#3: The Tour de France, or Why I Can't Get Anything Done in July

This is a photo of my TV as I finally sit down to watch the Tour de France.  I've been taping it for days but haven't had a chance to watch it until this afternoon.  For those of you who are not familiar with the Tour, it is a three-week, 2000+ mile bike ride throughout France and surrounding countries.  Teams of nine riders compete for various distinctions:  general classification winner (best time for the whole race, start to finish, gets the coveted yellow jersey), "king of the mountains" for the best climber, best young rider, points classification winner for the best sprinter, fastest team, stage wins, and so forth.

It may seem kind of boring to watch a bunch of guys ride their bikes for hours on end, but I find it fascinating.  The commentators explain all of the tactics involved as teams try to get their best riders into position to win.  It is teamwork at its best.  Most of the riders out there are hired to be work horses, to shield their more talented teammates from harm and to help them conserve their energy during this grueling event.  The domestiques, as they are called, are selfless and relentless in their efforts to better position their teams.  It's refreshing to watch a sport in which the athletes are not boasting about how great they are or taunting the other competitors; instead, there are wonderful senses of etiquette and fair play in the sport of cycling.

The only problem with the Tour is that it is three weeks long, and each day consists of hours and hours of riding.  It's tough to fit that into a work day, especially if there are things to do like laundry, cooking, or having conversations with your family.  Plus it takes up a lot of space on the DVR.

I'm not in a position to predict a winner just yet.  I need to get more of a feel for the riders before I get bold and endorse someone.  So, stay tuned!  I'll have more to say about the race, doping allegations (uh, Lance Armstrong!), spectacular crashes, and whatnot.