likely to be up for grabs, look for a spirited final sprint. Zabel, O'Grady, McEwen, and others should give cycling fans an exciting end to the Tour de France.

Who will win the Tour? For the third consecutive year, the odds-on favorite is Lance Armstrong. The U.S. Postal Service rider dominated his pre-Tour tuneups and exorcised the demons of the Col de Joux Plane by trumping a strong field there. The man from Austin is fit and motivated. Simply put, no other rider is on his level.

ONCE believes that Joseba Beloki will win the Tour someday. I agree with them. He will not do so in 2002, however. Armstrong is a cut above everyone else. With the absence of Jan Ullrich because of a knee injury, however, the Basque rider should move up a place to second. He has good skills against the clock, and he is a good climber. Beloki rates respect.

So does Oscar Sevilla. The Kelme rider is an excellent climber and demonstrated his sharpness by finishing second in the Classique des Alpes. His time trialing has improved, and the podium is a realistic goal for him.

Tyler Hamilton (CSC-Tiscali) finished second in the Giro and won its first long time trial on a broken shoulder. After the Giro, the man from Marblehead had to take time off to recuperate, so his fitness is a question mark. If he has anything like the form with which he rode the Giro, Hamilton can aspire to a top four finish. A worrisome problem is the CSC-Tiscali rider's tendency to crash. That might keep him from moving higher in the standings.

Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano (ONCE) is a very good climber and a very good to excellent time trialist. The Spaniard beat Lance Armstrong in the Midi Libre's time trial and won the Tour of Germany. The ONCE rider, however, admits that no one can climb like Armstrong. Fifth place would be a reasonable finish for him.

Christophe Moreau (Credit Agricole) showed excellent form in the Dauphine Libere. In addition, the Credit Agricole rider finished fourth in 2000 and was the highest placed Frenchman that year. He is not at his best in the highest mountains, however. In addition, Moreau dropped out of last year's Tour de France after a disappointing performance in the mountain time trial. This indicates emotional fragility that should keep the Frenchman well off of the podium.

Francisco Mancebo (iBanesto.com) is a strong climber and rode consistently in the mountains during the Tour of Catalonia, but his time trialing is less certain. Mancebo's suspect racing against the clock will keep him out of contention. He will climb well enough to finish respectably, but his time trialing must improve for him to be able to hope for more.

Last year, Santiago Botero (Kelme) finished eighth in the Tour. That is where he will finish this year. The Colombian has developed into a very good time trialist, but his climbing is inconsistent. He has won mountain stages of the Tour and of other races, but Botero always seems to have at least one day in which he cannot limit his losses. He will do so in this Tour.

Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) was the revelation of last year's Vuelta. In that race, the American outdid team captain Roberto Heras, incurring the Spaniard's wrath. The resulting tension and an offer from Rabobank caused Leipheimer to change teams. The Rabobank rider is a very good to excellent time trialist and is a capable climber. Recently, he won the Route du Sud. The American is fit and enthusiastic. He should ride well at the Tour.

Last year, Iban Mayo (Euskaltel) won the Midi Libre, the Classique des Alpes, and a stage of the Dauphine Libere. In addition, he finished 11th at the Vuelta. It is time for the Basque rider to show his climbing skills in the world's greatest race, and he will do so.

In other competitions, Richard Virenque (Domo) will win the King of the Mountains jersey, while Erik Zabel will win his seventh consecutive green jersey.

Hold on tight! The next three weeks will be fast and furious!