With its reputation at stake and organizers always seeking to keep the storied Tour de France fresh, the 95th Tour de France begins July 5 without a defending titlist and with several changes to an event still evolving since its 1903 debut.

For the first rime in 40 years, the Tour will not include a prologue, the traditional short opening individual time trial that determines the race leader for the first stage. Additionally, the race will no longer offer bonus time after stage wins, a move organizers hope will attract more interest to the race among the general population unaccustomed to the race’s unusual timing calculations.

Instead, the first stage will be from Brest to Plumelec. The race will end July 27 after a counterclockwise trek through the Pyrenees and the Alps. The race, which will only include four American riders, will include 21 stages and cover 3,500 kilometers. It will have 10 flat stages, five mountain stages, four medium mountain stages and two individual time-trials.

In addition to a lack of a prologue, race organizer will require cyclists to possess a biological passport as an "ethical requirement" before given permission to start the race. Under the system, blood and urine samples collected from all riders in 2008 will be used to create a medical profile that would then be compared to the data registered in doping tests.

The 2008 route will include a rare rest day in Italy and it will also include the trek to Alpe d'Huez, the Tour's most famous mountaintop finish. Additionally, famous ascents like the Galibier and Croix de Fer will precede the finish at L'Alpe d' Huez. And for the first time since 1993 riders will crest Col de la Bonette (Restefond) in stage 16. Its highest point is 9,193 feet the highest in Tour history.

Competition at the Tour de France is always unique, and this year’s is no different. Alberto Contador of Spain, the 2007 titlist and his American teammate, Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, who finished third last year, will not compete. Their team, sponsored by Astana, sponsored by the Astana group, a coalition of state-owned companies from Kazakhstan and named af
ter its capital. Astana was kicked out the event and not allowed to compete this year for past drug offenses under previous team management.

For the first time in race history, two American-sponsored team, Garmin-Slipstream, based in Colorado, and Team Columbia, registered in Texas, will participate. But combined the two U.S. squads will only include: George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C./Team Columbia); Christian Vande Velde (Boulder, Colo.,/Garmin-Chipotle); Will Frischkorn (Charlottesville, Virginia/Garmin-Chipotle) and Danny Pate (Colorado Springs, Colo./Garmin-Chipotle)

Here are the 2008 Tour de France stages:

Stage 1 — Saturday, July 5, Brest to Plumelec, 195km
Stage 2 — Sunday , July 6, Auray to Saint-Brieuc, 165km
Stage 3 — Monday, July 7, Saint-Maloto Nantes, 195km   
Stage 4 — Tuesday,  July 8,Cholet to Cholet, 29km (time trial)
Stage 5 — Wednesday, July 9, Cholet to Châteauroux, 230km
Stage 6 — Thursday , July 10, Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy, 195km   
Stage 7 — Friday, July 11, Brioude to Aurillac, 158km
Stage 8 — Saturday,  July 12, Figeac to Toulouse, 174km   
Stage 9 — Sunday, July 13, Toulouse to Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 222km   
Stage 10 — Monday, July 14, Pau to Hautacam, 154km
Rest Day — Tuesday, July 15, Pau
Stage 11 — Wednesday July 16, Lannemezan to Foix, 166km
Stage 12 — Thursday July 17,Lavelanet to Narbonne, 168km
Stage 13 — Friday, July 18, Narbonne to Nîmes, 182 km
Stage 14 — Saturday, July 19, Nîmes to Digne-les-Bains, 182km   
Stage 15 — Sunday, July 20,     Digne-les-Bains to Prato Nevoso, 216km   
Rest Day — Monday, July 21, Cueno
Stage 16 — Tuesday,  July 22, Cuneo to Jausiers, 157km   
Stage 17 — Wednesday, July    23, Embrun to L'Alpe-d'Huez, 210km   
Stage 18 — Thursday, July 24, Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne, 197km   
Stage 19 — Friday, July 25, Roanne to Montluço, 163km   
Stage 20 — Saturday, July 26, Cérilly to St-Amand-Mrtd, 53km (time trial)
Stage 21 — Sunday, July 27, Étampes to Paris (Champs-Élysées), 143km