The 99th Tour de France kicks off this Saturday and this year’s course really has something for everyone. Running from Saturday June 30th to Sunday July 22nd, it is a gruelling race over total distance of 3,479 kilometres in 20 stages.

Probably the most intriguing of the two semi-finals on offer at Euro 2012, Italy versus Germany is a fixture laden with history and one fact stands out above all else Germany have never beaten the Italians in a major tournament.

The leading lady of The Amazing Spider-Man, Emma Stone, has been gushing about her on-and-off screen boyfriend, Andrew Garfield. Not only are they in love, Stone says that she is learning from him as well… learning what, exactly?

In the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medallists in the 200m raised their fists in solidarity with the American Civil Rights Movement on the rostrum in a black power salute. The rest is history.

If you want to mix to, sun, surf, sand, sports on your holidays then you would be well advised to take in a beach volleyball tournament. You can even visit the world’s best cities where the sand is shifted in for the playing surface. Swide chooses for you the best locations to watch the talent.

Time to start punching. Weeks 1-5 of the Dolce&Gabbana Milano Thunder video fitness programme were all about strength and conditioning now it’s time to start boxing. With light weight boxer and WSB Champion Domenico Valentino demonstrates some simple punch combination exercises. Hold a light weight to maximise your workout. Add these to your work out to improve fitness, strengthen arms and box clever!

Italy defeated England in the gut-wrenchingly tense penalty shoot-out last night to book their semi-final place against Germany in Warsaw on the 28th of June. On the night Italy were thoroughly deserved winners with 37 shots at goal to England’s 10. But with 63% possession in a game they so clearly dominated why leave it to the last in a do-or-die shoot-out? Well the Italians, have a love/hate relationship with the penalty shootout.

"Over the years, Stefano and I have worked with many great names – from Newton to Klein, Lindbergh, Ferri, Scianna, Demarchelier, Barbieri and Meisel. Watching them at work, I realised that a photograph is not in the camera but in the photographer’s mind."

Sunday’s quarter final showdown between Europe’s two football super powers Italy and England is very much all about one man. Mario Balotelli carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, but will the darling of the British tabloid media be in one of his destructive or his destructively brilliant moods – with ‘Super Mario’ you just never know what to expect.

‘Campioni’ is the labour of love by Domenico Dolce; a publication that will be celebrated with an exclusive exhibition, during the MSS13 fashion shows of Milan. The lens of Domenico Dolce’s camera has captured portraits of young footballers from Italy’s Serie A and will be presented in a book, binding the world of football and art together, with Mr. Dolce’s vision.

The record breaking superstar, Katy Perry, has just released the video for the 8th and final single to be lifted from her ridiculously successful album, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. It’s strange, but, even though her 3D film ‘Katy Perry: A Part Of Me’ will be in the cinemas soon, Swide are so sad to see this chapter of her career close that we feel the need to share why you love this woman with you…

In week 5 of our Milano Thunder fitness series we’re moving to the arms, shoulders and pectorals. Boxers need strength and flexability in their arms and these push-up variations and light weight raises will help you pack a punch as well as give you bigger more defined arms.

Young barefoot South African runner Zola Budd was given a lifeline to compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics 5000 metres against her hero and race favourite American Mary Decker. But her dream of running the race of her life ended in acrimony and accusation.

Ben Affleck is back with his third film Argo; a political drama set during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, involving the hostage crisis and the rescue of six U.S. diplomats. Again, not only is Affleck behind the camera, he will be starring in the film too, just like he did for The Town.

Frankie Dettori is described by many experts as the greatest jockey of all time, he is also one of the preeminent members of London’s huge Italian community. Ahead of the Royal Ascot Race festival, the centrepiece in Britain’s racing calendar, which opens tomorrow, Swide caught up with the gregarious Italian.

Italy must defeat Ireland in their final group game of Group C at 20.45 CEST, in Poznan, Poland. Follow the action as Swide tweets live updates on the two matches as the drama unfolds and join in the conversation at @euroswide.

Natasha Slater is back on Swide, but this time she isn’t here to reveal her favourite Milanese haunts or what music you should be spinning at your next fashion bash, no. If you’ve got a problem that you can’t seem to find an answer to or you’ve been holding on to a secret but want to shout it out loud without people knowing who you are, then Natasha is here to help with her Love Confidential. This week, problems with daddy…

In keeping with Madonna’s life of contrasts she has gone from a nipple bearing bralet to a demure chiffon blouse dress in a flash while on her MDNA tour in Italy.

Selena Gomez is a pop starlet in her own right but I bet she never expected to get a shout out like the one that Nicki Minaj serves up in song ‘Beauty and the Beat’, on Justin Bieber’s highly anticipated ‘Believe’ album that’s being released next week.

Italy take on Croatia in what is probably their key game of the group stage at 18.00 CET at the Municipal Stadium, Poznan later today.

Italian Roberto Di Matteo has been rewarded for his sterling work last year as interim first-team coach signing a two-year contract with the ‘Blues’, becoming the fourth Italian to manage Chelsea.

Andrew Garfield is the world’s new hero, stepping in as Spider-Man and, although we don’t need any more reasons as to why we should love the man behind mask, Swide have decided to share the 10 things that we love about him.

Tiger Woods has emerged as an unlikely favourite to clinch the US Open at the Olympic Club, San Francisco June 14th to June 17th.

It’s week four of the Dolce&Gabbana Milano Thunder fitness programme on Swide. Now that you’ve strengthened you core, we’re going to move down to your lower half. These skipping rope exercises will strengthen your calf muscles as well as tone your upper body, improve your co-ordination and give you a good cardio workout.

When Derek Redmond collapsed in heap on the running track in the semi-final of the 400m at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 it was a tragedy for the runner. What happened next though will forever be imprinted on the public’s memory of those games and is still emotional to watch today, a display of pain, grief, determination, pride and the love of a father for his son.

People have tested the limits of human endurance throughout history. We live in the most comfortable of times and now that the whole planet has been mapped there’s not much left to discover, but we still have the need to test ourselves, hence the phenomenal growth in extreme sports. Swide chooses for you the top 5 extreme sports events around the world.

We live in an age of reason, where cold logic is valued above all else. Dressing room ritual in most sports has been replaced by modern sports psychology but footballers still hold onto their superstitions. Reminding us all of a time when superstition played as important a part in everyday life as does logic today. Swide chooses for you 10 top footballer’s superstitions.

‘Turn up the Radio’ may be the next single off the MDNA album, rumoured to be filmed in Rome, but it isn’t the new song that’s causing a stir in the media, no. Well, this is Madonna we’re talking about. There is the ongoing feud with Lady Gaga and, oh yes, the fact she got her boob out during a live show in Istanbul… of course.

With the filming of the ‘Carrie’ remake underway and a massive 5 other films in the pipeline for the young actress, Swide wonders what’s next for Chloë Moretz. Well, according to rumours, very exciting rumours that is, it is said that she is going to reprise her role as Hit Girl in the cult hit, ‘Kick-Ass’.

Dolc&Gabbana is proud to announce the publication of the book ‘Campioni’, a collection of photographic portraits of young football players from Italy’s Serie A, shot by Domenico Dolce.

The next instalment in our boxing fitness video series is still with heavyweight Clemente Russo. These exercises are sill centred on the abdominal area. They are more difficult and will work the lesser abdominal muscles, they will also give your abs more definition. So step it up and add these exercises to your work out. You will notice the difference, guaranteed!

As Italy embark on their quest for the crown of 'Kings of Europe’ in the UEFA Euro 2012 Championships in Poland and Ukraine, their coach Cesare Prandelli cuts a figure of a gentleman of the highest calibre. The storm clouds of scandal are gathering over the Azzurri, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that Italy are at their best in adverse conditions. Not only this, Prandelli has instilled a new pride in the national team and a new verve in their play.

In the ultra competitive arena of professional sports it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, that in sport, it’s the taking part that’s important. In the Summer Olympics in Sydney 2000 a swimmer, Eric Moussambani, from the tiny nation of Equatorial Guinea reminded the world just what it’s all about.

Swide chooses ten top young sports talents for you to watch out for. Some are already established names, some are on the cusp of greatness, but all of them are undoubted talents.

The Italian national football team are preparing to take on Europe at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. As Italy’s biggest supporters we are proud to announce that the team will wear Dolce&Gabbana.

Suited and booted during the Cannes Film Festival at the Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club, Garrett Hedlund looked every part the leading man. With his role in ‘On the Road’ pushing him into the big leagues it wasn’t going to be long before the rumours started to fly…

Ellie Kemper, Josh Hutcherson and Tyler Posey attended this year’s edition of the MTV Movie Awards, choosing Dolce&Gabbana for their Red Carpet look. Whether in floral print, suited to the 9s or finishing a look of with leather, these young talents look positively perfect in their wears.

British actor Oliver Jackson Cohen, class of ’86, is a true gentleman. Articulate, generous with his answers and his captivating smile, Oliver talks to Swide before the Dolce&Gabbana FW13 Menswear show. Fancy more from Oliver? The DVD of his hit gothic thriller The Raven, will be out next month.