Quote Originally Posted by Anyabeth View Post
Do any of you know of a good guide explaining how the whole race works? I admit that I don't understand any of it but would love to be able to follow along more knowledgably.
First remember that the tour is a mass event with different competitions of different durations, some with a more individual focus and some completely team focussed. This means that not every rider is trying to accomplish the same thing.

Check out the rules:
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/us...kes-rules.html

And the Prizes:
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2012/docs/reglement.pdf
The prize section starts about page 19 of that big pdf.