Track “Le Tour” (de France) On Bing Maps

The world of sport is still largely focused on the World Cup, now in its semi-final round. However biking enthusiasts know that the Tour de France has started and is already in its second stage.

Bing has introduced a “Map App” that provides a wealth of information about “Le Tour,” including stats and standings by stage as the race winds its way from Rotterdam to Paris. (You must have Silverlight installed to view.)

Yahoo and Google aren’t doing anything “official” yet it appears. Yahoo will undoubtedly have dedicated coverage and we can probably expect some Google Maps coverage (as was done in past years). There are also several “private” or community efforts going on the map the Tour de France route in Google Earth.

For now, however, Bing has the most complete maps-based coverage and perhaps most complete coverage overall, other than the official site itself.

Postscript: Google now offers its own map-based Tour tracking, with an emphasis on the HTC-Columbia team. HTC is of course one of Google’s Android OEM partners.