This year's Tour de France, running from 7th-29th July, will be shot in high definition by France Télévisions. It will have its own dedicated channel, broadcast via cable, satellite, DSL, and (potentially) digital terrestrial.
Whether we'll get any of it in the UK will depend on whether Sky are able to cover any of it. In the past, Channel 4 have covered it, so we probably won't get to see the glorious French landscape in HD.

Itv have the rights to the tour de France, does this mean that the rugby world cup could also be shot in HD but since itv have the rights to that as well, the chances of HD over here is nil
Oh WOW! Thanks for the great info!!