Today marks the beginning of one of my favorite sporting events, the fabled Tour de France. It’s three weeks of the most grueling biking imaginable covering over 2200 miles with multiple climbs through the French Alps and Pyrenees that would seem difficult in a car let alone on a bicycle . It is a contest that is a mix of sheer power, endurance and strategy.
After watching for a number of years, I am convinced that these are among the most highly conditioned athletes in the world. Day after day, they climb on their bikes and ride over an average of a hundred miles per day at the highest pace imaginable, not to mention the practice/warm-up rides they put in before many stages when they more or less ride the entire course. How their bodies continue to respond is a marvel to me.
So for the next three weeks I am thrilled to have the Tour to watch with my breakfast– a great sporting event along with some of the most spectacular scenery to be found. Vive le Tour!
Redtree Times 