Could you have really asked for anything more entertaining in the great wide world of professional cycling than this year's Tour De France? GAWD! It was awesome... The surprise "ban" announcement just prior to the start opened the field to unlikely competitors for the yellow jersey, the early sprints were exciting, a total long shot Oscar Pereiro takes nearly 30 minutes on the yellow jersey in one strategic move strangely unanswered by the peloton, and the alps prove to be nothing but drama. The strategic favourite, and former Lance-a-like Floyd Landis, awaiting hip replacement surgury of all things, finally takes the lead on a gruelling mountain stage, only to completely crumble the very next day, losing the yellow by nearly 10 minutes. Then, of all things, he wakes up the next day and has what some people think was the single greatest day of racing ever on the tour. He charges away from the peloton on the first assent of a ridiculously tough alpine stage, and consumes 70 bottles of water over 5+ hours and 5 monster climbs to come within 30 seconds of getting the yellow back! And as luck would have it - the following stage was a long distance individual time trial and Landis reigned supreme. Crazy. I was up nearly every day sitting on the sofa, playing with Mateo, and explaining to him all of the ins and outs. I think he understood everything. Especially the part about going fast! I am still at a total loss to understand how Landis, after completely shutting down only the day before, could psychologically get himself together and just go out there and say "well, today, I will just get it back." I suppose we could all learn from that one. Vive le Tour!!!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Now that's what I can a bike race!
Could you have really asked for anything more entertaining in the great wide world of professional cycling than this year's Tour De France? GAWD! It was awesome... The surprise "ban" announcement just prior to the start opened the field to unlikely competitors for the yellow jersey, the early sprints were exciting, a total long shot Oscar Pereiro takes nearly 30 minutes on the yellow jersey in one strategic move strangely unanswered by the peloton, and the alps prove to be nothing but drama. The strategic favourite, and former Lance-a-like Floyd Landis, awaiting hip replacement surgury of all things, finally takes the lead on a gruelling mountain stage, only to completely crumble the very next day, losing the yellow by nearly 10 minutes. Then, of all things, he wakes up the next day and has what some people think was the single greatest day of racing ever on the tour. He charges away from the peloton on the first assent of a ridiculously tough alpine stage, and consumes 70 bottles of water over 5+ hours and 5 monster climbs to come within 30 seconds of getting the yellow back! And as luck would have it - the following stage was a long distance individual time trial and Landis reigned supreme. Crazy. I was up nearly every day sitting on the sofa, playing with Mateo, and explaining to him all of the ins and outs. I think he understood everything. Especially the part about going fast! I am still at a total loss to understand how Landis, after completely shutting down only the day before, could psychologically get himself together and just go out there and say "well, today, I will just get it back." I suppose we could all learn from that one. Vive le Tour!!!
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