It’s back! RoadCyclingUK Fantasy Tour de France returns for its third year ahead of the 2013 race.
It’s that time of year again already, where you become a virtual director sportif with a hypothetical €20m budget to spend on a nine-man squad vying for the greatest prize in cycling.
This year, and in association with Eurosport, we’re offering a star prize of a Beacon Fell BF_70 road bike worth £1,300. Visit http://rcuktourdefrance.fantasyleague.com/ to pick your squad.
Beacon Fell is a new British bicycle brand founded in the Ribble Valley in north Lancashire. Each bike in the Beacon range is developed by former professional rider Rob Hayles and the winner will also get the chance to ride with the former track world champion in Derbyshire.
The winner will also receive a comprehensive bike fit from the team at the ProTool Cycleworks Performance Centre, where each Beacon Fell bike is built.
Meanwhile, second prize is a Giro d’Italia maglia rossa signed by Mark Cavendish and Paul Smith. What’s more the top scoring team each week will win a Eurosport jersey, and the best performing directeur sportif on each stage will win a Eurosport polo-shirt and a bike fit
All that’s left for you to do is to head to http://rcuktourdefrance.fantasyleague.com and pick your dream team. Can you afford both Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish? Is Alberto Contador the man to lead your charge up the general classification?
Points are awarded to the top 20 riders in each stage with bonus points on offer for being part of a stage winning squad and for claiming or retaining the lead in an overall classification.
The rider list will be updated as each team confirms its roster for the Tour – and you can make unlimited changes up until the Grand Depart in Corsica on Saturday June 29. Once the Tour is under way, you can make up to three changes to your team between stages and a maximum of 20 in total.
The stages have been split into three categories with 50 per cent more points awarded for the most difficult and important days in the saddle. Once you’ve picked your all-conquering team, invite your friends and rivals to compete in your own private league. Good luck!
