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Gilbert takes opening stage! |
Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert continued his awesome season with victory on the uphill finish on Stage One of this year's Tour.
The triple-Ardennes winner took the lead in the yellow, green and polka-dot competitions to haul in 200 Velogames points.
Further behind, Alberto Contador got off to a far worse start, delayed in a crash and losing time to all his main GC rivals.
The scoring update has now been completed, so check out those intital scores now!
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Join the British Cycling mini league! |
Velogames is hosting the official British Cycling Fantasy Tour mini league, with a signed Team Sky jersey to be awarded to the winning team's directeur sportif!
Entry is not restricted to members of British Cycling, but to be eligible for a prize you must be a resident of the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.
First prize is a signed Team Sky jersey, with great runners-up prizes to be announced shortly.
Entries to this league will close at 10:00 BST on Sunday 3rd the July (and you will also need to have entered your team into Velogames by the main deadline of 10:00 BST on Saturday 2nd July...), so don't delay and sign up now using code 29223151 in one of your mini league slots on your team roster page.
Discuss this league on the British Cycling Facebook page now!
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Select your team of nine riders |
Players take the role of directeur sportif of their cycling team, and must pick a squad of nine riders based on rider classes and budget.
Each rider is allocated a price in velocredits, so use 100 of these credits to pick the best squad possible.
Each rider is also given a rider class, and you must select a balanced squad of all-rounders, climbers, sprinters and domestiques.
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Score points each day |
The riders will score points based on their real-life performance in the Tour de France.
The detailed scoring system has been designed to accurately rate each rider's contribution to the race.
In addition to points scored for stage and overall positions, riders also score points for the Green Jersey and Polka Dot Jersey standings.
Follow your riders on the road each day as additional points are on offer for breakaways, intermediate sprints and accross the highest mountain summits of the race.
And the scoring system does not forget the contribution of the loyal team support riders, as points are allocated for assisting a stage win, overall placing and the team classification.
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Compete against your friends and colleagues |
The popular Velogames mini league system returns to allow you to form groupings to compete against your closest rivals.
In addition to entry into the main standings and your country league, your team has five mini league slots available.
Create a league and send the league code to your friends and colleagues, to compete against them across the three week event.
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Design your own club jersey! |
New this season, Velogames now allows each team in the game to select a team jersey image, that is shown on your team screen and also within each leaderboard.
Select a jersey from the detailed list of available images, which includes real-life teams, historic teams and national jerseys.
And join the ever-increasing number of individuals and organisations that have requested their own bespoke jersey to be included in the game.
So show off your club colours and request your own jersey to be created.
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Join the LIVE PRIZE competitions! |
The main Velogames Fantasy Tour de France remains free to play.
But you can spice up the three week tour by entering one or both of the LIVE PRIZE competitions, which incorporate pre-race strategy and live scoring.
Each competition covers three of the toughest, most crucial days of competition, first across the Pyrenees and then during hte crucial stages in the Alps and decisive final time trial.
Between each stage, you will be able to nominate a Race Captain and Race Lieutenant, who will score bonus points on top of the usual pints scored for their perfoamcne in the saddle.
Entry fees for the LIVE PRIZE competitions will be split between supporting the site and awarding prizes, so get involved to be in with a chance of picking up the big prize!
More details of these competitions will be released later this week
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Race Preview |
The 15th annual Velogames Fantasy Tour de France gets underway on Saturday 2nd July with a road stage through the Vendée region of north-west France.
The Tour sees Alberto Contador return to defend the yellow jersey that he won last season.
After recent victory in the Giro d'Italia, Contador hope to join a select goup of riders who have completed the Giro/Tour double in a single season.
But the Spaniard will not have it all his own way on the roads of France this July.
Andy Schleck and Frank Schleck return for a brotherly two-pronged attack on the yellow jersey.
Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez will be on the attack in the mountains hoping to better his fourth place last year, while the brutal climbs of the Alps and Pyrenees could also be the launchpad for the climbers from the flatlands, Jurgen Van Den Broeck and Robert Gesink.
And veterans such as Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso, Andreas Kloden and Levi Leipheimer will also be looking to make their mark.
Mark Cavendish returns for another tilt at the Green Jersey and the smart money will be on him taking another host of stage wins, despite showing poor racing form to date this season.
Sprint rivals Thor Hushovd, Alessandro Petacchi and Tom Boonen will also hope to hit the front during the big bunch finishes.
And an interesting first week sees several hilly stages that could benefit the breakaway specialists, although Philippe Gilbert, Sylvain Chavanel and Damiano CUnego will all want to bag a stage win on their favoured terrain.
With a new-look site, more efficient update process, the addition of a custom team jersey image and the return of old favourites like the ever-popular mini leagues, the fifteenth Velogames Tour de France promises to be a vintage edition.
I look forward to seeing your team on the road !
- George Chapman, Owner of Velogames