SHOTLIST:

Paris, France. 18th June 2013.

1. 00:00 Wide shot of Amaury Sport Organisation A.S.O. (the Organising Company of the Tour de France)

2. 00:06 Close up of Amaury Sport Organisation A.S.O.

3. 00:10 Mid shot of the entrance of A.S.O.

4. 00:15 Mid shot of Christian Prudhomme walking away from his office

5. 00:24 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding who is favourite to win this Tour)

"(Alberto) Contador will of course be a very important element of the picture, of the scenario of the Tour, but it will be Sky against the rest of the world with of course Chris Froome as the undisputed leader of this team."

6. 00:40 Close up (zoom out) of old photo of cyclists

7. 00:45 Wide shot of Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France, next to the poster of the 100th edition of the Tour de France, the tour of 2013.

8. 00:50 Mid of photo with cyclists high on a mountain

9. 00:56 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding the possibilities of a comeback from Bradley Wiggins)

"I think he will be very strong on the Tour that will start in Yorkshire in 2014. In Yorkshire, there will be a magnificent stage and the next one will finish in London. I think he'll have his motivation back and be back."

10. 01:09 Pan shot of poster of Tour de France edition 2013.

11. 01:18 Close up of the stages in the Alps.

12. 01:25 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding doping in cycling)

"One of the fundamental questions is the capacity of finding the substances. If the medical corps would be capable to find all the substances, there would be no doubt at all. And the last years, the gap has been considerably tightened between those who cheat and those who track down the cheaters."

13. 01:48 Close up of the departure of the Tour de France in Corsica

14. 01:51 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

(Question regarding the importance of starting the Tour in Corsica)

"Two stages (in Corsica) are typically stages for punchers. Here, the favourites of the general classification will have to pay a lot of attention, because these are typically trapped stages. Those who haven't scouted the Corsican stages will have made a big mistake. On the eve of the first stage, they might say: "It's all flat, Corsica, it's all flat. There are no bends!" Two days later they will have understood why the automobile Tour of Corsica is called 'The Rally of ten thousand bends'."

15. 02:15 Mid shot of poster of the southern part of the Tour de France (Alps and Pyrenees)

16. 02:20 Pan of poster from Bretagne to the Alps

17. 02:28 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director Tour de France:

"Cycling is friendly. Once again, it's (a sport) for families, for people who are happy to be there, for people smiling."

18. 02:35 Pan shot from the Alps to Paris, Champs Elysees.

19. 02:41 Mid shot of photo with cyclists on the Champs Elysees.

20. 02:45 Close up from the map with Paris, Champs Elysees.

STORYLINE: Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme spoke on Tuesday (18th June) and tipped Chris Froome to emerge victorious in this years race.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

The director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, expects that the 2013 event, the 100th edition of the Tour de France, will be a scenario of Team Sky against the rest of the world, with Christopher Froome as the undisputed leader of his team.

He expects Bradley Wiggins to come roaring back in 2014 after not defending his crown in this year's race, which starts in just over a week. "I think he'll have his motivation back and be back," Christian Prudhomme said in an interview on Tuesday in his Paris office.

Elite athletes, he noted, "can fall very low but rebound very quickly."

The first two stages in 2014 run through Yorkshire in northeast England, with the third going from Cambridge to London, so Wiggins will be on home ground. "I think he'll be very strong," Prudhomme said.

About the doping affairs in the Tour, Prudhomme said: "One of the fundamental questions is the capacity of finding the substances. If the medical corps would be capable to find all the substances, there would be no doubt at all. And the last years, the gap has been considerably tightened between those who cheat and those who track down the cheaters."

Prudhomme warned that the first stages on the French island of Corsica could be treacherous.

After a flat opening stage on June 29 that British sprinter Mark Cavendish, among others, will have his eye on, the race ventures over more jagged terrain inland and up the island's west coast.

From Corsica, the Tour crosses to the French mainland.

"Those who haven't scouted the Corsican stages will have made a big mistake. On the evening of the first stage, they'll be telling themselves, "It's all flat!" Prudhomme said. "Two days later they will have understood why the automobile Tour of Corsica is called `The Rally of ten thousand Bends.' Not only does it go up and down, it turns all the time."

Christian Prudhomme, himself a passionate supporter of cycling, remains optimistic for the popularity of the sport: "Cycling is a sport for families, for people who are happy to be there, for people smiling."

STORYLINE:

Chris Froome and other riders reacted after the 2017 Tour de France route was unveiled on Tuesday (18th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

All five mountain ranges of continental France will feature in next year's Tour de France, setting up a gruelling, three-week racing challenge that seems tailor-made for the climbing strengths of defending champion Chris Froome and his Colombian rival, Nairo Quintana.

In their quest to keep the 113-year-old race young, organisers have again unearthed fresh racing challenges from the geography of France, with new climbs and, on stage 18, an unprecedented mountain-top finish on the punishing Col d'Izoard high in the Alps - a rocky, hostile and lunar terrain that could be the final big battleground for the winner's check of 500,000 euros ($550,000).

Before that, on stage 12 in the Pyrenees, the Tour climbs to the Peyragudes ski station where parts of the James Bond movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" were filmed in 1997.

From its July 1 start in Duesseldorf, Germany, to the July 23 finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the 3,516-kilometre (2,185-mile) route will wind over climbs in the Vosges, Jura, Massif Central, Pyrenees and Alps. Not since the Tour of 1992 have organisers made riders take on all five mountain ranges.

Paris, France. 18th October 2016.

1. 00:00 Tour de France riders arriving for presentation

2. 00:11 Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner, arriving for presentation

3. 00:19 Close up Chris Froome

4. 00:25 Mid of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

5. 00:31 Wide of Chris Froome seated between Romain Bardet and Adam Yates

6. 00:39 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"Like every year this is an extremely tough, tough Tour de France to win. Only three summit finishes but a few very difficult challenging mountain stages. It definitely could make the race a lot more tactical in the mountains and not necessarily just about the strongest on the climb on the day."

7. 01:03 Froome on camera screen

8. 01:07 SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Froome, three-time Tour de France winner:

"It is certainly nice to see that Tour de France is returning to Germany, I think it's been 30 years now since the Tour was there. I think especially given the likes of a lot of the German riders in the peloton at the moment, we've got some really talented guys, guys like (Marcel) Kittel, (John) Degenkolb, Tony Martin. I'm sure for them it's going to be a great honour for them to be at the Tour de France with it starting in Germany again."

9. 01:38 Froome holding photo and posing with man for photographer

10. 01:46 Christian Prudhomme with officials

11. 01:50 SOUNDBITE (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director:

"Yes, the stages from the beginning to the end where the Tour can play itself out, for the first time in 25 years, the five main mountain ranges. These last few years, we sometimes had three mountain stages in the same mountain range. Here, there will be a stage in the Vosges, two in the Jura, two in the Pyrenees, one in the Massif Central, two in the Alps, and a time trial at the beginning and another one nearly at the end. So it is made in a way it can play itself out everywhere and give an uncertain side to the race. That's what we are looking for."

12. 02:13 Christian Prudhomme with officials

13. 02:18 SOUNDBITE (French) Romain Bardet, French climbing specialist:

"Of course there are short stages with important differences of levels but there is no succession of difficulties and no third week as hard as the one last year for example." .

It is an interesting itinerary

14. 02:27 Romain Bardet being interviewed

15. 02:32 Pan journalists

16. 02:37 SOUNDBITE (French) Thomas Voeckler, French rider:

"I've been through everything on the Tour so what happens to me for the past few years is really like a bonus. I ride the Tour because I like it and I really enjoy the Tour De France. After, well I'll answer you after the Tour but if we win a stage with the team, or if I manage to, why not, win a fifth stage on the Tour, I'm not going to deprive myself. We saw earlier the 2016 retrospective: the various stage winners are not second rate riders, these last few years have been more and more difficult and let's face it. I'll be 38 next year. I don't have the legs I had when I was 30. The mind might still be the same but the body ages."

17. 03:16 Various shots of (from left to right) Thibaud Pinot, Romain Bardet, Chris Froome, Richie Porte, Julian Alaphilippe, Adam Yates and Thomas Voeckler on stage

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:31

Reaction after 2015 Tour de France route is unveiled in Paris on Wednesday (October 22nd).

The punishing hairpin climb to the Alpe d'Huez ski station high in the French Alps will provide the dramatic climax for the 2015 Tour de France on the last day, before cycling's showcase race sweeps into Paris for its traditional finish before cheering crowds on the Champs-Elysees.

The atypical 2015 route unveiled on Wednesday by Tour organisers also sees a drastically reduced emphasis on time-trialling, plenty of opportunities for sprinters to shine and potential traps that could trip up race favorites, including a return to tricky cobbled roads in northeast France.

The race starts on July 4th in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and ends 3,344 kilometres (2,078 miles) later in Paris on July 26th, going counter-clockwise around France.

Riders get rest days before they attack the Pyrenees and then the high Alps.

Paris, France. 22nd October, 2014.

1. 00:00 Wide of TDF 2015 route presentation.

2. 00:06 Medium of cyclists.

3. 00:11 Close-up of presentation stage.

4. 00:15 Pan and top shot of mixed zone.

5. 00:20 Set-up Vincenzo Nibali.

6. 00:23 Cutaway.

7. 00:28 SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vincenzo Nibali, TDF 2014 winner, Astana (on doping in the Astana team):

"The events that happened are related to the Iglinskiy family, so it's a separate thing and we, as a team, cannot answer for something done by the two brothers. About the last case instead, it doesn't belong to us, it is part of the 'professional' team, which is not managed by us but it's managed by others."

8. 01:22 Cutaway.

9. 01:27 SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vincenzo Nibali, TDF 2014 winner, Astana (Q: are you the favourite?)

"It's hard to say who the favourites are, we will see it during the season, during the preparation ahead of the Tour. Certainly, the most important favourites are (Chris) Froome, (Alberto) Contador, (Nairo) Quintana."

10. 01:42 Set-up Chriastian Prudhomme.

11. 01:48 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"It's a hilly Tour, yes. Its the 40th anniversary of polka dot jersey. So we'll have a first part with flat stages but we will use cobblestones, we will use the wind, two steep finish lines. And after that yes, in the Pyrenees and in the Alps yes - it will be a 'mountain-ess' Tour De France."

12. 02:12 Cutaway.

13. 02:17 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christian Prudhomme, Tour director:

"Stages are always good for the sprinters. A Tour is never good for sprinters, it's only stage wins. If you are not a climber, you can't win the Tour."

14. 02:28 Set-up Marc Cavendish.

15. 02:33 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marc Cavendish, QuickStep:

"After the first week, it will be in the mountains. With cross winds, small roads, small hills, with the cobbles. It's going to lead to a lot of stress, everyone is going to be very tired. There is lots of opportunities for me as a sprinter. I am really looking forward to it."

16. 02:48 Set-up Marcel Kittel.

17. 02:52 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcel Kittel, Giant:

"As a sprinter I like the first week even though there are cobblestones in it. But, yeah, it will be really hard after the first stages."

18. 03:02 Pan on TDF 2015 map and route.

19. 03:08 SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Christophe Peraud, Ag2r:

"Cycling is not doing well in a way in relation with the number of teams are quitting. So one shouldn't point the finger at Astana. It doesn't look like organized doping. I think the UCI is putting in a lot of effort in its fight against doping."

20. 03:27 Medium of mixed zone.

21. 03:31 SOUNDBITE: (English) Cadel Evans, Former TDF winner:

"There is certainly a couple of stages that I think would suit me and my carachteristics but at the same time I had ten years committed to the TDF. I gave everything I could, the moments I could�I came away with one victory. I retire, I step away from the TDF as satisfyed competitor and a one with only very few regrets."

22. 03:56 Wide of presentation TDF 2015 stage.

STORYLINE:

Defending champion Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish spoke about the route for the 2019 Tour de France after it was announced in Paris on Thursday (25th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Next year's Tour de France will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the showcase race's iconic yellow jersey.

With France emerging from the carnage of World War I, the Tour offered its beacon of hope to the war-ravaged nation.

In 1919, the race leader's yellow jersey — which has become cycling's most iconic symbol — was introduced.

"It came straight out of the trenches, born from the rubble of a wounded France," Tour race director Christian Prudhomme said Thursday, unveiling the route for the July 6-28 race.

Joining Prudhomme on stage were five-time Tour winners Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

Only four riders, including Jacques Anquetil, have won five Tours; Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles for doping.

British rider Chris Froome will try to win his fifth title next year, but will have to depose his Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas over the 3,460-kilometre (2,145-mile) race.

It features seven flat stages for sprinters, five hilly ones for all-rounders, seven mountain stages — five with summit finishes — one team time trial and one individual time trial.

The big climbs start in the Pyrenees before hitting the Alps.

The Tour has less of the Hors Categorie (Beyond Classification) climbs than before - those HC climbs are the most gruelling.

Instead, the race has more of the Category Two climbs — which are noticeably less difficult and favour attacking strategies.

Sky has won six of the past seven races, often controlling them in the mountains by easily repelling attacks.

This has given the team an aura of invincibility and the race a predictable tone.

With closer racing needed, the two time trials combine for a relatively low 54 kilometres, meaning specialists such as Froome have less chance to gain significant time advantages.

The race begins with a flat stage for sprinters around the city of Brussels and stays there the next day for the 27 kilometre team time trial.

After leaving Belgium, the Tour snakes through the Champagne and Lorraine regions.

Stage 4 for sprinters starts in Reims — the Champagne-producing city where 25 French kings were crowned in its cathedral.

With the race leaving the Alsace region, Stage 7 is the longest at 230 kilometres and made for sprinters.

The next day's stage is a hilly one, with several short but sharp climbs from Macon to Saint-Etienne.

The first rest day is July 16 in Albi in southern France, followed by a sprint stage before the Tour enters the high Pyrenees.

Stage 14 on July 20 features finishes with a climb up the Tourmalet pass, one of the most famed in Tour history.

Riders tackle three days of Alpine climbing on stages 18-20, featuring an ascent up the famed Galibier and imposing Iseran — standing 2,770 metres — and culminating with a relentless 33.4 kilometre trek up to the ski resort of Val Thorens.

After the weary peloton is flown towards Paris, the race ends the next day with its processional showcase stage on the Champs-Elysees.

Palais des Congres, Paris, France. 25th October 2018.

1. 00:00 Wide of cyclists walking on stage

2. 00:04 Mark Cavendish on stage

3. 00:10 Christopher Froome on stage

4. 00:19 Geraint Thomas on stage

5. 00:30 Froome and Thomas going back to their seats

6. 00:40 Geraint Thomas

7. 00:43 Christopher Froome

8. 00:47 Julian Alaphilippe

9. 00:51 Mark Cavendish

10. 00:57 Primoz Roglic

11. 01:01 Five-time Tour de France winners Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and Miguel Indurain, Raymond Poulidor, French former professional bicycle racer known as "The Eternal Second", and Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme

(UPSOUND Raymond Poulidor "Between us four we have won 15 Tour de France")

12. 01:09 Pan of Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Raymond Poulidor on stage

13. 01:21 Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme arriving on stage with map of Tour de France 2019 on large screen

14. 01:26 SOUNDBITE (English): Geraint Thomas, 2018 Tour de France winner:

"It's solid, it's tough as ever, but it's hard to take in it all when it's so quick but there are some big stages, obviously a lot of climbs finishing over 2,000 metres, medium mountain days, you know, look hard as well so yes it's going to be a tough race."

15. 01:42 Close up Thomas' eyes

16. 01:47 SOUNDBITE (English) Geraint Thomas, 2018 Tour de France winner:

"Yeah I think that will be really nice, I've raced in Belgium quite a lot before in the past, so yeah it will be nice to go back and obviously team time trial which we are normally pretty good at. It will be nice to try and try and win that for a change, rather than second and third, which we always seem to be."

17. 02:03 Geraint Thomas talking to journalists

18. 02:07 SOUNDBITE (English): Mark Cavendish, British sprinter who has won 30 Tour de France stages:

"It's flat enough for me, it's 21 flat dates isn't it, but yes, when you've got six or seven spin opportunities that's good, that's fair and there is that, you know. We've got the climbs. I think although there's more climbing, probably more altitude metres, it's still probably (doesn't finish sentence).... 2018 was near-on impossible to reach Paris for most of the sprinters - just the position of the climbs and the layout of the stages whereas here, though there's more climbing there's actually a better opportunity for us. If we work hard, we get to Paris. This year, it didn't matter how hard you worked physiologically, we'd never get to Paris. I was sick in the end, but I don't think even if I was well I wouldn't have reached it. It's quite nice next year - I'm looking forward to it."

19. 02:54 Tour de France presentation on large screen

20. 02:59 Cavendish watching presentation

21. 02:17 SOUNDBITE (English): Mark Cavendish, British sprinter who won 30 Tour de France stages:

"Yeah I hope so. Just back on my bike now. Yeah, there's enough time to get health... to get fit, as long as I'm healthy so I'm monitoring my health at the minute and we'll see where I'm at."

(Journalist: What does the Tour de France mean?)

It's everything for me. It's everything for every bike rider. Even guys who don't ride the road, professional track riders always dreamt of one point or another riding the Tour de France. For me it's everything, it's my career, it's what I've built everything on. It's what I'll continue to do. It's the only reason I still ride a bike now."

22. 03:30 Cavendish leaving

23. 03:35 Wide pan from audience clapping to stage

23. 03:42 Audience listening

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03:47

Reaction after the route for the 2016 Tour de France was unveiled in Paris on Tuesday (20th October).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Chris Froome fancies his chances of defending the Tour de France title on a route that should suit his all-around riding skills.

Two individual time trials and 28 tough climbs will be on the 2016 Tour de France's 3,519-kilometre (2,186-mile) route, which was revealed in France on Tuesday.

Froome, who also won in 2013, is strong both on climbs and in individual time trials, making him an early favourite for 2016.

An ascent of Mont Ventoux in Provence on Bastille Day (14th July) will test the best climbers.

Froome was the stage winner when the Tour last scaled the Ventoux's barren, 1,909-metre (6,263-feet) peak in 2013 and he will be eyeing that stage for another victory.

The Mont-Saint-Michel, a Benedictine abbey perched on a rock off the Normandy coast, will provide a picture-postcard start for the race.

The first stage ends at Utah Beach, where Allied troops landed on D-Day in 1944.

The first taste of the mountains will come on stage five, in the Massif Central.

From there, there will be little respite on the next 15 stages before the last ride into Paris.

The first of the time trial on stage 13, a day after the Ventoux ascent, combines two short climbs, long flats and a tricky descent over 37 kilometres (23 miles).

Riders hoping to win time-trial gold the following month at the Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro will be able to use that tough course to gauge their form.

After the Pyrenees, where the Tour will dip into Spain and Andorra, the final placings will be decided in the Alps and neighbouring Switzerland before the finish in Paris on 24th of July.

Paris, France - 20th October, 2015.

1. 00:00 Wide pan from media to riders in audience

2. 00:06 Close of defending champion Chris Froome

3. 00:11 Mid of riders

4. 00:15 Wide pan of conference hall

5. 00:24 SOUNDBITE: (English) Christopher Froome, 2013 and 2015 Tour de France champion

"I think it's, it's a great parkour (course) for the next year's Tour de France. I think it really does challenge in every aspect of cycling. The time trials, the mountains.... tricky technical descent also. So, I mean it really is going to take a complete cyclist to win next year's Tour de France."

6. 00:47 Various of Tour de France route presentation

7. 01:05 Mid of Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director, talking to journalists

8. 01:09 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director:

"It is true that for those who feel physically strong but that are not too sure about their nerves, who are afraid that the pressure (of the race) can drop down, having a major stage starting from Wednesday (day five), well that will take off the pressure that they feel because they will be less together with others, because the differences between riders will be already established. I believe that this Tour is for those who dare."

9. 01:31 Various of presentation

10. 01:42 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director :

"Our will was that everything can be done at the last moment... with the mountain stage just a day before the end at Champs Elysees. We already did it couple of times, but this is the first time you will have a mountain peak and a descent (in the same stage). I insist that one should be good in climbing but also in descents in the incoming Tour de France."

11. 02:07 Various of riders on stage

12. 02:25 SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Cavendish, winner of 26 Tour de France stages

"It's a grand tour, it always favours someone who can climb and time trial. I think the two long time trials will be uphill time trial and the hard one will favour an all-rounder really, like a grand tour contender. It's simple as, it's the greatest bike race in the World. As a sprinter, it's a very hard race. (It) Provides six opportunities for a sprint and apart from that it's really difficult for us."

13. 02:53 Mid of Thibault Pinot being interviewed

14. SOUNDBITE: (French) Thibault Pinot, 2014 Tour de France top young rider

"I am really happy with the parkour (course). I think that climbers will take pleasure with two time trials that are really difficult, but there is less danger than the last year. I think it will be nice."

15. 03:09 Wide of presentation.

Chris Froome on Tuesday (17th October) said the opening nine stages of the Tour de France could be dangerous for riders as the route for the 2018 edition was released.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Defending champion Chris Froome can expect a stern challenge from Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin in next year's Tour de France.

Froome is chasing a record-equalling fifth victory to move level with Belgian great Eddy Merckx, French riders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and Spanish great Miguel Indurain.

Froome and Dumoulin won the three Grand Tours this year, with Froome adding the Spanish Vuelta and Dumoulin winning the Giro d'Italia.

The 105th edition of the Tour features a hilly 31-kilometre (19-mile) time trial through the Basque country on the penultimate day.

Froome is a specialist, but Dumoulin is the reigning world time trial champion.

The 32-year-old Froome is still in his prime, while the 26-year-old Dumoulin is approaching his.

The race starts on July 7 — a week later than usual because of the football World Cup in Russia — and opens with a flat 189-kilometre (117-mile) route for sprinters from Noirmoutier-en-l'ile to Fontenay-le-Comte in the Vendee region, on the Atlantic coast.

With the time trial returning after being omitted the last two years, Froome's Team Sky will be confident of creating early time gaps on Stage 3 — a 35-kilometre (21.7-mile) route starting and ending in Cholet in Western France.

But Sky faces tough competition, because Dumoulin's Sunweb team is the reigning TTT world champion.

The Tour route, which goes clockwise, features 25 mountain climbs — ranging from the relatively difficult Category 2 to Category 1 and the daunting Hors Categorie (beyond classification).

Eleven are in the Alps, four in the Massif central region and 10 in the Pyrenees.

The Tour also has more time bonuses on offer in flat stages over the 3,329-kilometre (2,064-mile) course.

The difficult climbs start on Stage 10, the first of three straight days of gruelling Alpine ascents.

But organisers have preceded that with a tricky ninth stage that could shake up the peloton.

It takes riders over 15 treacherous cobblestone sections: the highest number since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometres (13.6 miles) altogether.

The Roubaix cobbles may perhaps trouble Froome.

The cobbles are followed by a rest day on July 16, and Froome had better make the most of it because the Alps start brutally the day after.

Stage 10 on July 17 has four difficult climbs on a 159-kilometre (98.6-mile) route from Annecy to Le Grand Bornand.

They include a punchy ascent of Montee du plateau de Glieres, featuring for the first time.

The third day of Alpine climbing begins with Col de la Madeleine, then Croix de Fer and ends with an ascent of l'Alpe d'Huez: three of the Tour's most well-known.

Dumoulin is not in Froome's class as a climber, but is not so easy to drop.

Whether he can stay with Froome through the Pyrenees, however, will prove crucial to his chances.

Three tough days of climbing in the Pyrenees starts with Stage 16 on July 24: a daunting 218-kilometre (135-mile) route from Carcassone to Bagneres-de-Luchon that follows the second rest day.

Stage 17 is short at 65 kilometres (40 miles) but cruel, with three consecutive nasty climbs, ending with an attack up Col de Portet.

Stage 19 has four ascents and then ends with a potentially treacherous 20-kilometre (12.4-mile) descent to test the concentration of tired riders.

Whoever is freshest after that will have a better chance of challenging Froome in the time trial.

The 21-stage race ends with its customary processional Sunday finish on the Champs-Elysees.

Paris, France. 17th October 2017

1. 00:00 2017 Tour de France winner Christ Froome walking towards his seat in front row and sitting between French cyclist Romain Bardet and double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador

2. 00:07 Froome talking to Contador

3. 00:13 Wide of road racing cyclists in front row with (from right to left) Mark Cavendish, Simon Yates, Nairo Quintana, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome

4. 00:18 Bardet

5. 00:23 Wide of conference hall with map on screen

6. 00:28 Wide of crowd

7. 00:33 Wide of map of 2018 Tour de France

8. 00:39 Attendees filming presentation with smart phones and clapping

9. 00:55 Wide of Froome recording video message

10. 01:01 Froome

11. 01:06 Tour de France logo

12. 01:11 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Froome, four-time Tour de France winner and reigning champion:

"The first 8 or 9 days up in the north of France without any really big mountains, could lead to a very nervous and very dangerous first part of the race especially when it's still very close together in the General classification and got the cobbles and a section of dirt road as well. It's definitely going to take a lot of preparation, a lot of homework to get ready for this year's Tour."

13. 01:41 Bardet on phone

14. 01:46 SOUNDBITE: (French) Romain Bardet, third place finisher in 2017 Tour de France:

"Clearly it's going to be (close) – I guess it depends on the weather, but even in dry weather, there's going to be a skimming of the pack and there will be some serious losses. It could lead to one or two racers taking advantage of it and build a strong lead, but in any case, there is going to be some damage. To me, a Tour de France winner must have some luck the year he wins, but also be capable of facing all these different terrains. It's going to be a key stage."

15. 02:25 Cutaway

16. 02:30 SOUNDBITE: (French) Warren Barguil, Polka dot jersey winner in 2017 Tour de France:

"It's great – a nice stage. 65 kilometres. People say 65 kilometres, but with three mountain passes. 65 kilometres on a flat course, we could do that in about 1 hour 15 minutes, but I think there, it'll be a two and a half hour race. Or I guess it will be two hours or two hours and a quarter. It's not going to be easy."

17. 02:50 Christian Prudhomme talking to reporters

18. 02:55 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France General Director:

"There will be a determining factor for the teams since there'll only be 8 cyclists – the choice of the 7th and 8th racer will be crucial because it's divided in two halves with 10 days in the plain and 10 days in the mountains. A cyclist like Belgian Champion Oliver Naesen was a totally decisive element for Romain Bardet in the Romans stage. Who will be the Oliver Naesen in each team? The guy who will – or Wout Poels for Chris Froome at the Alpe d'Huez in 2015. The cyclist who will be decisive at a certain moment for his leader."

19. 03:27 Prudhomme on stage

20. 03:34 Conference hall

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 03.38

Team Sky's Tour de France leader Chris Froome spoke to SNTV on Monday (17th July).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Chris Froome went into the second rest day on Monday (17th July) as the leader of this Tour de France after 15 stages.

The Brit is 18 seconds ahead of Fabrio Aru (Astana), 23 seconds ahead of Romain Bardet (AG2R) and 29 seconds ahead of Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale).

Froome had a rough day on Sunday's (16th July) stage from Laissac-Severac l'Eglise to Le Puy-En-Velay, losing time because of a bike problem.

In another day of drama in a 104th Tour full of twists, Froome broke a back-wheel spoke at the worst possible time on stage 15 - just as his top rivals were picking up speed in front of him going into yet another punishing climb.

But, after recovering from the misfortune, Froome now takes the jersey and an 18-second lead over Aru into Monday's rest day, the last of two at the Tour, ahead of a crucial last week of racing in the Alps and with a time trial in Marseille.

Froome is aiming to win his third Tour de France in a row this year, as well as a fourth crown overall.

Le Puy-en-Velay, France. 17th July 2017

1. 00:00 Medium shot of Chris Froome

2. 00:07 Close up shot of Chris Froome

3. 00:11 Wide shot photographers with Froome pan right to left

4. 00:18 SOUNDBITE: (French) Chris Froome, Team Sky:

(on four cyclists being within 29 seconds of him):

"Yes, you're right this is true, it's still very open in the main field. There are still two difficult stages in the mountains and obviously the time trial in Marseille. So there are still three days which make it very difficult for the leaders. "

5. 00:51 Wide shot Froome in mixed zone

6. 00:57 SOUNDBITE: (French) Chris Froome, Team Sky:

(Q: What will be your strategy in this last week? Attack or wait?)

"In the Pyrenees, I had a very difficult day and I lost a little bit of time. So, we need to use the team. We already saw that I have the best team-mates. We're the best team in this Tour de France. They have already done an amazing job so far, they kept this yellow jersey for me. Yesterday when I had a problem with my bike, they did a very good job. It's because of them I'm still in yellow. "

7. 01:41 Close up of Froome in presser

8. 01:50 Wide shot same action

9. 01:56 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Froome, Team Sky:

(Q: Which of your rivals do you fear the most?)

"Each rival presents different threats.If you look at Fabio Aru, he won the first mountain top finish on La Planche des Belles Filles. He perhaps didn't have such a good day a couple of days ago. But he's been strong in the third week before so we'll have to wait and see how he goes. Romain Bardet has always been strong in the last week of a grand tour. He's also got the team to back him up. As we saw yesterday he put me under a lot of pressure. We really had to use the whole team to control that situation. Rigoberto Uran, maybe more of the dark horse who has slips under the radar a little bit. He's probably the strongest time triallist of this group of GT riders. With Marseille in mind, he's a big threat as well."

10. 03:03 Wide shot of Froome leaving presser

11. 03:16 SOUNDBITE: (English) Chris Froome, Team Sky:

(Q: How much time can you lose in the Alps ahead of the time trial in Marseille? )

"I'm certainly not going to give any seconds away for free. As I had a bad day in the Pyrenees, it could be the case again in the Alps. I'm feeling better and better as the race goes on. These last few days, even with yesterday's stage, I felt pretty good yesterday. Hopefully that's a sign of timing things right and coming into the tour really fresh. I hope this third week I'll be at my best."

12. 03:50 Wide shot Froome walking to his bus.

13. 03:58 Wide shot of Froome getting out his bus and signing autographs.

14. 04:11 Close up of signing.

15. 04:18 Close up of Froome on bike.

16. 04:27 Wide shot team going to training.

SOURCE: SNTV.

DURATION: 04:43.

Team Ineos rider Geraint Thomas said on Monday's rest day that he is "itching to go" ahead of the final week of racing at the 2019 Tour de France.

Second-placed Thomas gained 27 seconds on yellow jersey holder Julian Alaphilippe on Sunday's stage 15, as a late attack saw him distance the Frenchman towards the Prat d'Albis summit finish.

Three big mountain days are still left to race before the Tour's traditional conclusion in Paris, and Thomas will be intent on making further inroads into Alaphilippe's lead, which stands at one minute and 35 seconds.

On Saturday, the Welshman had lost crucial time on the Col du Tourmalet, but his response on Sunday kept him in contention as he bids to retain the Tour de France title.

Tuesday's 177 kilometre relatively flat stage 16 in Nimes is likely to see a bunch sprint finish.

Nimes, France. 22nd July 2019.

1. 00:00 Various of Geraint Thomas entering news conference

2. 00:15 Geraint Thomas (left), Team Ineos general manager Dave Brailsford (centre) and Egan Bernal (right) in news conference

3. 00:23 SOUNDBITE (English): Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos rider:

(About taking time out of Julian Alaphilippe's lead on Sunday and looking ahead to the Alps)

"We stick together. I think obviously yesterday (Sunday), I said on the radio that I didn't feel great coming into the last climb. As it turns out, I did feel great at the top. But, yeah, I think the main thing is, going into the Alps now, I feel motivated to get there and really try and finish this Tour off well. It has been slightly up and down here, for sure, and race compared to last year. But the main thing for me is that I finished strongly yesterday (Sunday), and I am really just itching to go now. I much prefer the Alps - I have got a lot better memories from there for obvious reasons. Yeah, I'm just looking forward to it."

4. 01:16 SOUNDBITE (English): Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos rider:

(About managing his effort to remain in contention overall and the soaring temperatures in France this week)

"Yeah, yesterday (Sunday), like I say, I finished really strongly so, yeah, it's not an issue. If that is my bad day, to lose 30 seconds on the Tourmalet, is quite a good day really. And like Dave (Brailsford) said, you win a Grand Tour by being good all the way through, and managing your effort all the way through, not going into that deep, deep red zone often - save that for the final day or two. So I feel like I have managed that effort really well so far and I'm feeling good for it. Yeah I'm looking forward to the Alps now and, altitude-wise like in training in Tenerife, a drop off of watts is never really as much as most people so I'm relishing that opportunity and the heat, it is the same for everyone. I have ridden in that heat Down Under (Australia) numerous times over the years and got used it, so it is no problem."

5. 02:23 SOUNDBITE (English): Geraint Thomas, Team Ineos rider:

(About Team Ineos' performances in this year's Tour de France)

"Egan (Bernal) is fifth and I am second. I think we are still doing pretty well. Ok, yeah, we are not in the yellow and we are not riding on the front all day everyday. But like Dave (Brailsford) said, there is more than one way to win the Tour and this situation is completely different, and we don't have to pull when there are other teams that want to do it as well. So I think we are still in a super strong position the boys as well... Dylan (van Barrle) for instance, has been incredible, the way he has been going this year. I think he has been one of the standout guys in our team. I think everyone has ups and downs and I think it is how you deal with that. But, yeah, I am confident that we are all in great shape and a great position, and looking forward to some big Alpine climbs."

6. 03:22 SOUNDBITE (Spanish): Egan Bernal, Team Ineos rider:

(About Nairo Quintana telling his team he was having some difficulties during the Col du Tourmalet, but Alejandro Valverde said that he did not mention anything)

"I think it is easier when you have good communication with the rest of the team. That has happened before, and he (Nairo Quintana) has always has been very honest. As a fellow Colombian, he told me that he was not in the best condition. I have been ahead of Nairo in the race. I think it is good for the race and for the teams (to have that competition and communication between riders). In my case, if I am ahead (in the race) maybe other riders could have some doubts, because a rider from Ineos is ahead and they do not want to help me out. I think there is a lot of strategy around, but again, the leader in our team is Geraint (Thomas) and we will give our all for him."

When members of the cheese-making Bricard family say they're working to keep wolves from the door, they mean it literally.

The mountain pastures where their milk-producing goats feed, high in the Alps where the Tour de France was reaching its climax this week, are also home to wolves that will gobble up tasty livestock animals if they get the chance. Cyril Bricard says he's already lost several sheep to the predators.

So he has sheepdogs Oursone and Nele standing guard. Raised as pups to live with the Bricards' flock, which they protect as fiercely as family, the chunky dogs with a don't-mess-with-me bark roam with the goats as they nibble on wildflowers and mountain grasses that lend their flavor to the Bricards' rich, tasty cheeses.

Also lending a paw is Follow, a zealous Border Collie extremely serious about his job of herding the goats to wherever the Bricards want them to go. Goats that don't move swiftly — Look sharp! On the double! — out of the milking pen after their udders have been emptied of warm, creamy milk risk a nip at the heels from the bossy dog.

"The dogs are very important for us," Bricard said. "Both the guard dogs that protect the flock against predators and the Border Collies that help move the flock and take the goats where we want them."

"It's true that we'd sometimes be in trouble without the dogs."

Valmeinier, France, 26 July 2019

1. Follow, a Border Collie, riding the back of a quad bike driven by livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard to pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

2. Livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard riding his quad to pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

3. Sheepdog Oursone barking with the flock of Cyril Bricard in pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

4. Cyril Bricard in his refrigerated cheese reserve at the Mont Thabor farm in the Alpine town of Valmeinier

5. Livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard with his flock of goats in pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

6. Livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard in an AP interview with his flock of goats in pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

7. SOUNDBITE, CYRIL BRICARD, (French): "The dogs are very important for us. Both the guard dogs that protect the flock against predators and the Border Collies that help move the flock

and take the goats where we want them and avoid the areas where they're not allowed to go. It's true that we'd sometimes be in trouble without the dogs."

8. Close-up of sheepdog Oursone at the Mont Thabor farm in the Alpine town of Valmeinier (PARTIALLY COVERS SOUNDBITE)

9. Follow, a Border Collie, marshalling goats after they have been milked at the Mont Thabor farm in the Alpine town of Valmeinier (PARTIALLY COVERS SOUNDBITE)

10. Livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard in an AP interview with his flock of goats in pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

11.  Follow, a Border Collie, riding the back of a quad bike driven by livestock and cheese farmer Cyril Bricard to pastures above the Alpine town of Valmeinier

Tour de France leader and home favourite Julian Alaphilippe said on Monday's rest day that he and his team have "changed the plan" as he bids to preserve the "honour" of wearing the yellow jersey.

Quick-Step rider Alaphilippe has the weight of home expectation to become France's first Tour champion for 34 years, and that pressure showed during Sunday's stage 15 when current champion, Team Ineos' Thomas, gained 27 seconds on the 27-year-old.

Alaphilippe is prepared to adapt his approach to stay out in front, with his lead over second-placed Thomas now at one minute and 35 seconds.

The Frenchman said that lead is "almost nothing", given the mountainous route the Tour will take before Sunday's traditional conclusion in Paris.

Tuesday's 177 kilometre relatively flat stage 16 in Nimes is likely to see a bunch sprint finish.

Nimes, France. 22nd July 2019.

1. 00:00 Julian Alaphilippe enters news conference

2. 00:07 Wide of news conference

3. 00:15 SOUNDBITE (English): Julian Alaphilippe, Quick-Step rider:

(About how he will change his approach to preserve his lead in the yellow jersey)

"For sure, it is really a big honour to be in yellow during the Tour. So we have changed the plan and we defend it. I give everything every day, like you see. I don't go in a breakaway now. I ride like the leader of the Tour de France, so I don't know what will happen over the next days, but for sure I will continue to defend the jersey. My team also, like yesterday (Sunday), they did a really great job again and I am looking forward to starting the last week."

4. 01:01 SOUNDBITE (French): Julian Alaphilippe, Quick-Step rider:

(About the difficult stages which lie ahead in the Alps)

"The more we move closer to Paris, the more my feeling is different and special. I am realistic about the fact that there are only difficult stages ahead. I already knew this situation before. I did not stop saying that the hardest was still to come. It started at the Tourmalet where I really surprised myself. Yesterday (Sunday), we saw that it was a very difficult stage too. It will be hard until the end. I don't want to dream but I'm sure I'll do my best."

5. 01:36 SOUNDBITE (French): Julian Alaphilippe, Quick-Step rider:

(About how his lead remains a precarious one ahead of the final week of racing)

"One minute and 30 seconds advantage is a lot and, at the same time, nothing considering the next few stages. It is possible to have a failure and lose so much time in a (mountain) pass of 15, 20 per cent or even more, because the stage of Val Thorens is such a difficult climb to the summit. When you look at the profile of the next stages, a lead of one minute 30 seconds is almost nothing."

6. 02:01 SOUNDBITE (French): Julian Alaphilippe, Quick-Step rider:

(About another Frenchman, Thibaut Pinot, and his approach in the mountains)

"Thibaut Pinot showed over the last few days that he is in exceptional form in the mountains. He can count on a very strong team (Groupama) around him. So I think he will continue to attack and ride in that way to make a difference. It is in his interest to do that."

SHOTLIST:

Paris, France. October 18th, 2011.

1. 00:00 Alberto Contador arriving for presentation of the Tour de France 2012.

2. 00:08 Wide of Contador seated, surrounded by photographers and cameramen.

3. 00:14 Zoom out Andy Schleck seated, surrounded by photographers and cameramen.

4. 00:24 Wide shot of stage and audience to zoom in to Christian Prudhomme arriving on stage.

5. 00:35 Animated graphic on screen showing the route of the beginning of the Tour de France 2012.

6. 00:53 Mid shot of Cadel Evans watching.

7. 01:00 Animated graphic on screen showing the route of the end of the Tour de France 2012.

8. 01:24 Tilt down map of France with route of the Tour de France 2012.

9. 01:31 Mid shot of famous Tour de France racing cyclists on stage.

10. 01:36 Pan of famous Tour de France racing cyclists on stage.

11. 01:44 Christian Prudhomme talking to journalists.

12. 01:50 SOUNDBITE: (French) Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France.

13. 02:29 Mid shot of Prudhomme and other officials on stage.

14. 02:34 SOUNDBITE: (English) Cadel Evans, Winner of the 2011 Tour de France.

15. 02:56 Panning shot of officials on stage.

16. 03:02 SOUNDBITE: (English) Alberto Contador, Winner of the 2010 Tour de France.

17. 03:27 Wide of stage with cyclists and officials, map of France with route of the Tour de France 2012 in the background.

STORYLINE:

The 2012 Tour de France promises steeper climbs, longer stages and more time trials it was revealed when the official route was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Tuesday (October 18th).

The Tour's 99th edition, which starts June 30th in Liege, Belgium, will feature nearly 100 kilometres (62 miles) of individual time trials and 25 tough mountain climbs over a total of 3,479 kilometres (2,162 miles).

Following the announcement competitors quickly analysed the route, and tried to gauge their chances.

SUGGESTED VOICEOVER:

The route that the 2012 Tour de France will take was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Paris on Tuesday.

The Tour's 99th edition, which starts June 30th in Liege, Belgium, will feature nearly 100 kilometres (62 miles) of individual time trials and 25 tough mountain climbs.

The super-steep Planche des Belles Filles in eastern France, with a patch of a staggering 20-degree gradient, is but one of nearly a half-dozen new mountain climbs for the Tour.

Riders will also struggle up the Col de la Croix in the Jura mountains of Switzerland - a 3.7-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 9.2 percent.

A group of cycling stars lined the front row of the glitzy presentation; with defending Tour de France champion Cadel Evans in attendance, alongside new world champion Mark Cavendish of Britain, brothers Andy and Frank Schleck - who finished this year second and third behind Evans - and Belgium's Philippe Gilbert, the top-ranked rider this year in the International Cycling Union scale.

SOUNDBITE: (French).

"It is a Tour de France that was built with lots of new things. We are between historical editions: on one hand, the 2010 centenary of Pyrennees, the 2011 centenary of the summit Col du Galibier and on the other hand the 100th edition of the Tour in 2013. And here we clearly are on the chapter of novelty, with new passes in some mountains like the Jura or the Vosges where you don't necessarily expect to have some mountain passes so difficult, so high gradients. So, this Tour is really designed for attackers, for people who attack from farther out. There are a bit more mountains passes, fewer summit finishes, more time trials. It is really done in a way so people will have to fight hard if they want to win de Tour de France. It was designed for this matter anyway."

SUPER CAPTION: Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France.

Following the announcement competitors quickly analysed the route, and tried to gauge their chances.

SOUNDBITE: (English).

"On paper it looks like a mix of everything - especially the first week and around Liege and those stages it is a little bit Amstel Gold Race, it's a little bit Bastogne-Liege style of racing and then you get into bigger mountains and, of course, longer and probably flatter Time Trials I'm assuming. So you come to a different style of racing there."

SUPER CAPTION: Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France

However, 2010 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador didn't seem too keen on the route.

SOUNDBITE: (English).

"No, but it is not the best for me. Maybe it is better for Cadel Evans, it is more for the rider that goes very very strong in the time trials and, maybe for me, I need to attack before the time trial and not for the other riders. Okay, this is the race and we need to be training hard to fight for the victory."

SUPER CAPTION: Alberto Contador, winner of the 2010 Tour de France.

The 2011 Tour de France gets underway in Liege, Belgium on June 30th.

Reaction after Marcel Kittel won the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France in Harrogate, England on Saturday (July 5th).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Germany's Marcel Kittel spoke to the media on Saturday, after winning the opening stage of the Tour de France in Harrogate.

Kittel beat Peter Sagan to the line in a sprint finish and won the opening stage of cycling's greatest race for a second year in succession.

The vast British crowd had hoped to see Mark Cavendish claim the stage win in the town where his mother was born, but it was not to be for the 'Manx Missile'.

Cavendish crashed inside the final 250 metres after colliding with Simon Gerrans and the Briton's continuing participation in this year's race is now in the balance.

Popular rider Jens Voigt of Germany, who is now 42 years old, led the way over two of the day's climbs to claim the 'King of the Mountains' competition's polka dot jersey - a fabled garment he first wore 16 years ago in the 1998 Tour de France.

Harrogate, Yorkshire, England - July 5th, 2014.

1. 00:00 Various of spectators at the finish line

2. 00:15 British Prime Minister David Cameron with his son

3. 00:20 Stage winner Marcel Kittel

4. 00:26 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcel Kittel, stage winner (on winning the first stage of the Tour de France for a second year in a row):

"It's a great win because I think it's harder to win a second time in a row and the team did a great, great job. I think we did a perfect lead out today. We had no big chaos in the final. It was a really nice victory and I'm really happy I can give that jersey back to the boys for their hard work."

5. 00:50 Stage winner Marcel Kittel

6. 00:53 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcel Kittel, stage winner (on how the stage developed):

"It was a very tough one. The good thing was together with the other sprinter teams we could control the day, make it an easy day. The breakaway was going really quick, we could control it, go relatively easy through the mountain qualifications. That was very important to make a mass sprint with fresh sprinters and it could have been different, but I'm of course happy that it was like that."

7. 01:24 Stage winner Marcel Kittel celebrates with his friends

8. 01:43 SOUNDBITE: (English) Marcel Kittel, stage winner (on Mark Cavendish's crash in the final sprint):

"That's of course absolutely not what we want as riders here. I hope that he gets well soon, that there is no serious injury. It's of course very disappointing to crash in a sprint like this in front of his home crowd. The risk for a crash is always there and I wish to see him tomorrow at the start and wish him all the best."

9. 02:10 'King of the Mountains' leader Jens Voigt

10. 02:16 SOUNDBITE: (English) Jens Voigt, 'King of the Mountains' leader (on why he broke away early in the race by himself):

"If I want that jersey I should go now. I should make it a long hard, nasty, sticky effort. Because that's what I'm good at. Whatever is nasty and sticky is good for me. Whatever makes the race hard is good for me. I could successfully manage to drop them two and took the other two mountains. But I was tired. At the end of the last climb I was like 'oi, oi, oi, what was I thinking?'. But that's OK, I've got the jersey and I'm happy."

11. 02:47 Trek Factory racing team bus

12. 02:51 SOUNDBITE: (French) Jens Voigt, 'King of the Mountains' leader:

For the benefit of our French-language clients.

13. 03:04 Stage runner-up Peter Sagan speaking to the media

14. 03:10 SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter Sagan, Stage one runner-up (on the final sprint):

"The last climb, it was also good because the group was in the line, but then also it was dangerous, and there was one crash and, yes.... After, I was thinking we (had) come to the sprint, so when (Fabian) Cancellara attacked, but.... I'm happy for second place and yes, the Tour de France it's a long way to come to Paris."

15. 03:44 Bretagne team car.

At the Tour de France, the tough ascents riders must make through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains are always decisive in helping to weed out the winners from the also-rans.

But this year, they could have an even greater bearing than normal on the outcome of cycling's showcase race.

For the first time in the history of the 116-year-old cycling test of endurance, Tour de France organizers have peppered the route with three stages that finish on mountain climbs to above 2,000 meters, or 6,500 feet.

The thinning air at altitude will have a cascade of physiological repercussions on the riders' straining, tired bodies. They'll find it harder to breathe. They'll lose power. Their muscles will get sore faster.

Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France champion who will be seeking to defend his title at this year's race that starts July 6 in Belgium, says riding above 2,000 meters is especially trying.

"When you ride over 2,000 meters, you definitely feel the difference, compared to say 1,000 or lower," he told The Associated Press as he was training for this year's race.

"Basically, like, you just can't do the same powers that you do at sea level. It is just like a thinner sort of air, really, up there. You can just tell like when you're breathing, you're just not getting quite as much oxygen in the lungs as you normally would," he said.

Only the fittest and those most adapted to the mountains are likely to do well. The Tour de France director told The AP that he believes 22-year-old Colombian rider Egan Bernal might thrive on this year's mountainous route. Bernal is a teammate of Thomas' at Team INEOS.

"We know that riders can react differently above 2,000 meters," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told the AP in an interview looking ahead to the race. "But most of us believe the Colombians won't be any less good at 2,000 meters and Bernal, obviously, is Colombian."

But the punishing ascents, the thinning mountain air, the often dangerous snaking descents at speed and the expected heat of the French summer can all combine to also knock race favorites out of contention.

Indeed, the only thing that is ever certain about the Tour de France's climbs is that even the strongest riders are never guaranteed of getting through them unscathed.

Various locations - 1958 

1. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of peloton riding at the 1958 Tour de France

2. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of two riders at the 1958 Tour de France

3. Footage of solitary rider and motorbikes from AP's Movietone Archive of the 1958 Tour de France

4. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of several riders descending at the 1958 Tour de France

Various locations - 1961

5. Aerial footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race ascending mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de France

6. Aerial footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race crossing mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de France

Various locations - 1975

7. Footage from AP's video archive of riders ascending mountain pass at the 1975 Tour de France

8. Footage from AP's video archive of riders ascending mountain pass at the 1975 Tour de France

9. Footage of solitary cyclist and mountain scenery from AP's video archive of the 1975 Tour de France

Saint-Lary-Soulan Portet pass, France - 25 July 2019

10. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not provided - 20 June 2019

11.  SOUNDBITE (English) Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas, speaking in a June 20, 2019, Whatsapp message to AP:

"When you ride over 2,000 meters, you definitely feel the difference, compared to say 1,000 or lower. Basically, like, you just can't do the same powers that you do at sea level. It is just like a thinner sort of air, really, up there. You can just tell like when you're breathing, you're just not getting quite as much oxygen in the lungs as you normally would."

2018 - Location and exact date not available

12. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey and other riders at the 2018 Tour de France

13. Still photo of Geraint Thomas in the race leader's yellow jersey at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not available - 1961

14. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of rider racing up mountain pass at the 1961 Tour de   France

15. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of spectators around road sign indicating the Tourmalet pass in the Pyrenees at the 1961 Tour de France

Location  not available - 2007

16.  Still photo of pack of riders speeding down the Iseran pass in the French Alps at the 2007 Tour de France

2018 - Location and exact date not available

17.  Still photo of Colombian rider Egan Bernal at the 2018 Tour de France

2019 - Location and exact date not available

18. Close up of Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019

19. Medium of Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019

20.  SOUNDBITE (French/annotated translation in English) Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme in AP interview on June 19, 2019 "We know that riders can react differently above 2,000 meters. But most of us believe the Colombians won't be any less good at 2,000 meters and Bernal, obviously, is Colombian."

2018 - Location and exact date not available

21. Still photo of Colombian rider Egan Bernal, in white, and Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall race leader's yellow jersey, on the Alpe d'Huez climb in the French Alps at the 2018 Tour de France

Location not available - 1961

22. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of the race on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

23. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of riders speeding through a tunnel on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

24. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of race vehicles speeding through a tunnel on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

25. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of rider climbing past spectators on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

26. Footage from AP's Movietone Archive of lone rider in the fog on a mountain road at the 1961 Tour de France

WORLD NEWS REVIEW 1998 - RUNNING ORDER

Opening

Titles and Headlines

1.

Clinton scandal

2.

Celebrity scandals

Robert De Niro denies call girl allegations

George Michael in public sex scandal

Actress Jodie Foster and Princess Stephanie of Monaco

give birth without naming the fathers

Pamela Anderson sex video on internet

3.

Africa

US Embassy bombings

4.

Afghanistan

Taliban rule

Earthquake

5.

Iran

Border tension with Afghanistan

World Cup Football celebrations

Lifting the Fatwah on Salmon Rushdie

6.

Libya

Gaddafi

Conciliation over the Lockerbie air crash

7.

Egypt

Sphinx encourages the return of tourists

8.

Sudan

Drought and Famine

9

Worldwide

Natural Disasters

10

China

Floods

State industry problems

Tibet technology

Ice break swimmers

Scorpions and grasshoppers on restaurant menus

11

Japan

Ancient Aoi festival

Music - wadaiko drums, drinking straws music

New Government

Economic troubles

12.

Indonesia

Riots

President Suharto resigns

13.

Cambodia

Pol Pot dies

14.

South East Asia

Prostitution

15.

Malaysia

Deputy Prime Minister -sex and corruption charges

16.

Records of 1998

Most expensive violin

The largest cruise liner

Highest tight-rope walk

Man underwater record

Around the world sailing record

Microlite and balloon record attempts

Man with snakes

17.

India / Pakistan

Nuclear arms race

18.

Russia - a hard year

The last days of MIR space station

Stadium collapse

Collapse of the Rouble

Unemployment - unpaid wages

Tax collection problems

Political turmoil - Yeltsin health

Rivals for power

Tsar's remains reburied - Yeltsin attends

19.

Animals

Save the Siberian tiger

Oil threat to Mongolian Antelope

Northern Right whale

Baltic Sea Eagles

Monkey water-skiing - Japan

Brigitte Bardot fights for dogs

20.

Fashion

The fur show

Fashions of 1998

21.

Kosovo

Fighting - refugees

22.

Italy

Unemployment protest

23.

Germany

Job protests

Kohl defeated - new government

European integration question

Love parade

BMW buy Rolls Royce

24.

Holland

Gay marriage

Gay Games

25.

Belgium

Man wants to be a penguin

26.

Britain

Northern Ireland Peace

Monarchy 1998 - Prince Charles and Camilla

Duke of Windsor auction

Duchess of York book

Rolling Stones Tour

Spice Girls split

27.

France

English football fans riot

Air France strike

Plane lands on its belly

World Cup celebrations

National one day city traffic ban

Tour de France

100th anniversary Paris Motorshow

28.

South Africa

Mandela - Marriage / Birthday

Former President P.W. Botha suspended prison

sentence

29.

Democratic Republic

of Congo

Civil war sucks in neighbouring countries

30.

Peru

Pro democracy riots

Child labour

Amazon Indians

31.

Bolivia

Dinosaur Footprints

32.

Brazil

Presidential elections

33.

Chile

General Pinochet resigns military command

Pinochet detained in the U.K

34.

Cuba

Pope visit

Actor Jack Nicholson visits

35.

U.S.A

"Titanic" sweeps academy awards

Richard Gere AIDS campaign

Frank Sinatra dies

Wallstreet volatility

36.

Iraq

Arms inspectors crisis

37.

Israel

Peace process

38.

Close

US mid-term elections

Clinton

John Glenn in space again

End

A man rides his bike along Naples' sunny seafront, his sleeping daughter in tow. He might not look like the average revolutionary, but just a few years ago in this city he would have been considered exactly that.

In 2011 the seafront was akin to an urban highway - constantly jammed with traffic, constantly noisy and smoggy.

The rubbish from years of unemptied bins overflowed onto the central streets and tiny alleys of this former capital city of a once rich and powerful kingdom. Riding a bicycle in the chaotic traffic of Naples was a perfect recipe for an accident and urban cyclists were considered eco-fundamentalists.

Three years later, Naples has a new mayor, clean streets, a wide pedestrian seafront and a 20km (12 mile) long cycling lane overlooking one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

This is the liberated beach front ("Il lungomare liberato"), as the mayor, Luigi De Magistris likes to call it.

The former public prosecutor took over as Mayor of Naples in 2011 - and with it inherited the task of cleaning up a city long renown for endless refuge collector strikes, pollution and traffic.

Now the "liberated beach-front" has become a paradise for runners, cyclists and those who love fresh fish and pizza, with the sound of the waves as background music and the island of Capri and the sleepy Vesuvius volcano framing the view of the bay.

For Luca Simeone the transformation of the seafront was also the kick start for a long-dreamt of eco-cycling business.

"Approximately three years ago with the creation of the first cycling lane in Naples a new era started for those who love to ride a bicycle in our city," he says. "Today we can say that sustainable tourism, like our project, is a reality and not fantasy anymore. We are talking about young people who get together and organise a business, who bring wealth to the city and above all who decide not to run away."

Bike Tour Napoli offers both an urban route - along the UNESCO protected ancient centre - and a countryside tour, with organic food tasting along the way.

The routes wind through the tiny medieval alleys of the centre, the baroque churches, the volcanic lakes and fumaroles of the Pozzuoli area, the Vesuvius volcano and the breathtaking Amalfi coast.

The most popular tour is to Posillipo hill - a ride along art nouveau villas and parks with an aerial view of Naples and its bay.

It's in Posillipo that Anja Hayek, a tourist from Germany, and her Italian partner, Antonio Sorace are slowly riding uphill to enjoy the sun setting behind the island of Ischia accompanied by the noisy car honks celebrating a Neapolitan wedding.

"This is the only good way to visit and get to know Naples. I found the bicycle lanes and the pedestrian area by the sea very nice this year," says Hayek.

"Visiting Naples by car is impossible due to the traffic. By car you can't enjoy the alleys and you don't get to experience the atmosphere of Naples. The atmosphere can be enjoyed only strolling among the people," says Sorace.

The current size of the pedestrian area is 316,000 square metres. The Naples municipality says it is planning to extend cycling lanes to the suburbs.

For Simeone, the success of his bike tours is not just a business venture. It's a key tool to stop the brain drain. Naples has 50% youth unemployment according to the Italian Institute of Statistics ISTAT.

Migrating toward the industrialised north or abroad is virtually a given for many - an haemorrhage of talented young people resigned to leaving their hometown in search of work.

But Simeone decided to stay and fulfil his vision of setting up bike tours.

The green revolution has begun. Neapolitans are keen to cancel the image of the "city of rubbish" and have started working on carbon neutral projects with a zero garbage impact.

"We betted on a revolution of transportation. It was not even imaginable in Naples to ride a bicycle. I remember when I was a young boy, when I was 12 or 13 years old. I had a passion for bikes and my parents said 'stop this passion, because in Naples you can't ride a bicycle- apart from in the park,' but instead we made a first cycling lane and now we are planning more and what is surprising is the reaction that is more and more positive from the residents who are using bicycles more and more. We have enhanced the pedestrian areas. Because we believe that they attract tourists and improve the quality of life in the city," says De Magistris.

According to the mayor the renaissance of Naples and its redemption from the rubbish crisis, the lack of jobs and the mafia will also come from the beauty of the city.

Tourism brings more then 2.4 million visitors to Neapolitan hotels according to the municipality and the figures are growing despite the economic crisis.

Turning a city of 1 million people (4 million in the metropolitan area) into a green urban network needs important investments. A key infrastructure for Naples is the new metro, better known as the modern art metro.

The transport system doubles as a free museum spreading through the underbelly of the city and the ancient Roman and Greek layers of ruins.

Commuters and tourists taking the escalators stare in silent admiration at the mosaics and the architecture of the Toledo station.

The project is due to completed by 2018.

"Oh, it is beautiful. It is like plunging into the sea. You fall into deep blue and there is a hole that shows you the horizon. It is beautiful. It is art. It's at once useless and indispensable. It's art," says Pierre Bonini, a tourist from Paris.

The new Line 1 of the metro already has 17 stations and 18km (11 miles) of railway. Once the extension is completed in 2017 there are set to be 27 stations and 25km (15 miles) of tunnels reaching as far as the airport of Capodichino.

Alongside the art there's the beach.

In 2013, thanks to a new waste water management system, Naples improved the water quality of the sea water of most tourist beaches and reclaimed more than 10 kilometres of the coast. Neapolitans and tourists have begun swimming in the bay again.

A small group of young kayak enthusiasts have taken advantage of the cleaner water to launch their start-up: Kayak Napoli.

Perhaps because of the pollution, few had thought about ventures involving visiting Naples from the sea. Some engine propelled boats offered short trips, but none of them was authorised to enter the marine park of la Gaiola and the Trentaremi bay, with its submerged ruins of ancient Roman villas.

Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of Kayak Napoli, now brings his kayakers right inside the hidden beauties of the coastline: grottos, submerged archaeological sites and the most beautiful villas of the bay.

Growing increasingly popular is the full moon tour, where kayakers paddle out at sunset and return with the moon reflecting in the waters of bay, but only after an aperitif of white wine on a secluded beach.

In Naples the full moon appeared red-orange because of all the sunsets and sunrises shimmering from Earth, thus the name "blood moon."

AP Television

Naples, June 13th, 2014

1. Wide pan left from Castel Dell'Ovo to pedestrian area and cycling lane on Naples seafront (via Partenope)

2. Medium of Luca Simeone and his daughter riding bicycle on the cycling lane of the pedestrian seafront (the so called 'Liberated Seafront' on via Partenope)

3. Medium of Luca Simeone and other cyclists on the pedestrian seafront

4. Wide of Naples skylines, Naples bay and Vesuvius volcano

5. Vesuvius volcano and Castel dell'Ovo fortress

6. Wide of Posillipo hill and Naples bay

7. Wide of Castel dell'Ovo in Naples bay

8. Medium of street musicians in front of open air restaurant on the pedestrian seafront

9. Medium of people eating at restaurant

10. Medium of cyclists on seafront cycling lane

11. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Simeone, Founder and guide, Bike Tour Napoli:

"Approximately three years ago with the creation of the first cycling lane in Naples a new era started for those who love to ride a bicycle in our city."

12. Medium of tourists and cyclist on the bridge connecting the seafront with the Castel Dell'Ovo fortress

13. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luca Simeone, Founder and guide, Bike Tour Napoli:

"Today we can say that sustainable tourism, like our project, is a reality and not fantasy anymore. We are talking about young people who get together and organise a business, who bring wealth to the city and above all who decide not to run away."

14. Medium tilt down of Spaccanapoli (the nickname of the Decumano Inferiore, 'Split-Naples')

15. Close of tourist taking photo

16. SOUNDBITE (German) Anja Hayek, cycling tourist from Germany:

"This is the only good way to visit and get to know Naples. I found the bicycle lanes and the pedestrian area by the sea very nice this year."

17. SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio Sorace, cycling tourist from Italy:

"Visiting Naples by car is impossible due to the traffic. By car you can't enjoy the alleys and you don't get to experience the atmosphere of Naples. The atmosphere can be enjoyed only strolling among the people."

18. Medium of tourists riding bicycles up the hill of Posillipo

19. Wide of cyclist and people strolling in the pedestrian street and cycling lane of via Toledo

20. Wide of exit of Toledo metro station, cyclists and cycling lane in the via Toledo pedestrian area

21. Close up metro sign

22. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Luigi De Magistris, Mayor of Rome:

"We betted on a revolution of transportation. It was not even imaginable in Naples to ride a bicycle. I remember when I was a young boy, when I was 12 or 13 years old. I had a passion for bikes and my parents said 'stop this passion, because in Naples you can't ride a bicycle- apart from in the park,' but instead we made a first cycling lane and now we are planning more and what is surprising is the reaction that is more and more positive from the residents who are using bicycles more and more. We have enhanced the pedestrian areas. Because we believe that they attract tourists and improve the quality of life in the city."

23. Medium of sailing yacht in front of Castel Dell'Ovo fortress

24. Wide of Naples seafront and port

25. Various of rickshaw

26. Wide of Vesuvius volcano and pedestrian area with rickshaw

27. Medium of French tourists staring at ceiling of the Toledo station

28. Wide of escalators and ceiling of Toledo metro station

29. Medium of the "Light Crater" designed by Spanish architect Oscar Tusquets Blanca

30. Medium of tourist stating at the ceiling

31. SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre Bonini, tourist from Paris, France:

"Oh, it is beautiful. It is like plunging into the sea. You fall into deep blue and there is a hole that shows you the horizon. It is beautiful. It is art. It's at once useless and indispensable. It's art."

32. Wide of train arriving

33. Medium of commuters and tourists stepping down from train

34. Wide tilt up of steel sculpture 'Synapsis' at University station, designed by architect Karim Rashid

35. Medium of girls sunbathing

36. Wide pan left Bay of Naples, form Posillipo hill to Castel dell'Ovo fortress

37. Medium of girls sunbathing

38. Wide of children swimming and playing with ball at Naples park beach

39. Medium of tourists on a boat sailing from Marechiaro cove to a small beach for the departure of the kayak full-moon tour of Posillipo hill

40. Medium of boat entering bay for the departure of the kayak tour

41. Close of banner reading "Kayak Napoli"

42. Medium of Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of the Napoli Kayak

43. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Giovanni Brun, founder and guide of Napoli Kayak:

"Of course this is also a good way to find our own path in this town which does not offer many job opportunities."

44. Wide of kayak coming out of the Gaiola cove and moving toward Ischia island at sunset

45. Wide tilt down from red clouds at sunset to group of twenty tourists on kayak

46. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Kimiko Nakamura, tourist from Japan:

"It is the first time I've been on a kayak, and with such a beautiful sunset. I am having a lot of fun."

47. Medium of tourists on kayaks

48. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Massimo Capobianco, Naples resident:

"We residents live a different Naples on a daily basis. A Naples seen from a different culture, from the small alleys, the neighbourhoods. Seeing it from the sea has a totally different charm....."

49. Medium of tourists having aperitif and looking at red full-moon

50. Medium of tourists having wine at Gaiola cove

51. Close of red full-moon

British drivers and cars have been competing in the Alpine Rally, one of the competitors was Ronald Adams, a former winner of the Monte Carlo Rally, to mention one example. Competitors of the two-wheel kind are seen during a phase of the world-famous Tour de France.

Disclaimer: British Movietone is an historical collection. Any views and expressions within either the video or metadata of the collection are reproduced for historical accuracy and do not represent the opinions or editorial policies of the Associated Press.

SHOTLIST:

GV mountains. Pan same down to village. MS pan car passes camera. Same. MS pan two Triumphs pass camera. Slip pan to MS cyclists pass camera. MS pan cyclists struggle up hill. CU cyclists pass camera. LS same. MS track shot following cyclist. Top shot cyclist past camera. MS crowd. LS. MS. LS pan finish of race.

The route for the 2015 Giro d'Italia was unveiled in Milan on Monday (6th October) and riders Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador and Michal Kwiatkowski looked ahead to the event.

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

The Palazzo del Ghiaccio in Milan was the venue for a lavish presentation on Monday, as the route for the 2015 Giro d'Italia was unveiled.

It was described as a balanced route, which organisers believe will allow riders to compete in both the Tour de France as well as the Italian classic.

The 2015 Giro will take the riders on 21 stages from San Remo to Milan, via central Italy, the Dolomites and the Alps, over a total of 3,482 kilometres (2,163.6 miles) between May the 9th and 31st.

There will be five days in the high mountains, alongside seven medium mountain stages. There are also seven legs for the sprinters, and time trials for individuals and teams.

There are two rest days and relatively short transfer distances, which organisers hope will convince many of the big-name Grand Tour contenders to join Alberto Contador in riding both the Giro and Le Tour in 2015.

Contador announced last month that he would compete in both the Giro and the Tour next year.

The two-time Tour champion won the Giro in 2008 and was also triumphant in Milan in 2011 but was stripped of that title for a doping offence during the 2010 Tour.

Contador is aiming to become the first rider to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year since Marco Pantani achieved that feat in 1998.

"It's a tough Giro, there will be a lot of of climbing arrivals after the easy beginning, it's a Giro with a great level of participants, and you will need to be very well prepared," he said.

The Spaniard was present at the unveiling, along with a number of his rivals, including Fabio Aru, Rigoberto Uran and new World Road Race champion Michal Kwiatkowski, as well as International Cycling Union President Brian Cookson.

"I know all the people going to look at me next year because I am representing my country Poland and of course cycling in total," Kwiatkowski said. "But honestly, I want to represent with honour the rainbow jersey, it's very important for me and yeah, I will try to be better next year."

Defending champion Nairo Quintana was absent as he recovers at home in Colombia after his crash at the Vuelta a Espana this year.

There are six mountain-top finishes, with the first - the Abetone - coming on stage five. However, the most daunting tests come in the final week, with finishes up Madonna di Campiglio, Aprica, Cervinia, and Sestriere.

The Aprica, at the end of stage 16, has maximum gradients of 15 per cent and comes just after the cyclists have scaled gradients of up to 18 per cent on the Mortirolo climb.

The penultimate stage up to Sestriere contains the highest peak of the Giro - the Colle delle Finestre - and is likely to decide the winner, with the final 185 kilometre (114.96-mile) leg from Torino to Milan set to be mainly an extended victory parade.

As well as a lengthy time trial, there are three days which stretch to more than 200 kilometres (124 miles), with the seventh stage from Grosseto to Fiuggi topping out at 263 kilometres (163.4 miles).

Palazzo del Ghiaccio, Milan, Italy. 6th October, 2014

1. 00:00 Wide shot exterior of Palazzo del Ghiaccio (Ice skating palace)

2. 00:07 Close up logo Giro d'Italia - Fight for the Pink

3. 00:11 Wide shot woman bringing the Giro trophy to the stage

4. 00:20 Wide shot logo presentation Giro d'italia

5. 00:26 Wide shot riders on the stage

6. 00:32 Wide shot Cadel Evans receiving a commemorative plate from Giro organisers

7. 00:38 Close up Cadel Evans with the plate saying "Cadel Evans - A Man, A Champion"

8. 00:44 SOUNDBITE (English) Cadel Evans:

"I look forward to enjoying riding my bike, without having to try to be the number one in the world, but at the same time I am sure I'm going to miss something of the racing, the adrenaline of racing, the chance to win, the chance to work with my team mates and being part of a winning team or winning for the team..."

9. 01:06 Close up poster of Evans

10. 01:12 SOUNDBITE (English) Cadel Evans:

"I have a family and friends and so on, and a life I've put aside... I've put a lot of things to one side that I've yet to enjoy."

11.01:23 Close up photo Evans

12. 01:28 SOUNDBITE (English) Cadel Evans:

"I continue working with my bike sponsor, BMC, being an ambassador, and I will be on my bike often, most days, probably not every day, but nearly every day. I'll be riding a lot, I'll be visiting quite a few races, and I certainly hope to be able to pass on some of my riding experience, especially to some of the younger Australian riders."

13. 01:50 Wide shot of Evans on stage

14. 01:55 SOUNDBITE (English) Cadel Evans:

"As you race... I started aged seventeen as a professional and you know, at some point you're going to have to stop, you're just not quite sure when. And sooner or later it arrives and yeah, now my moment has arrived."

15. 02:12 Mid shot Evans and Alberto Contador

16. 02:17 SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alberto Contador:

"It's a tough Giro, there will be a lot of of climbing arrivals after the easy beginning, it's a Giro with a great level of participants, and you will need to be very well prepared."

17. 02:42 Mid shot Giro trophy

18. 02:48 SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alberto Contador

(concerning the chance of riding in both the Giro and the Tour de France in the same season)

"I think it's possible even if hard. I will do my best and I will try them, we will see."

19. 03:01 Mid shot Giro Route 360 degree diagram

20. 03:08 SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alberto Contador

(on the difference between the Giro and La Vuelta Espana)

"Giro Tour and Vuelta all together... each of them is special, Le Tour is the most important Race of the world, Giro is the most beautiful race in the world and Vuelta is the race of my country."

21. 03:23 Mid shot Evans, Contador and World Road Race champion Michal Kwiatkowski sitting together

22. 03:27 SOUNDBITE (English) Michal Kwiatkowski:

"I know all the people going to look at me next year because I am representing my country Poland and of course cycling in total, but honestly, I want to represent with honour the rainbow jersey, it's very important for me and yeah, I will try to be better next year."

23. 03:55 Close up first stage Giro logo

24. 03:56 SOUNDBITE (English) Michal Kwiatkowski:

"No, I think the Giro it's going to be, as they say, you know, the toughest race of the season, 3,500 kilometres, especially 59 kilometre time trial, it will be really, really tough but honestly I think the organisers of the Giro took a look at the riders because there is going to be less (shorter) transfer between the stages, so of course it's going to be less tough because of that, but in the end you know, it's a beautiful country, beautiful countryside, just amazing and all the riders love to race in Italy."

25. 04:39 Close up logo of final stage of 2015 Giro

26. 04:44 Close up logo of Giro route

27. 04:50 SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Cookson, International Cycling Union President:

"The European season has been fantastic, I think we have seen some fantastic winners, some new talent come through, we've seen some older riders restored to their greatest days so I am confident we're gonna have great season next year as well."

28. 00:58 SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Cookson, International Cycling Union President:

"I think we've got an absolutely classic Giro route there, I think we're gonna have some wonderful performances, some good flat stages for the sprinters, some medium mountain stages for the breakaway experts, some great summit finishes, really hard mountain stages and a very long time by the modern standards. I think that's going to be absolutely critical."

29. 05:30 Close up presentation sign

SHOTLIST

AP Archive Instant Library - World News Review 2007

Tape Number: WNR/IL 2007

Sound: Nat Sot

Duration: 80 minutes 48 seconds

IRAQ

10:00:13

In January President Bush acknowledged for the first time that he had made a mistake by not ordering a military build-up in Iraq in 2006 and said he was increasing U.S. troops by 21,500 to quell the country's near-anarchy. "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me," Bush said. The build-up puts Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress and pushes the American troop presence in Iraq towards its highest level yet. It also runs counter to widespread anti-war passions among Americans and the advice of some top generals. In addition to extra U.S. forces, the plan envisions Iraq's committing 10,000 to 12,000 more troops to secure Baghdad's neighbourhoods.

509270

POOL

Washington DC - 10 Jan 2007

SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:

"The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people, and it is unacceptable to me. Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do."

SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:

"...our commanders say the Iraqis will need our help. So America will change our strategy to help the Iraqis carry out their campaign to put down sectarian violence and bring security to the people of Baghdad. This will require increasing American force levels. So I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq."

10:00:54

In January two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants, the half-brother of Saddam Hussein, former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, were executed. Both were previously convicted and sentenced to hang on November 5th 2006 but the verdict was upheld by the appellate court on December 26th. The two men were sentenced to death alongside Saddam Hussein for the killing of 148 Sunni Muslims from the town of Dujail after a failed 1982 assassination attempt against Saddam in the northern city.

Barzan Ibrahim, one of three half-brothers of Saddam Hussein, was formerly head of the Iraqi secret service, the Mukhabarat, and was also Iraq's former representative to the United Nations until 1998. Awad Hamed al-Bandar presided over the Revolutionary Court's death sentencing after the attempt on Saddam's life in Dujail.

508468

AP/POOL

Baghdad - FILE

FILE: Baghdad, Iraq - 2006

1. Wide of defendants in dock

2. Close up of Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam's half brother and former chief of intelligence, rising to his feet

3. Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former head of Iraq's Revolutionary Court

4. Wide shot of defendants in the dock

10:01:15

In February a suicide truck bomber obliterated a Baghdad market in a mainly Shiite area, killing at least 132 people in the deadliest single suicide bomb strike in the capital since the US invasion in 2003. Suspicion fell on Sunni insurgents.

An explosive laden truck carrying a ton (0.9 metric tons) of ammunition hidden beneath cooking oil, canned food and bags of flour, levelled about 30 shops and 40 houses, witnesses said. The blast shaved the walls off nearby buildings, sending bricks, desks and other debris spilling onto Kifah Street, where the Sadriyah market was located. As people gathered around the scene of the blast, police fired into the air to disperse crowds fearing further attacks. The Health Ministry said more than 300 people were injured in the explosion that sent a column of smoke into the sky on the east bank of the Tigris River.

511800

AP TELEVISION

Baghdad - 4 Feb 2007

al-Sadriyah Neighbourhood

1. Various of bomb site, people gathered among rubble and wreckage

10:01:37

message traffic and provides counter-terrorism intelligence services for the American government. Al-Furqan is the media production house of the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organisation for Sunni insurgency groups in Iraq including al-Qaeda.

Graphics overlaid onto the video footage claimed the attack took place in Iraq's Anbar province. No other details were provided.

The video depicted a man crawling under a stationary US armoured vehicle twice, each time to allegedly place explosives under the vehicle. At one point, graphics overlaid on to the video claim to indicate, with a red circle, US soldiers nearby completely unaware of the man's presence as he crawls away. Shortly afterwards the explosives are detonated destroying the vehicle.

516349

IntelCenter

Unknown Location, Unknown Date

++AP TELEVISION HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS AUDIO AND VIDEO++

++THIS VIDEO WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO AP TELEVISION BY INTELCENTER, A FIRM BASED IN ALEXANDRIA, IN THE US STATE OF VIRGINIA, THAT PROVIDES COUNTER-TERRORISM INTELLIGENCE SERVICES TO THE US GOVERNMENT

++PERMISSION IS GRANTED FOR USE IN PRINT, BROADCAST AND INTERNET MEDIA AS LONG AS THE INTELCENTER BUG REMAINS UNOBSCURED AND THE VIDEO IS CREDITED TO INTELCENTER ++

++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

++AUDIO INCLUDES SONGS AND ALSO SPEAKERS NOT RELATED TO THE VIDEO++

1. Man picks up more explosives and crawls back under tank - zoom out to wide shot - red circle graphic overlaid on to video claims to indicate nearby US soldiers - zoom in as man crawls away from vehicle.

2. Wide of vehicle explosion ++first seconds replayed three times++

10:02:01

In March Iraq's Sunni Vice-president Tariq al-Hashimi visited victims of a chlorine gas bomb attack at a military hospital inside Baghdad's Green Zone. Al-Hashimi spent a few minutes at the bedsides of several of the patients, many of them children. Some of the patients were on respirators.

In the attack, three suicide bombers drove trucks rigged with tanks of toxic chlorine gas and struck targets in heavily Sunni Anbar province, killing at least two people and sickening 350 Iraqi civilians and six US troops, the US military said. Seven children were among those affected in the attacks.

Chlorine, which irritates the respiratory system, eyes and skin at low exposure and can cause death in heavier concentrations, is easily accessible. It is used for water purification plants, bleaches and disinfectants. The primary effect of the chlorine attacks has been to spread panic. Although chlorine gas can be fatal, the heat from the explosions can render the gas non-toxic. Victims in the recent chlorine blasts died from the explosions, and not the effects of the gas.

516480

POOL

Baghdad, 19 March 2007

1. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi visiting hospital, talking to a patient on a respirator

2. Mid of patient

3. Al-Hashimi at the bedside of a sick child

4. Close-up of child showing a swollen eye, various tubes attached to face

5. Al-Hashimi standing to next to another ill child lying on stomach in hospital bed

10:02:22

On February 12th Saddam Hussein's former deputy was hanged for the killing of 148 Shiites, an official with the prime minister's office said. Taha Yassin Ramadan, who was Saddam's vice president when the regime was ousted four years ago, was the fourth man executed in the killings of 148 Shiites following a 1982 assassination attempt against the former leader in the city of Dujail.

Ramadan was convicted in November 2006 of murder, forced deportation and torture and sentenced to life in prison. A month later, the appeals court said the sentence was too lenient, and returned his case to the High Tribunal, demanding he be sentenced to death. The court agreed to turn it to a death sentence and an appeals court upheld the death sentence in February

516489

AP TELEVISION

Baghdad - February 12, 2007

1. Various of former Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan in court as judge passes death sentence

10:02:39

A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in the Iraqi parliament cafeteria on Thursday 12th April, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens in a stunning assault in the heart of the heavily fortified, US-protected Green Zone. The security breach occurred in the third month of a US-Iraqi crackdown on violence in the capital.

State television said at least 30 people were wounded in the attack. The parliament bomber struck the cafeteria while several lawmakers were eating lunch, officials said. After the blast, security guards sealed the building and no one - including lawmakers - was allowed to enter or leave.

No-one claimed responsibility for the attack.

519098

POOL

Baghdad - 12 April 2007

1. Mid shot of parliament in session with members voting

519113

Agency Pool

Baghdad - 12 April 2007

2. Zoom in and out of smoky hallway, men running past UPSOUND: shouting

3. Tracking shot of smoke filled room, men dragging out man on chair

10:03:00

Four large bombs exploded in mostly Shiite areas across Baghdad on Wednesday 18th April, killing at least 183

people and wounding scores as unrelenting violence severely undermined a two-month old US-Iraqi crackdown to secure the capital.

It was the worst single day of violence since the US-led security clampdown in capital began in February.

In the bloodiest of the attacks, a parked car bomb detonated in a crowd of workers at the Sadriyah market in central Baghdad, killing at least 112 people and wounding 115, according to a hospital official. A police official confirmed the toll, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information.

Among the dead were several construction workers, who had been rebuilding the mostly Shiite marketplace after a bomb destroyed many shops and killed 137 people there in February, the police official said.

The market is situated on a side street lined with shops and vendors selling produce, meat and other staples.

About an hour earlier, a suicide car bomber crashed into an Iraqi police checkpoint at an entrance to Sadr City, the capital's biggest Shiite Muslim neighbourhood and a stronghold for the militia led by radical anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The explosion killed at least 30 people, including five Iraqi security officers, and wounded 45, police said.

Earlier, a parked car exploded near a private hospital in the central neighbourhood of Karradah, killing 11 people and wounding 13, police said.

The blast damaged the Abdul-Majid hospital and other nearby buildings.

The fourth explosion was from a bomb left on a minibus in the north-western Risafi area, killing four people and wounding six others, police said.

519721

AP TELEVISION

Baghdad - 18 April 2007

SADRIYAH - AT LEAST 112 KILLED

1. Thick plumes of smoke rising from scene of blast

2. Various of people gathered around looking at wreckage from bombings, women grieving on balcony

SADR CITY - AT LEAST 30 KILLED

4. Wide of blast scene with ambulances and smoke rising UPSOUND: siren

5. Crowd attempting to move wrecked car

6. Fire-fighters alongside cars, spraying water

519827

AP TELEVISION

Baghdad - 19 April 2007

Sadriyah - Baghdad

7. Wide pan of burnt out minibuses

10:03:44

It was reported on Tuesday 1st May that the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq Abu Ayyub al-Masri had reportedly been killed on Monday 20th April in an area north of the capital Baghdad. But Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Barham Saleh emphasised the fact that these reports had yet to be been confirmed.

"I insert the word, it is 'preliminary' reports that he was killed probably yesterday in Taji area in a battle involving a couple of insurgents groups, and possibly some tribal people who have been having problems with al-Qaeda,'' he said.

Tribesmen in the western Anbar province have been fighting al-Qaeda for weeks and claim to have killed dozens of them.

However The Islamic State of Iraq - an Iraqi insurgent umbrella group - published a statement on the internet denying that al-Masri had been killed.

The statement, on a website commonly used by insurgents, said al-Masri was alive and "still fighting the enemy of God".

Al-Masri, an Egyptian militant also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, took over leadership of the group and was endorsed by Osama bin Laden after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed last June in a US air-strike in Diyala province.

521128

AP PHOTO/AP TELEVISION

Baghdad - 1 May 2007/File

AP PHOTO: (made available by US military)

1. STILL of Abu Ayyub al-Masri who is purportedly the man claiming to be leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq and is apparently the same person as a man identified by the nom de guerre, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer

++AP TELEVISION HAS NO MEANS OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT OF THE VIDEO BEING PLAYED TO REPORTERS AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE++

AP Television

FILE: Baghdad - 1 October 2006

2. Zoom in to screen showing a video, purportedly of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, being shown on screen to reporters when there were reports claiming he had been killed

10:03:54

US-led forces in Iraq conducting a crackdown on al-Qaeda killed a senior member of the insurgent group who was responsible for the high-profile kidnappings of several Westerners, a US military spokesman told journalists on Thursday 3rd May whilst the Iraqi Interior ministry further clouded days of confusion by stating that two different operatives, one of whom the US said it had killed, were in fact the same man.

US Major General William Caldwell said the killing of Muharib Abdul-Latif al-Jubouri, described as al-Qaeda's information minister, had apparently led to confused reports that two other men had been killed - Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the head of an umbrella group of insurgents which includes al-Qaeda, and Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Al-Jubouri was killed while trying to resist detention in an operation about six kilometres (four miles) west of the Taji air base, north of Baghdad, early on Tuesday morning, he said.

Caldwell said the body was initially identified by photos, then confirmed by DNA testing on Wednesday.

Al-Jubouri was alleged to have been deeply involved in the kidnapping of American reporter Jill Carroll, who was released, and Tom Fox, one of four men from the Chicago-based peace group Christian Peacemaker Teams who was found fatally shot in Baghdad on March 10, 2006.

521384

POOL

Baghdad, 3 May 2007/File

1. Zoom into close up of photo of bloated dead body of man Iraqi Interior Ministry claim is Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, at Iraqi Interior Ministry news conference

2. Photo of Muharib Abdul-Latif al-Jubouri, shown at news conference

10:04:04

In June an Iraqi court sentenced Saddam Hussein's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, and two other former regime officials to death by hanging for their roles in a 1980s scorched-earth campaign that led to the deaths of 180-thousand Kurds.

Al-Majid, the former head of the Baath Party's Northern Bureau Command, trembled and stood silently as the judge read the verdict. Al-Majid was better known as "Chemical Ali", a nickname he earned for his alleged use of chemical weapons

The judge, Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa, said al-Majid was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for ordering army and security services to use chemical weapons in a large-scale offensive that killed or maimed thousands.

Saddam's former defence minister and his armed forces deputy director were also sentenced to hang for their roles in the so-called "Operation Anfal" campaign.

The judge sent former minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai to the gallows after ruling that the defendant ordered a large-scale attack against civilians and used chemical weapons and deportation against the Kurds.

The former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi Armed Forces, Hussein Rashid Mohammed, was sentenced to death after he was convicted of drawing up military plans and other allegations against the Kurds.

Two other former regime officials - Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, former head of military intelligence's eastern regional office, and former director of military intelligence under Saddam Hussein and Sabir al-Douri, were sentenced to life in prison.

The judge announced that the charges had been dropped against Taher Tawfiq al-Ani, the former governor of Mosul and head of the Northern Affairs Committee, because of insufficient evidence.

That decision had been expected as the prosecutor had requested that al-Ani be released.

Kurds welcomed the verdicts as their chance to taste vengeance, although the case did not deal with the most notorious gassing - the March 1988 attack on the northern city of Halabja that killed an estimated five thousand Kurds.

A Kurdish resident of Halabja, scene of a notorious chemical attack which claimed the lives of thousands, said he wanted al-Majid and his co-defendants to be executed in the cemetery where many of the victims are buried.

527274

AP TELEVISION/POOL

Baghdad/Halabja - 24 June 2007

1. Wide of Ali Hassan al-Majid, Hussein Rashid Mohammed, Farhan Mutlaq Saleh, Sabir al-Douri, Taher Tawfiq al-Ani and Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai in dock

2. Chief Judge Mohammed Oreibi al-Khalifa

3. Ali Hassan al-Majid

4. Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali)

Halabja north of Baghdad

5. Sign reading: ''Welcome to Halabja''

6. Gravestones and monument representing man disfigured due to chemicals

7. Man reciting verses from Holy Quran

10:04:30

Tension was high on the border between Iraq and Turkey in October. Funerals were held on Monday 8th October for 13 Turkish soldiers killed in an ambush in the south-eastern province of Sirnak. After the funeral, at a military compound in Sirnak, the bodies of the soldiers were taken to their hometowns by ambulance and helicopter. Mehmet Gungor, one of the attendees, blamed the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers' Party, for the attack.

On 8th October, the Turkey's government met to discuss what to do next after Turkish troops shelled an area near Iraq to try to stop the rebels from escaping across the border. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would take up the issue of fight against the PKK.

Turkey has been pressing Iraq and the United States to hit PKK bases in northern Iraq, and has considered a unilateral military operation across the border to root out the rebels.

539166

AP TELEVISION

Sirnak - 8 Oct 2007

1. Wide of military at gate to Sirnak Military Compound

2. Close-up of photos of the 13 killed soldiers

3. Wide of helicopters taking bodies of soldiers back to their hometowns, zoom-in to one of helicopters, zoom-out to helicopters flying away

10:04:42

Residents of a Kurdish village near the Iraqi-Turkish border said their village and surrounding area was "bombarded by Turkish army artillery" late on the evening of Monday 8th October.

On Tuesday 9th October, a villager from Dera Loc - near the Ibrahim al-Khalil border crossing between Kurdistan and Turkey - pointed out the village which he says "was bombarded by Turkish army artillery.''

Villagers in Dera Loc pointed out craters in the ground which they said were a result of the alleged bombardment.

Turkish officials did confirm that troops had shelled an area, in Turkey, near the Iraqi border to try to stop rebels from escaping across the border following the rebel attack.

539275

AP TELEVISION

Dera loc, Iraq - 9/8 Oct 2007

Dera Loc, Iraq - 9 October 2007

1. Smoke rising from mountains around Dera Loc village

2. Wide of village

3. Various of craters in ground

4. Wide of smoke rising over mountains surrounding village ++MUTE++

5. Wide village ++MUTE++

10:04:56

Turkish soldiers continued patrolling the Iraq border on Friday 12th October, as Turkish prime minister said his country would be ready to pay the price of an Iraq campaign, if it decided to go ahead with a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

Turkey accuses Kurdish rebels of crossing back and forth from bases in Iraq, using remote, mountain passes that are difficult to monitor.

In recent months, Turkey has increasingly criticised both the US and Iraq for failing to eliminate the Kurdish rebel bases, and most parties in the 550-seat Turkish assembly were expected to support the motion for an incursion.

Rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, have been fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Turkey conducted two dozen large-scale incursions into Iraq between the late 1980s and 1997.

The last such operation, in 1997, involved tens of thousands of troops and government-paid village guards.

539652

AP TELEVISION

Sirnak - 12 Oct 2007

1. Patrol platoon with armoured vehicle and signal jammer truck to avoid remote controlled mine explosions

2. Soldiers searching for mines

3. Close of soldier using binoculars to check mountains for extremists

4. Armoured vehicle driving over camera on road

ISRAEL / PALESTINE

10:05:27

A senior Palestinian security officer allied with Fatah was killed when Hamas militants laid siege to his house in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials and witnesses said. The officer, Colonel Mohammed Ghayeb, was the chief of the Preventive Security Service in northern Gaza. His killing was expected to trigger revenge attacks by the men under his command. Ghayeb was on the phone to Palestine TV just moments before his death and appealed for help as his house in Beit Lahiya came under attack. The battle outside the house raged for much of the day and killed four of Ghayeb's guards and a Hamas gunman. About three dozen people, including eight children, were also wounded.

508650

AP TELEVISION

Jebaliya, 4 Jan 2007

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Ambulance arriving with body of Colonel Mohammed Ghayeb

2. Close up of Ghayeb's face

10:05:36

Palestinian militants allied to President Mahmoud Abbas marched into a Nablus bank on January 28th and snatched a local Hamas leader in front of news crews and startled tellers, as violent confrontation between Abbas' Fatah movement and the radical Islamic Hamas spilled over from the Gaza Strip into the West Bank. A group of about 15 Al-Aqsa gunmen had been roaming the streets of Nablus looking for known Hamas members, and attracting a tail of newsmen as they went, when they stormed into the city's Arab Islamic Bank and spotted Fayyad Al-Arba. Without bothering to mask their faces or stop news cameras recording the scene they hustled the protesting Hamas man out of the building and into a car, which sped away. Abu Jabal, head of Al-Aqsa Brigades in Nablus, said his men had abducted between ten and fifteen people. "Our demand is the resignation of the interior minister (Said Siyam) and the suppression of the executive force in Gaza," he said.

511101

AP TELEVISION

Nablus - 28 Jan 2007

1. Various of Abu Jabal, head of Al-Aqsa Brigades in Nablus in street

2. Gunmen taking Hamas official out of the building plus shots fired

3. Gunmen putting Hamas official in vehicle outside

10:05:56

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas urged gunmen to withdraw from Gaza City's streets in February, after both Hamas and the rival Fatah movement violated a ceasefire deal. Fatah spokesman Abdel Hakim Awad said both sides involved in the factional clashes affecting Gaza were in constant contact to end the violence and preserve an agreed truce. Hamas and Fatah gunmen have clashed at Cabinet ministries, universities and security headquarters in defiance of the truce that it was hoped would calm the seething Gaza Strip. Gunmen set up roadblocks at various points in the city, stopping cars and searching them for rivals.

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in internal violence since Hamas, which rejects Israel's right to exist, won parliamentary elections a year ago and wrested power from Fatah, which advocates peacemaking with the Jewish state.

511760

AP TELEVISION/ AGENCY COMMON

Gaza City - 3 Feb 2007

1. Armed masked gunmen walking in street, AUDIO: Gunshot

2. Medium shot of Shefa hospital entrance with people sheltering from gunfire

10:06:10

In February Israeli workers began a dig at a centuries-old walkway that leads to a holy site disputed by Muslims and Jews. Palestinians have warned the work just outside the site, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, would inflame already high tensions and officials suggested Israel is planning to damage the compound, Islam's third-holiest site.

Palestinians demonstrated outside the Holy Land's most contentious religious site throughout February, protesting against construction work being carried out by Israel on a new ramp up to the hilltop compound. Israeli police stormed the shrine after noon prayers on February 9th, firing stun grenades and tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim worshippers who threw stones, bottles and refuse in an eruption of outrage over contentious Israeli renovation work. The clash came after days of mounting tensions over the work and raised concern that protests could spread to the West Bank and Gaza, as they did at the start of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000. About 200 police streamed on to the hilltop compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, to try to quell the violence, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. As many as 300 protesters barricaded themselves inside the Al-Aqsa mosque at the compound. Seventeen protesters and 15 police officers were slightly injured, police said.

511973

Israel - Israel begins contentious renovation near disputed holy site

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 6 Feb 2007

1. Wide of Old City and Al-Aqsa mosque

512246

Israel - Protests continue against Israeli construction at Muslim holy site

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem, 8 Feb 2007

2. Bulldozer working near site

512371

Israel - Violence at disputed Jerusalem holy site

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 9 Feb 2007

3. Protester being arrested by police

4. Soldiers in positions on wall of Old City AUDIO: gunfire and sirens

512395

Israel - Police, Muslim worshippers clash at disputed Jerusalem holy site

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 9 Feb 2007

5. Muslim worshippers throwing stones inside mosque compound, tear gas being fired

6. Man praying in midst of clashes

7. Policemen firing tear gas at protesters, storming mosque

8. Various of clashes

10:07:19

The new Hamas-Fatah coalition won overwhelming parliament approval on March 17th, clearing a final formal hurdle before taking on the challenge of persuading a sceptical world to end a crippling year-long boycott of the Palestinian government. Speaking after the vote, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat, a close ally of President Mahmoud Abbas, said he hoped "everyone in this government, including the Prime Minister will act as the prime minister, minister of all the Palestinians, and not just to serve their interests." After the 83-3 vote was announced, lawmakers jumped up from their seats and clapped. In all, parliament has 132 members, but 41 of them are in Israeli detention.

516315

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - 17 March 2007

Gaza city, Gaza strip

1. Parliament speaker Ahmad Bahar, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hold hands and wave

2. Various of Parliament members raising hands in favour of government

3. Bahar talks and then hugs and kisses Haniyeh, the two shake hands

10:07:35

Kidnappers freed a Peruvian news photographer held since January 1st, according to officials from the Palestinian Fatah movement. The photographer, Jaime Razuri, worked for the French news agency AFP. The 50-year-old was abducted at gunpoint from a part of central Gaza City where many foreign journalists have offices. There was no immediate word on who the kidnappers were.

508908

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City, 7 Jan 2007

1. Mid of Peruvian photographer Jaime Razuri with Tayeb Abdel Rahim, Abbas aide

2. Close-up of Razuri

10:07:44

In March masked Palestinians kidnapped a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reporter at gunpoint from his car in Gaza City, Palestinian security officials said. As he was being taken, the journalist threw a business card on the street that identified him as Alan Johnston of the BBC, the officials said. Four gunmen carried out the kidnapping, and Johnston's car was found abandoned near his Gaza City apartment, security officials said, who asked that their names not be used as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Police found the lease of the rental car, which stated the vehicle was rented to the BBC.

Palestinian journalists later held a sit-in, to call for the release of Johnston.

515774

Gaza - BBC TV reporter kidnapped in Gaza

AP TELEVISION

Gaza city - 12 March 2007

1. Alan Johnston's BBC car in Gaza police station

516305

Gaza - Protesters ask for the release of kidnapped BBC journalist

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City, 17 March 2007

++PLEASE NOTE: VIDEO QUALITY AS INCOMING++

2. Medium of demo outside Shawa building

3. Close up of sign with Alan Johnston's picture on it

10:07:59

In March three masked Palestinian gunmen fired on a vehicle carrying the chief of the U.N. refugee mission in Gaza and tried to kidnap him. The target of the attempt was John Ging, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) in Gaza. He said no one was hurt in the kidnap attempt, in northern Gaza. Ging said he, a driver and a security official were travelling in an armoured vehicle when the gunmen jumped out of a white Subaru and opened fire. He said the men had tried to force the car door open, but the driver managed to speed away, under continued gunfire. The vehicle was clearly marked with the U.N. insignia and a U.N. flag, he said. Eleven bullets pierced the car, Ging added. The incident took place about half a mile (one kilometre) from the Erez passenger crossing into Israel, he said.

No one claimed responsibility

516226

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - File

FILE: Gaza City - 3 November 2006

1. John Ging, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Gaza walking into room

10:08:06

Hamas reluctantly brought Fatah into the coalition in March 2007 to quell an earlier round of violence, but the uneasy partnership began crumbling in May over control of the powerful security forces.

The two factions have warred sporadically since Hamas took power from Fatah last year, but never with such intensity.

A militant commander affiliated with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement was shot dead in May, in the most serious attack since Abbas launched a new effort to calm a wave of violence in the Gaza Strip earlier in the month.

Fatah quickly blamed the rival Hamas group, with which it shares power in the Palestinian government, and the dead man's comrades vowed revenge.

.

Hamas fighters launched a fierce offensive on Gaza City in June, attacking the main security bases and the president's compound with mortars and rockets and sending some of the rival Fatah forces fleeing in disarray as the Islamic group appeared close to taking over the entire Gaza Strip. At least 60 died in the June campaign

Khan Younis fell to Hamas when militants detonated a one-ton bomb underneath a security headquarters there, demolishing the building and killing at least one person, Palestinian security and medical officials said.

Security forces later said they lost control of the town.

The building was destroyed by a bomb planted in a tunnel underneath it, said Ali Qaisi, a presidential guard spokesman.

At least one person was killed and eight others were injured, medics said.

A group of boys ran to the local mosque to seek shelter from the crossfire of a fierce gunfire they found themselves caught in. They were trapped inside the mosque for almost an hour.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas moved quickly to cement his rule in the West Bank on the 15th of June, as major political fallout from Hamas' military rout of Fatah in Gaza continued.

He replaced the Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, with Finance Minister Salam Fayyad, an internationally respected economist, and a new moderate government was to be formed later in the day.

A Hamas military victory in Gaza would split Palestinian territory into two, with the Islamic militants controlling the coastal strip and Western-backed Fatah ruling the West Bank, pushing hopes for statehood even further away. Hamas fighters who wrested control of most of the Gaza Strip focused their firepower on 14th June on the battle's top prizes - Fatah's security and political command centres in Gaza City.

526281

AP TELEVISION

Gaza - 14 June 2007

1. Wide of Gaza City skyline at dawn/UPSOUND: gunfire

2. Wide of skyline/ UPSOUND: Gunfire

522497

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - 13 May 2007

3. Two women crying

4. Male relatives kissing face of militant commander Baha Abu Jarad, of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades

5. People grieving around body

526224

AP TELEVISION

Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Gaza City's Shojaiyeh District, Gaza Strip, and Gaza City, near the Egyptian Representation Office, Gaza Strip - 13 June 2007

Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip

6. Walking shot of people in the street running to hide from gunfire, UPSOUND: gunfire

7. Boys hiding at local mosque, pan right to people hiding from gunfire underneath tin roof, UPSOUND: gunfire

8. Various of boys taking refuge inside mosque, UPSOUND: gunfire

Gaza City's Shojaiyeh District, Gaza Strip

9. UPSOUND: gunfire, people scatter

Gaza City, near the Egyptian Representation Office, Gaza Strip

10. Man in traditional dress with flags of all Palestinian factions tied together, waving at gunmen on street corner, UPSOUND: gunfire

11. Gunman firing, man stopping him, pushing him back, UPSOUND: gunfire

526448

AP TELEVISION

Ramallah, West Bank and Gaza City, Gaza Strip - 15 June 2007/File

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - 15 June 2007

12. Various of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arriving at demonstration and waving to crowd UPSOUND: cheering and gunfire

Ramallah, West Bank - 15 June 2007

13. Close-up on Palestinian flag

14. Mid of Abbas at Friday Prayers

526224

AP TELEVISION

Nablus, West Bank - 13 June 2007

15. Gunfire exchanged with Al Aqsa Brigades gunmen

16. Mid of gunmen

526232

AP TELEVISION

Khan Younis - 13 June 2007

17. Back shot of militant holding rifle, UPSOUND: gunfire

526327

AP TELEVISION

Rafah, Gaza Strip -14 June 2007

18. Wide of the explosion of a Fatah-allied security building, (also called Preventive Security building) pull out to show crowd cheering and clapping and running towards the scene: UPSOUND: gunfire

19. Masked Hamas fighters rising up from their kneeling position on the road, after prayers, other gunmen firing into the air

20. Masked Hamas gunmen carrying away computers from scene

526447

AP TELEVISION

Gaza city, Gaza Strip - 15 June 2007

21. Wide of jeep carrying masked Hamas military wing spokesman Abu Obeideh with other fighters

22. Close-up of masked fighter

10:10:15

Palestinian security forces allied with Fatah arrested three dozen Hamas members in the West Bank on 14th June.

The move came as Hamas were close to a military takeover of the Gaza Strip.

Fatah leaders said a decision was made by security commanders to crack down on Hamas in the West Bank, to prevent it from taking any positions in that territory, a Fatah stronghold.

Arrests of Hamas activists were reported in the West Bank towns of Jenin, Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah and Bethlehem.

In Nablus, masked security agents and Fatah gunmen rode together in cars, searching for Hamas members, and broke into several homes of Hamas activists.

In one area, a brief firefight erupted, with Fatah and Hamas gunmen exchanging fire in the centre of the West Bank city.

On Saturday16th June Fatah gunmen took over the Hamas-controlled city council in Nablus and other Hamas-run institutions in the West Bank.

Gunmen arrived at the council building shooting in the air, walked in and then climbed to the roof where they hung flags of Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, from the roof.

In Ramallah, at the parliament building, Fatah supporters chanted, "Hamas Out," climbed on the roof of the building and fired in the air.

They placed Fatah and Palestinian flags on the building.

Gunmen entered the office of Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh and tried to seize him, but Fatah employees stopped them.

526309

AP TELEVISION

Nablus, West Bank - 14 June 2007

1. Fatah gunman gathering in city centre

2. Mid of gunman aiming weapon

3. Gunfire erupting, people running to take cover, gunmen aiming weapons, UPSOUND: gunfire

4. Various of office supply and furniture thrown from offices of Palestinian Legislative Council

526497

AP TELEVISION

Nablus - 16 June 2007

5. Fatah gunmen approaching building while shooting in the air, pan to gunmen gathered outside building entrance

6. Pan from mid of masked gunmen to fighters at entrance

7. Tilt up from gunmen in street to rooftop with two flags, pan back to gunmen shooting into the air

8. Zoom in to more gunmen on rooftop

526529

AP TELEVISION

Ramallah, West Bank - 16 June 2007

9. Top shot Fatah gunmen coming out of building pulling Deputy Speaker Hassan Kreisheh, out of the building, Kreisheh stumbling in the scrum

10. Various of Fatah gunmen approaching another building

11. Exterior of the Council of Ministers building, gunmen entering

10:11:22

Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas on Sunday 24th June called for the kidnapping of British journalist Alan Johnston to end, as a new video recording was seen, which shows Johnston wearing what appears to be an explosives belt.

In the video, Johnston warns the belt, which is of the type suicide bombers use, will be detonated if an attempt is made to free him by force.

The one-minute-42-second tape, called "Alan's Appeal," was posted on a Web site used by militant groups to post their messages.

The video was made by the Army of Islam, a shadowy group with apparent al-Qaeda links that claimed responsibility for snatching Johnston, a correspondent with the British Broadcasting Corporation, from a Gaza City street on 12th of March.

527327

INTELCENTER

Video date and Location Unknown

++AP TELEVISION HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS AUDIO AND VIDEO.++

++THIS VIDEO WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO AP TELEVISION BY INTELCENTER, A FIRM BASED IN ALEXANDRIA, IN THE US STATE OF VIRGINIA, THAT PROVIDES COUNTER-TERRORISM INTELLIGENCE SERVICES TO THE US GOVERNMENT.++

++PERMISSION IS GRANTED FOR USE IN PRINT, BROADCAST AND INTERNET MEDIA AS LONG AS THE INTELCENTER BUG REMAINS UNOBSCURED AND THE VIDEO IS CREDITED TO INTELCENTER. ++

++AP TELEVISION HAS NOT EDITED THE MILITANT VIDEO.++

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alan Johnston, Kidnapped BBC Journalist: (Includes on-screen graphics)

"Captors tell me that very promising negotiations were ruined when the Hamas movement and the British government decided to press for a military solution to this kidnapping and the situation is now very serious. As you can see I've been dressed in what is an explosive belt, which the kidnappers say will be detonated if there's any attempt to storm this area. They say they are ready to turn the hideout into what they describe as a death zone if there's an attempt to free me by force."

10:12:03

An Israeli aircraft attacked a car in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday 7th May, saying the vehicle was carrying militants preparing to fire rockets into Israel.

The air strike occurred shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned of severe consequences if recent rocket fire out of Gaza continued.

The attack occurred near Beit Hanoun, allegedly a frequent launching ground for Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.

The Islamic Jihad, a militant group in northern Gaza, said its members were in the car on a 'holy mission.'

Israeli citizens in Sderot ran to shelters in panic on Wednesday 16th May as Hamas militants fired eight rockets into Israel, following a barrage of around 20 rockets that seriously wounded an Israeli woman on Tuesday.

Wednesday's rocket salvo at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, just outside Gaza, continued a barrage that began in earnest on Tuesday 15th and wounded 21 Israelis, one seriously, a woman whose house took a direct hit.

There were no casualties on Wednesday morning, but school was cancelled in Sderot and residents huddled in bomb shelters.

Hamas said its rockets were retaliation for Israeli violence.

A Hamas compound in central Gaza City was one of three targets hit by Israeli air strikes on Thursday 17th May, adding a new layer of violence to internecine Palestinian fighting that has paralysed the Gaza Strip.

One person was killed at least 45 people were wounded at the compound, Palestinian witnesses and medical officials said.

Two other people were killed and scores injured in later air strikes in Gaza City.

526985

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - 20 June 2007

Jebaliyah refugee camp

1. Hamas supporters burning Israeli flags

Gaza City

2. Masked Palestinian boy marching with Hamas ribbon round his head

521817

Islamic Jihad Video

Purportedly Gaza - 7 May 2007

++AP TELEVISION NEWS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE AUTHENTICITY, DATE AND LOCATION OF THE VIDEO HANDOUT++

3. Rocket being launched

522825

AP TELEVISION

Sderot, Israel - 15/16 May 2007

4. Children running towards shelter shouting, UPSOUND: rocket exploding

5. People walking away from house, camera tracks to window and films smoky interior

6. Various of damaged house

7. Various of damaged furniture and household items

523013

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - 17 May 2007

8. Wide of smoke rising over Gaza skyline

9. Man gesturing to people inside the bombed out building, UPSOUND: Gunfire/Sirens

10. Top shot of rubble and rescuers

11. Body being carried out on stretcher

10:13:14

Kidnapped by Palestinian gunmen in Gaza for in March, British journalist Alan Johnston had only one link to the world, a radio that picked up British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programmes reporting frantic efforts to free him. Confined to a dark room by his captors, Johnston told the BBC after his release on July 4th that he was often unsure if he was going to live or die.

He thanked his colleagues for standing by him; "I'm so immensely grateful for that, and I will be all my life," Johnston said in Jerusalem, addressing a BBC rally in London celebrating his release.

Johnston, a native of Scotland who reported from Gaza for the BBC for three years, was snatched from a Gaza City street by masked gunmen on March 12, shoved into a car and spirited away. Johnston was one of in a string of foreigners kidnapped in Gaza, though his time in captivity was by far the longest.

He was released before dawn on July 4th in a deal between Gaza's Hamas rulers and his kidnappers from the Army of Islam, a group run by one of Gaza's most notorious and heavily armed crime families, the Doghmush clan.

528410

AP Television

Gaza City - 4 July 2007

1. Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, putting Palestinian sash around freed BBC journalist Alan Johnston's neck

528324

AP TELEVISION

Gaza City - 4 July 2007

2. Various of BBC Journalist Alan Johnston being escorted by Hamas security after being released from deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's office

528398

POOL

Jerusalem - 4 July 2007

3. Johnston waving to crowds and shaking hands with British Consul-General in Jerusalem, Richard Makepeace

10:13:40

In September Police claimed to have cracked a cell of young Israeli neo-Nazis suspected in at least 15 attacks on foreign workers, drug addicts, homosexuals and observant Jews. Eight gang members have been arrested, and a ninth fled the country, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

"This was a cell, an active neo-Nazi group that in fact began here in Israel carrying out attacks and sabotage as well as different attacks on individuals. Unfortunately a number of individuals were injured," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

All are in their late teens or early 20s, immigrated from the former Soviet Union and have Israeli citizenship, Rosenfeld also said.

The gang documented its activities on film and in photographs, and Israeli TV stations showed grainy footage of people lying helpless on floors while several people kicked them.

535848

AP TELEVISION/POLICE HANDOUT

Various - 9 Sept 2007

Ramleh, near Tel Aviv - 9 September 2007

AP Television news

1. Members of Neo Nazi suspects getting out of car

2. Members of cell walking in court room

3. Courtroom symbol on wall

4. Mid of Neo Nazi suspects

Tel Aviv - Recent

Police Handout

6. Various of Neo Nazi cell members beating by-passers at central bus station in Tel Aviv

7. STILL of drawing of man holding Neo- Nazi flag

8. Cell members beating man

9. STILL of man giving Nazi salute

10. Various of cell members beating up a man

10:14:08

On September 28th some 20-thousand mourners gathered in Jerusalem to accompany the body of Rabbi Avraham Shapira, an Israeli spiritual leader, to its final resting place, the Mount of Olives. Shapira, famous for urging soldiers to disobey orders to evacuate the Gaza Strip, died in Jerusalem at the age of 94. A chief rabbi in Israel for 10 years beginning in 1983, Shapira spent much of his life fighting vigorously against territorial concessions to the Palestinians - emerging as one of the Jewish state's most divisive religious figures. To his followers, however, Shapira was a sage. When he was taken to the hospital earlier in the week, thousands prayed for his well-being at Jerusalem's Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site. Because the funeral took place during the joyous, week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, rabbis told mourners it was best to avoid crying.

538115

Thousands at funeral of chief rabbi who opposed land handover

AP TELEVISION

Jerusalem - 28 Sep 2007

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem

1. Wide of mourners marching during funeral procession, Dome of the Rock in background

2. Wide of mourners marching in funeral

3. Mid of people carrying body of Rabbi Avraham Shapira to burial at cemetery

4. Mid of man crying

5. Wide of mourners at funeral, Dome of the Rock in background

LEBANON

10:14:34

Opposition protesters blocked roads with car tyres around the Lebanese capital of Beirut and other regions on January 23rd to enforce a general strike aimed at toppling Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's government. Opposition activists turned out early in the morning to burn tyres on major highways north, south and east of the city as well as a ring road around downtown Beirut, sending black clouds of smoke billowing in the air, witnesses said. Army troops and fire engines moved in to remove the obstacles. The road to Beirut international airport was blocked, as were the highway linking Beirut with the mountains and the highway to Damascus, the Syrian capital, Hezbollah's television stations reported. Scores of opposition supporters took the streets and in some instances security forces stood by and watched.

510522

AP TELEVISION

Beirut - 23 Jan 2007

++PRE DAWN SHOTS++

1. Wide top shot of city skyline with plumes of smoke rising from fires

2. Wide shot of protesters and tyres on fire

3. Wide shot of military vehicles arriving at the scene

4. Strikers protesting

510536

AP TELEVISION

Beirut - 23 Jan 2007

5. Lebanese army arresting a protestor

6. Various of clashes in the street

7. Lebanese army shooting in the air

10:15:17

Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah told a crowd of mourners who had gathered in southern Beirut to commemorate the festival of Ashoura, that the US president , who he referred to as the "greatest satan", wanted to punish his group because they "stood fast and were victorious" in last summer's war against Israel.

Nasrallah was responding to a statement made by US President George W Bush earlier in January in the which the president condemned a recent outburst of violence in Lebanon.

511324

AP TELEVISION

Beirut, 30 Jan 2007

1. Wide shot of building with Nasrallah speaking from balcony

2. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General:

"(US President) George Bush wants to punish you because you stood fast and were victorious."

3. Crowd of women chanting

4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General:

"When the greatest Satan declares his enmity and his war against us, this is a great honour of which we are proud."

10:15:47

Lebanese tanks pounded shells at a militant group's headquarters in a Palestinian refugee camp next to the northern city of Tripoli on the afternoon of Sunday 20th May.

The shelling came hours after clashes that left 13 soldiers and several militants dead, along with dozens of wounded.

Security officials reported a further 19 soldiers and 14 police officers injured in the fighting, the worst violence to hit the northern city in two decades.

A spokesman for the Fatah Islam group, Abu Salim, said two militants were killed and five wounded inside the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp.

The group is considered by some Lebanese officials to be a radical Sunni Muslim group with ties to al-Qaeda, or at least al-Qaeda style militancy and doctrine.

The fighting threatens to further destabilise a conflict-ridden Lebanon that is facing its worst political fall out between the Western-backed government and pro-Syrian opposition since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.

Initially, gunfire erupted early on the 20th after police raided a militant-occupied apartment on Mitein Street, a major thoroughfare in Tripoli, looking for suspects in a bank robbery a day earlier in Amyoun, a town southeast of Tripoli, in which gunmen made off with 125-thousand US dollars in cash.

The armed militants resisted arrest and a series of battles then ensued that spread to surrounding streets and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp.

Lebanese troops pounded a Palestinian refugee camp with artillery and tank fire for a second day on Monday 21st May, raising huge palls of smoke as they battled a militant group suspected of ties to al-Qaeda.

The fighters holed up in the camp returned fire - lending credence to reports that they are far better armed than first thought.

Artillery and machine gun fire echoed around a crowded Palestinian refugee camp for a third straight day Tuesday 22nd May, as the Lebanese government ordered the army to finish off the Fatah Islam fighters holed up inside the camp in the country's north.

Black smoke billowed from the area after artillery and machine gun exchanges at the Nahr el-Bared camp on the outskirts of the port city of Tripoli.

Hundreds of Palestinian civilians continued to stream out of the besieged Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon on Wednesday 23rd after a truce in the fighting mostly held overnight.

About 15-thousand, nearly half the camp's residents, fled late at night when the lull took hold in fighting between Lebanese troops and Islamic militants who were barricaded in the crowded Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, relief officials said.

About 1-thousand fled on Wednesday morning.

The Lebanese air force on Saturday 2nd June joined tanks and artillery in pounding Islamic militant hideouts on the second day of an intensifying offensive to uproot al-Qaeda-inspired gunmen barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp.

A French-made Gazelle helicopter fired two missiles and directed machine gun fire at suspected militant hideouts on the western edge of the Nahr

el-Bared camp near the Mediterranean coastline, in an apparent attempt to block any sea escape route.

It was the first time the army used its limited air force capability in the battle, signifying the intensity of the ground fighting.

The army has helicopters, but no fixed-wing aircraft.

There was more heavy shelling on Wednesday 13th June in the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, as Lebanese troops reportedly clashed with Muslim militants still holed up there.

More than 25,000 people have fled the Nahr el-Bared camp, near the northern city of Tripoli, since fighting between the Lebanese army and Fatah Islam militants began on May 20.

Dozens of people have been killed since then.

The army said that the number of troops killed since the fighting began to 61.

The fighting has also claimed the lives of at least 60 Fatah al-Islam militants and at least 20 civilians.

523344

AP TELEVISION

Tripoli - 20 May 2007

1. Tanks and soldiers in the streets of residential area

2. Soldiers firing from armoured vehicles at building occupied by militants

523379

AP TELEVISION

Tripoli and Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp - 20 May 2007

Tripoli

3. Lebanese army troops running across street and firing at building

4. Soldier firing at building

Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp

5. Tank firing missile on target inside refugee camp

523492

AP TELEVISION

Nr Nahr El-Bared - 21 May 2007

6. Wide of Tripoli skyline, building explodes

7. Wider shot of black smoke, AUDIO: loud explosion, pan to fresh white plume of smoke

523528

AP TELEVISION

Nahr El-Bared - 21 May 2007

8. Wide of skyline with smoke rising

523595

AP TELEVISION

Near Nahr el-Bared, Lebanon - 22 May 2007

9. Wide of explosion on top of building with black smoke billowing from building AUDIO: gunfire and shelling

523742

AP TELEVISION

Nahr el-Bared - 23 May 2007

10. Various of refugees leaving camp

11. Refugees getting out of red truck

12. Refugees in red truck

13. Various of damaged buildings inside camp

14. Pan across destroyed vehicle

524975

AP TELEVISION

Nahr el-Bared - 2 June 2007

15. Wide skyline shot of camp with explosion and smoke rising

16. Lebanese army helicopter flying over camp

524834

AP TELEVISION

Nahr el-Bared - 1 June 2007