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With the Tour de France starting this weekend, eurosport.yahoo.com answers some of your questions on cycling's most prestigious event.

How long is the race?

This year's race will comprise of 21 stages over 23 days with just two rest days - there will be no prologue this year. By the time the riders reach the finish of the race on the Champs Elysees, they will have covered 3,554 kilometres (just slightly shorter than last year's race).

Is it the same route every year?

No. In recent years the race has alternated between clockwise and anti-clockwise routes around France. This year, the peloton will tackle the Pyrenees before the Alps. The race has finished on the Champs Elysees every year since 1975. The year race will be almost entirely in France, with only a small part in Italy. You might remember that last year's race began in London.

Where can I watch the Tour de France on TV?

On Eurosport of course. What's more you can now watch Eurosport on your PC via the Eurosport player - just click on the link under the picture to subscribe. British Eurosport is available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521, while British Eurosport 2 is available on Sky 411 and Virgin Media 525

Are the riders in national teams?

No, riders can belong to any team, regardless of which country the team is registered in.

Who won the Tour de France last year?

Alberto Contador of the Discovery Channel team won the race finishing just 23 seconds ahead of Australia Cadal Evans. It had looked for a long time that Dane Michael Rasmussen would win but following stage 16 he was removed from the Tour by his Rabobank team who accused him of lying about his whereabouts while training, which resulted in him missing several drug tests earlier in the year.

Will Contador win again this year?

No, Contador now rides for the Astana team who were not invited to compete at this year's Tour due to their involvement in a doping scandal during the 2007 race. Last year their team leader Alexander Vinokourov failed a drugs test and their entire team was thrown out of the event. Astana's absence also means that the Tour is deprived of last year's third place finisher Levi Leipheimer and also 2008 Tour de Romandie winner Andreas Kloeden. The favourites for the race according to the bookmakers are Evans, Denis Menchov, Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego.

Who was the best rider ever?

Lance Armstrong won seven Tours in a row between 1999 and 2005. Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault have five wins apiece.

What is an average rider's height and weight like?

Riders come in all shapes and sizes. Sprinters, such as Thor Hushovd and Alessandro Petacchi tend to be bulkier, while mountain specialists like Mauricio Soler and Leonardo Piepoli are generally very lean and light.

How many calories does a rider burn in a stage?

Anywhere up to 10,000, which is why cyclists frequently take on board energy bars and gels throughout the stage, and consume pasta by the bucket-load in the evenings.

What's a domestique?

A domestique is a rider whose job is to work for his team leader. These riders pick up food and water from their team cars for their leader, protect him from crashes and even give up their bikes for him should he have technical difficulties.

How fast do they ride?

It depends on the stage. Riders can reach up to 100km/h when descending, though the average speed of riding throughout the whole race is a little over 40km/h.

How much do their bikes cost?

A state-of the art carbon road bike will set you back anything up to £4,000, and even more in the case of the ultra-aerodynamic time-trial machines. Start saving now.

What are the most exciting stages?

Every stage has its attraction, though some lament the inevitability of sprint finishes during the first week. Stages which shake up the overall standings are ones not to be missed, generally mountain stages and time-trials. Anything with "hors-categorie" - climbs so tough they go beyond the scale are invariably good to watch.

How do riders answer the call of nature?

In professional racing the stakes are high. There's rarely time to stop and find a bush, never mind call in at a roadside cafe en route. Most of the time riders just, well, sit back and let it flow.

Why do they bother with breakaways when they always fail?

Because sometimes, on the odd occasion, they do actually succeed. Just ask Caisse d'Epargne rider Oscar Pereiro. He lost almost half an hour in the Pyrenees in 2006, went on a huge breakaway on stage 13, and claimed the yellow jersey. Floyd Landis' Phonak team was content to let him go, confident he would struggle in the Alps. He didn't, and finished second overall (before being the declared the winner when Landis failed a drugs test). For all those who aren't among the top sprinters and climbers, a breakaway is their only hope of winning a stage in cycling's most prestigious race.

Are teams allowed to enforce F1-style "team orders"?

Most definitely. In fact team-tactics dominate cycling far more so than in F1. While individuals may take all the glory, they would not be able to do so without the support of their team-mates, who will more often than not sacrifice their own interests to work for them. When Jan Ullrich attacked decisively in Andorra on his way to winning Tour de France in 1997, he first cycled back to his Telekom team car to ask for permission to leave Bjarne Riis, his team leader, who was struggling.

Why is the whole peloton given the same time when they don't cross the line simultaneously?

The sheer number of riders means that there is an inevitable time delay between the sprinters crossing the line, and those at the back of the peloton, though they all essentially form part of the same group, who have arrived in together.

Are you allowed to change bikes mid-stage?

Yes, and riders often do. If a rider's chain comes off during a crucial moment in a race and the team car is to hand, they will supply him with another bike instantly.

Do cyclists actually bonk in public?

Every cyclist has bonked on a mountain at some stage in his career. It is the term used when cyclists' energy levels are at rock-bottom, and they slow down dramatically. It happened to Floyd Landis in spectacular fashion on stage 16 in 2006. Within the space of just a few kilometres on the climb to La Toussuire, he lost over eight minutes on his rivals.

Remember you can watch live coverage of every stage on your PC via the Eurosport player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe.

Or watch the action on British Eurosport - available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521 or British Eurosport 2 - available on Sky 411 and Virgin Media 525

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