New Zealand's contingent at the Tour de France has been halved.

A doping-related scandal involving the tainted Astana team of Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali marred the start of the Grand Boucle in Utrecht. But Dutch cycle fans turned out en masse to cheer on their heroes.

This year the Tour de France reads paradoxically as both hell on Earth and a climber's paradise.

Tyler Hamilton rode for Lance Armstrong during three of the seven Tour de France victories the Texan won while doping.

Tyler Hamilton told the Phil Taylor about lying and cheating and Lance Armstrong, and the first time they saw each other since a testy chance encounter at a restaurant in 2011 that gave rise to FBI investigations of possible witness tampering.

He admitted to cheating during all seven of his Tour de France victories and is currently serving a lifetime ban from cycling.

The Pyrenees lived up to their reputation for causing ups and downs at the Tour de France yesterday.

It is the latest must-do 'thing', the social media craze that has swept the globe, with everyone from Barack Obama to David Cameron jumping on the bandwagon.

A perpetual fog of drug controversies, barbed wire fences lacerating faces and legs that feel like a mini sledgehammer's king-hit them.

If Mark Cavendish was nervous about the prospect of sprinting for glory in front of two million expectant home fans, he did a good job of hiding it.

Chris Froome has revealed that he wants to follow his historic Tour triumph by adding the world champion's rainbow jersey to his yellow jersey.

Chris Froome has two hands firmly on the Tour de France trophy.

This morning's 20th and penultimate stage of the Tour was doubtless among the most beautiful for spectators, but possibly the most hellish for the competitors.

Julian Dean is finally completing a Tour de France without so much as a decent cut, bruise or even airgun pellet lodged in his thumb.

Greg Henderson's dream is to bring glory to a team-mate on the Tour de France, writes Andrew Alderson

Both New Zealand riders were involved in a 20-man crash near the end of the 12th stage on the Tour de France overnight.

Now his rivals know that Chris Froome is not just a bully when his mates are around

Cycling's ethical and moral compass went haywire a long time ago, and yet the sport's popularity only grows, writes Gregor Paul.