More Tour than ever before...

The long wait is almost over. A few hours from now, the first rider will roll down the start ramp in Utrecht, ahead of a 23 day, 3,360 kilometre journey that will culminate in a golden Parisian evening, and the winner of the 102nd Tour de France crowned.

The long wait is almost over... (Getty)

For SBS, this is always a highlight of the year. The Tour brings in all manner of viewers, from MAMILS, through cycling aficionados, to the casual fan, to those who just love sitting back on a frosty evening and seeing the stunning French vistas rolling on by.

In 2015 there's a series of initiatives we're launching, to continue our mission of making each Tour bigger and better than the one before.

For the first time we'll be replaying the last two hours of the stage the following day, first on SBS, and then on SBS 2. Our nightly highlights on SBS 2 have been extended to one hour, every evening. On seven stages we'll join the race earlier than our usual 10pm start time to get into the action quicker, and we'll also cover the second edition of La Course, the women's race around the Champs-Élysées.

In short, there's more hours of Tour de France than ever before.

Expect some new technology to be showcased in the race, with live on-board cameras being trialled, along with live rider data and drone coverage at various stages of the race.

The Tour Tracker returns with a groundbreaking new feature: five motorbike cameras all available to view on demand. Watch the race your way. And this very website will be home to the latest news, exclusive video content and reaction to the great race.

The team on location has a fresh look too, with three-time green jersey winner Robbie McEwen joining us for the first time, along with regular Dave McKenzie and host Mike Tomalaris, covering his twentieth Tour. Expect new levels of insight and analysis from the best team in the business.

As well as the shiny new stuff, old favourites will return - live panel shows on the rest days, Gabriel Gate and Troll DJ are now all firmly established in our Tour coverage.

So settle back, relax, and forget about getting any sleep, as we take you on another voyage en France. You won't regret it.

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