Today began the grandest sporting event in the world .. Le Tour De France. Being a proud Canadian I should value the Stanley Cup above all else but I get the most thrill and excitement from following the Tour. I suppose it might be because I can ride a road bike with much more skill than I can play hockey.
What I love about the Tour is that it is a war fought over 23 stages throughout the French countryside. Each stage is a small battle in that war but it is the cyclist who prevails above all others that claims victory. The winner does not have to win every stage nor do they even have to win any of them but they must complete the race in the shortest possible time. The role of the team is paramount to an individual's success with each teammate playing an integral role (the climbers, the plodders, the sprinters etc). Lance Armstrong could not have won 7 in a row without the help of some excellent teammates.
Speaking of Lance Armstrong he has returned to this year's Tour at the ripe old age of 37 which puts him 1 year older than the oldest person to have ever won (Firmin Lambot age 36 in 1922). No one expects him to win again as he is merely doing this to raise more money and awareness for cancer research but he could grab a top 5 finish if all goes well.
Gotta head out now and watch Stage 1 the 15.5 km time trial.
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