(dave e)

vive le tour!

until this year, i've payed only scant attention to the tour de france. now, as the centennial race is underway, i've somehow picked it up. major props to fritz, a longtime enthusiast and knowledgeable rider, who has patiently explained the difference between general classification and points standings, as well as the difference between the many-colored jerseys. leave it to the french to put the king of the mountain, the most accomplished climber, in a red and white polka dot jersey.

it's hard not to cheer lance armstrong. if he wins (and "everyone" seems to think he will), he'll join a very small class of riders who have won five consecutive tours. what's been most interesting for me is the degree of pressure put on the usps leader by e-v-e-r-y other rider who can pick at his strength. as phil liggett (who's just the coolest color commentary guy) says, he'll have to work quite hard to fend them off.

the reasons i think i've fallen for the race are several.

first, i've always been taken with endurance-y sorts of sports, and 3,427.5 kilometers over 20 stages certainly counts. natalie and i are running regularly now, and working over distance has always sort of appealed to me; i think that's why we're watching those guys grimace over 200k every day.

second, not only does the tour not involve american football-style physical activity (apologies to all y'all, but i get very little from the 8-second duration of plays on the gridiron... maybe it's because i was in marching band when i was 18), but it also seems to be a little elevated over the "i'llkillyouifyougetinmyway" manner of so much of professional sports. i don't have any absolute dislike of aggressive sports, and i recognize the role psychological competition plays for athletes. nevertheless, when i saw competitors piil and sacchi sort of grasp hands before they went into today's final sprint, i smiled. those guys are going to beat the hell out of each other over the next 1,000 meters, but they aren't swiping fingers across their necks, all NCAA style.

third... well, i ain't never been to france, but them bicycle riders shore do go through some purty country. seriously, yesterday's climbs and descents through the alps were stunning to watch. gorgeous.

if only beloki hadn't taken that horrible horrible fall on the wrong side of that mountain. his screams over a broken femur remind this novice viewer of the mountain's sublime.

fourth, tyler hamilton, a strong american rider, broke his collarbone the other day. he is currently in 5th place in the overall standings. with a broken collarbone.

with a broken collarbone.

and if you're schedule's tight, no worries. oln plays and replays every stage like four times a day. and their website coverage is thorough.

allons, enfants!

Posted by dave at July 15, 2003 4:27 PM | TrackBack