Twenty One Stages Begins!

This blog will follow the twenty one stages that I hope will lead to a seventh win for Lance Armstrong. I should give a few details about myself and what prompts me to create YET ANOTHER BLOG about the Tour. I'm an English professor and cycling fan, but I don't compete and don't even own a road bike. I ride a mountain bike on the roads around my home, which is pretty tough, so I'm contemplating buying a road bike. I have been looking at a Trek 1200 or a Trek 1500, because I don't want to spend more than 1000 dollars. Ideally I'd like a used bike that might save me some $. Anyway, on to my interest in the Tour...

Right now it's the pre-race show. The time trial begins later in the day. There's a great deal of anticipation for this race as it's Lance's last. Again, we hear that this course is extremely difficult and designed to prevent Lance from winning...but isn't this what we heard LAST year?

I'm hoping that Lance wins, because I love him as a cyclist. Cycling is a beautiful sport to watch. To see the peloton undulate through a course can be very moving. I nearly cried last year at the first mountain stage. I wish I could be in France and camp out somewhere. Perhaps one day I will.

This first time trial is 12 miles, which means that some distance between the leader and the pack could be established early. Lance will be riding last. I don't know if he'll win the TT, but he needs to be near the top - ideally, winning would be best.

I'll post more later, but that's it for now...