WHAT'S IN STORE ON STAGE 3

View this video of Tour de France riders talking about Stage 3 (Tuesday, July 6) to get a hint of what they're in for.  The route takes the cyclists through 7 sections of cobblestone roads (called "pave"), some dating back to Roman times.  Lance Armstrong has said "there will be carnage."  With so many crashes already...

By the way, USA's Christian Vande Velde is out of the race as a result of Stage 2 crashes.  Christian was considered a top-10 contender for the overall win.  I hope he mends well and has a chance to lead his team again next year.

STAGE 2: YELLOW FOR SYLVAN CHAVANEL

Frenchman grabs glory after a long breakaway and break from peloton crashes

Sylvan Chavanel was part of a 9-man group that broke away from the peloton early in today's 200+ kilometer stage over rolling hills and 5 categorized climbs through Belgium. In the end, the Frenchman riding for Belgian-based team QuickStep was the only cyclist to stay clear.

It is rare for a breakaway to stay away. The escapees usually get caught by a determined peloton.  But Chavanel's advantage was helped by multiple crashes in the peloton on a rain-soaked hill near the end of the stage.  As a result, Chavanel crossed the finish line nearly 4 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Chavanel started the stage 59 seconds behind race leader Fabian Cancellara.  He ended the day nearly 3 minutes ahead of Cancellara.  So, Chavanel takes over the Yellow Jersey.  Well deserved.

Crashes plagued the Tour de France for the second day in a row.  This time it was rain-slick pavement on a steep downhill that caused lots of riders to hit the pavement.  Favorites Frank and Andy Schleck went down.  Lance Armstrong went down.  Alberto Contador went down.  It's unclear if any riders sustained race-ending injuries.  But it was carnage again.  Here's a a video link to some of the main crash.  In the photo, USA sprint specialist Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Transitions team holds his elbow after a crash.

After the crashes and chaos with riders strung out over several kilometers, race leader Fabian Cancellara rode to the front of the group and slowed it down, permitting riders who had fallen to rejoin the peloton over the last 15 kilometers of the stage.  It was, to my mind, an act of leadership and wisdom.  Someone had to say: "This is too dangerous.  This is too crazy.  We've got a long Tour to go.  Let's calm down.  Let's ride this thing the right way."  Cancellara prevented any sprinting at the finish line and the peloton rode calmly together to complete the stage.  Kudos to Cancellara.

Full stage report and standings at Cyclingnews 

I RIDE

Poet Edwin Markham expresses the thrill of cycling

I do not know what Edwin Markham had in mind when he penned this poem.  In my mind’s eye I see 198 cyclists virtually sailing the forest, meadow, and mountain in the Tour de France.  I see misty hills of West Virginia, where I grew up.  I think also of innumerable bicycle rides through the Indiana, where I’ve now lived for over 30 years.  I ride in this spirit, with this sense of joy, and offer the poem in tribute to the TdF participants.  May their pain be eclipsed by such joy.

I ride on the mountain tops, I ride;
I have found my life and am satisfied.
Onward I ride in the blowing oats,
Checking the field-lark's rippling notes --
   Lightly I sweep
   From steep to steep:
Over my head through the branches high
Come glimpses of a rushing sky;
The tall oats brush my horse's flanks;
Wild poppies crowd on the sunny banks;
A bee booms out of the scented grass;
A jay laughs with me as I pass.

I ride on the hills, I forgive, I forget
   Life's hoard of regret --
   All the terror and pain
   Of the chafing chain.
   Grind on, O cities, grind:
   I leave you a blur behind.
I am lifted elate -- the skies expand:
Here the world's heaped gold is a pile of sand.
Let them weary and work in their narrow walls:
I ride with the voices of waterfalls!

I swing on as one in a dream -- I swing
Down the airy hollows, I shout, I sing!
The world is gone like an empty word:
My body's a bough in the wind, my heart a bird!

STAGE 1: CARNAGE AT THE FINISH

What was that?!

Unbelievable carnage in the last two kilometers of Stage 1 of the Tour de France.  No less than 3 separate crashes in less than a mile in the high-speed drive to the finish line. View the replay at this link. And this followed an earlier crash caused by a dog straying into the group of 198 riders. Crazy day.

Italian sprinter Alessandro Pettachi emerged the winner of the stage as most of the other top sprinters were sprawled on the ground.  Not sure yet who might be too injured to continue in the Tour.  Let's hope all recover.

This was a long flat stage, a day for sprinters to shine.  Instead, nerves overtook the peloton at the end of the day and the incredible crashes ensued.

An estimated crowd of over 2.5 million lined the streets and roadways of the Netherlands as the Tour made its way south toward Belgium.  A wonderful response from the nation that has more cyclists per capita than any other.

Best recap of Stage 1 and full standings is by Cyclingnews.

PROLOGUE: CANCELLARA ALL THE WAY

World champion time-trialist fulfills expectations; but look at contenders

Great Britain's got young talent in Tony Martin.  He tackled the 8.9 kilometer Prologue course early before rain set in and set a fast mark that stood until the next to last rider of the day: 10 minutes, 10 seconds.  Only heavily favored Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland bested Martin, finishing right at 10 minutes.  Cancellara will wear the first Yellow Jersey as the overall race leader, but Martin will wear the first White Jersey for the best young rider (under age 26).


WHAT ABOUT THE CONTENDERS? Time trial specialists are expected to do well in the Prologue. But what about the cyclists who have their sights set on winning the Tour de France? Here's how some of those considered to vie for the best in the General Classification (GC, best overall time) finished the Prologue (place and time down to Cancellara):

4th - Lance Armstrong (USA) -22
6th - Alberto Contador (SPA) -27
8th - Levi Leipheimer (USA) -28
18th - Alexandr Vinokourov (KZK) -38
22nd - Cadel Evans (AUS) -39
23rd - Luis-Leon Sanchez (SPA) -39
68th - Carlos Sastre (SPA) -54
78th - Denis Menchov (RUS) -58


CONTENDER SEPARATION.  Being down by 30 seconds or a minute or more to the race leader after the Prologue is not insurmountable for any contender.  The Alps and Pyrenees mountains will quickly erase those distinctions for most contenders. But it still means that Armstrong and Contador--who will both do as well in the mountains as any other contender--have set themselves up as the race favorites and the other contenders will be playing catch up..


ADVANTAGE ARMSTRONG.  As for the Armstrong vs Contador showdown in this 3-week long shoot out, it's Armstrong - 1, Contador - 0.  Stay tuned.  It's psychological warfare. It's now Contador's move.  This is gonna be crazy!

LET THE PROLOGUE BEGIN

Guess what day it is, people?  Oh to be in Rotterdam today!  Let the Tour begin!  Live TV and Internet streaming begins at 11:30 am EST.

BICYCLE NATION.  198 of the best cyclists in the world will literally fly along the roadways of Rotterdam over an 8.9 kilometer Prologue course.  Hundreds of thousands of local and international fans will line the streets.  The Netherlands, with more bicyclists per capita than any nation and more bikes than fossil-fuel powered vehicles, will fully appreciate what they're seeing.

WHAT'S A PROLOGUE?  The Prologue is unlike any other stage in a Grand Tour.  It is a brief time trial.  Each cyclist rides alone and against the clock.  The purpose of the Prologue is to establish initial ranking among the many riders.  It doesn't "separate the men from the boys," but it does give an indication of who's ready to fight for the championship.  Some riders are specialists at time trials and this is their day to shine.  Others will ride their best, but this format is not their forte.  Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland is a favorite to win the Prologue.

HOW DOES THE PROLOGUE RELATE TO THE ULTIMATE RACE WINNER?  The Prologue winner is rarely the champion of the Tour de France.  However, if a cyclist intends to contend to be on the podium when the race rolls into Paris three weeks from now, he will do well in the Prologue and Stage 19 Individual Time Trial.  Some cyclists are good time trialists. Some are good mountain climbers.  Some are sprint specialists.  Some are excellent at powering ahead of the group (peloton) for long distances.  But to win the Tour de France, a cyclist must be good at all these aspects of the race.  The Prologue gives a glimpse of the readiness of top contenders.

TIME TRIAL EQUIPMENT.  The bikes, helmets and uniforms used in a time trial are different than what you'll see the participants use on every other stage.  A time trial bike and helmet is wind-tunnel tested for the best possible aerodynamics.  The uniforms and shoe covers are made of fabric to minimize wind resistance. Riders tuck down into the an aerodynamic position. The idea is to reduce every possible negative factor to maximize the power of a rider over a short distance.  Is all this effort really necessary?  Not sure.  But it's the standard in time trial cycling.

JOY IN ROTTERDAM...AND THE TOUR HASN'T YET BEGUN

The teams have been presented.  The contenders interviewed on international TV.  The anticipation is building.  The last preparations are made.  And there's...there's an uproar of jubilation.  What?  The Dutch are in Rotterdam's streets celebrating wildly.  The Prologue is still 24 hours away and yet the city and country are ecstatic.

It's not about the Tour de France.  It's about the Netherlands defeating World Cup favorite Brazil earlier today in South Africa.  Go Orange!  The unexpected win against the five-time World Cup champions puts Holland into the semi-finals where they will face either Ghana or Uruguay.

The soccer victory for the Netherlands will certainly brighten spirits and put levity into this already bicycle-crazy city and country.  Rotterdam has more bicyclists than motorists.  Anticipation is that more than a million people will line the route of Saturday's time-trial Prologue.  It's going to be a great launch for a great three weeks.

Congratulations to the Dutch on their soccer victory!  Now, with hearts lifted, let the Tour de France begin!

LIVE VIEWING/LISTENING VIA INTERNET

Most folks in North America will watch the latter part of the Rotterdam Prologue and each of the 20 subsequent stages of the Tour de France on Versus TV cable channel.  Commentators Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin and Bob Roll (pictured) are quite entertaining and spot-on.  Best view, best collective commentary.  Versus' website has come a long way over the past year.  I enjoy reading Liggett, Sherwin and Roll's post-stage commentaries.

But many of us will be working or away from home during the hours of the stages.  I've found that Cyclingfans always has the best possible options for viewing and/or listening to each stage of the race online.  Sometimes, I have had to view the race in one browser and listen on another, but I usually get a combination to work.

As for "ticker" type updates, I've found Cyclingnews to be the most interesting. Information about the latest happenings in each stage, from start to finish, update automatically about every three to five minutes.  No voice, not photos--just the most current info and brief commentary to monitor.  I usually use the Cyclingnews ticker for the first few hours of a stage, before the audio and video broadcasts become available.

In the right sidebar, I've posted what I've found are the best Internet sites for keeping up with the Tour. As I find others that are helpful, easy to understand, and credible (let me know sites you think are helpful), I'll post them.

Hope you get to experience as much of this grandest of the Grand Tours as possible.

THE FAN FACTOR

Part of the fun of watching the Tour de France is seeing the hundreds of thousands of folks who turn out along the roadsides to cheer on the riders each day. I suppose this--along with the beauty of the French landscapes and villages and the intensity of the cycling competition--is what makes the Tour de France so interesting to me. It is a feast for the eyes.

Two years ago, 2 million Britons cheered the riders during the Prologue in London. But the villages, towns, countrysides and mountain passes are lined with people all along more than 2,000 miles of roadways.

Many fans wear their favorite rider or team's colors. Or their nation's flag. They dress up in costumes. Or dress down to...almost nothing.

They drive their campers or ride their bikes up the mountain climbs a day ahead of time. They camp out. They cook out. They paint riders' names on the roadways.  They have a good time.

Tour de France fans are there in the hot sun and cold rain. Enduring the heat, waiting through the downpour. Searing or soaking.

Especially on the mountain passes, when the riders are tired and struggling and slow, thousands of fans press in close and do their best to inspire. Some run alongside, dangerously close.

And all for a few moments, a few glimpses, a brief engagement with glory.

I hope to do this sometime in the next twenty years or so. Just be there on the roadside for the weeks of the Tour de France. Of course, I'll take my bike.

All these photos -- and all photos on this blog -- are accessed from Yahoo! Sports Photos and are by the photographers of AFP/Getty

AN "OUTDOOR" INTERVIEW WITH LANCE

Here's a link to a recent interview with Lance Armstrong by "Outdoor" magazine online: http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2010/06/tour-de-france-lance-armstrong-video.html

"Outdoor" has Lance on this month's cover.  The article on Armstrong is excellent.

Throughout this year's race, I will be posting links to online articles that I find particularly interesting on poignant.

IT'S THAT MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR...

Not Christmas, silly.

Yes, it's time for the Tour de France.  My annual mania is kicking in.  I'll be updating "The Tour de France for the Rest of Us" over the next few days.  Check back often.

I've followed Lance Armstrong's Twitter activity over the past year (me and, oh, 2.5 million souls!) and of course the big but not surprising news is that this will be Lance's last Tour de France.

Armstrong is a living legacy with seven consecutive victories and then a 3rd place finish at age 37 after a 3-year hiatus.  Now, at age 38 (almost 39)--two years beyond the oldest Tour winner--can Lance pull the upset over former teammate and defending champion Alberto Contador?

The experts say "no."  But I wouldn't write Armstrong off.  In fact, with Lance written off by so many, that makes him all the more dangerous...and the underdog.  I love pulling for underdogs.

Lance vs Alberto -- that's the leading story line. But it's certainly not the only one.  The field of nearly 200 cyclists is packed with contenders for the overall win, along with the best sprinters and mountain climbers in the world.  Many excellent cyclists will shine on different stages.

Given certain conditions as the race develops, I can think of 10 different cyclists who could ascend to the top of the podium for the General Classification (GC = best overall time) in Paris.  I'll name these and tell why in a later post.

Watch for carnage on the miles of cobblestones (pave) in Stage 3. Watch for a long breakaway in Stage 6.  See who claims the Col du Tourlamet on Stage 17.  And observe who prevails in the Individual Time Trial in Stage 19.

It's going to be a great Tour!

WRAP-UP FOR 2009

What an interesting race with compelling story lines:

1. The return of Lance Armstrong to the Tour after 3 years of retirement.

2. Lance and 2007 Tour champ Alberto Contador at the top of the strongest team.

3. The duel/rivalry between two American teams--Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-HTC.

4. The incredible sprinting power of Mark Cavendish--who iced the cake with a 6th stage victory on the Champs Elysees.

5. The Schleck brothers, Andy and Frank of Luxembourg. Andy finished 2nd overall with the sacrificial support of Frank.

6. Epic climbs and mountain-top finishes, particularly at Verbier and Ventoux.

7. The stage George Hincapie should have ridden into the Yellow Jersey but was denied(by just 5 seconds) by now finger-pointing American teams and former teammates.

8. Contador's overall dominance confirmed but significant immaturity exposed.

9. Lance finishing 3rd overall, after sacrificing his chances of contending with Contador for top spot by staying back to mark Bradley Wiggins in Stage 18. Lance showed a grace in this race not previously known.

10. Fabian Cancellara's dominance in individual time trials.

11. Levi Leipheimer crashing out while in 4th place overall.

12. No doping scandals!

Great, clean, well-ridden race.

FIRST MOUNTAIN FALLOUT

A few story lines from the first difficult mountain stage with a mountain finish (the most fun to watch/follow):

KUDOS TO THE ESCAPEES. Eight of a group of nine escapees made it to the line ahead of the select bunch who are in real contention for winning the Tour de France. Kudos to Frenchman Brice Feilleu who won Stage 7 and to Italian Rinaldo Nocentini for donning the Yellow Jersey as race leader. Both cyclists were part of a long breakaway group of nine riders who successfully stayed ahead of the peloton all day.

STYING IN CONTENTION. Every legitimate contender to win the race was in the group of cyclists who finished together over three minutes after Feilleu crossed the line: Cadel Evans, Lance Armstrong, Frank Schleck, Levi Leipheimer, Bradley Wiggins, Tony Martin, Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre, Christian Vande Velde. Out of this group (plus one) will come the 2009 Tour de France champion.

CONTADOR MAKES A POWER GRAB. And 20 seconds ahead of this group of contenders was 2007 Tour winner Spaniard Alberto Contador. Contador attacked this select group in the last kilometer, going against this team's plan, to erase his 19-second deficit to teammate Lance Armstrong. The move was likely calculated to give him the Yellow Jersey, but it failed. It moved Contador from third to second place in the overall standings and puts him two seconds ahead of third-place Armstrong.

TIT FOR TAT. Those few seconds may have cost Contador much more. His move was a power grab and a direct assault on/insult to Armstrong. We'll see how Armstrong responds. Contador may have "fired a shot across Armstrong's bow" (to quote VeloNews), but he may have lost the confidence of his teammates and ensured that Armstrong is now free to attack him whenever he feels like it. Interesting team dynamics, eh?

CANCELLARA'S REIGN ENDS. Fabian Cancellara, who has worn the Yellow Jersey since Stage 1, gave it up and will not wear it again in this year's Tour. The Swiss is not enough of a mountain climber to compete with the elite ones. He may win a few more stages, but his leadership of the Tour is over.

JERSEY, JERSEY, WHO WANTS THE JERSEY? Look for the Yellow Jersey to switch backs quite a few times over the next two weeks. Whoever is wearing the Maillot Jaune, watch for the ultimate winner to come from the group listed above. I think it's going to come down to Armstrong and Contador. And my sentimental favorite Armstrong.

CONFESSION OF A MANIA

I'm addicted to the Tour de France. There. I've said it.

EVERY JULY. I try to keep a lid on my enthusiasm. I know most folks really don't care to hear about it. They But they hear about it from me anyway. I bend my schedule around it. I read everything I can and tune in to little online video windows to watch early in the morning. I buy expanded cable access for one month to watch the specter. For ten years running now, I've had a mania for the Tour de France.

BEYOND BIKE HIKING. I enjoy bicycling nearly every day, either on my road bike or mountain bike. I participate in regional group cycling events like the Hilly Hundred and NITE Ride. I guess I'm what you'd call a bicycling enthusiast or advocate. I've even ridden 2,000 miles on a bicycle through India. But none of this explains to me the mania that emerges full force when the Tour de France rolls around each July.

FIRST WATCH. I began following the Tour closely after reading an article in Bicycling magazine about Lance Armstrong's bout with cancer and his upcoming attempt to ride the Tour de France. I followed that first post-cancer campaign with real interest, unaware of the nature of the Tour de France, the terms the announcers used (peloton, escape, breakaway, wheel sucker, bonking, etc.), or the real test of stamina and power it represented. By the end of it, however, I was hooked.

TEN-YEAR ADDICTION. It's been a decade of this July enthusiasm. Who would've imagined Lance Armstrong winning seven Tours in a row? Even after the American disappeared from the scene, my intense interest held. No doubt, the presence of real American contenders in the Tour like Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde, kept me particularly interested. But now the return of Armstrong to the Tour heightens my interest significantly.

SEARCHNG FOR SOURCES. My mania must be some combination of love for cycling, recognition of the pain and struggle of being in the saddle long hours and struggling up steeps, the complexity of the Tour's diverse stages and format, the incredible beauty of the countrysides, villages, and mountains of the Tour, the team strategies, the unexpected breakthroughs and turns in the drama of the race, the presence of Americans in a European-dominated sport, and the post-cancer feat of Lance Armstrong. It all adds up.

GOTTA GO... I'd write more, but Stage 7 is underway. I don't want to miss what could be the defining stage of this year's event. It's the first day in the mountains. The long stage has a Category 1 mountain climb in the middle and a Hors Categorie--beyond categorization--mountain climb at the end. Armstrong said yesterday that this stage "separates the contenders from the pretenders." We'll see where he stands in that assessment. If he's a real contender, he could be wearing the Maillot Jaune--the yellow jersey of the overall race leader--at the of the day. We'll see!

NOVELTY NO MORE

FAUX STORY LINES. Lance Armstrong's return to the Tour de France was thought to be a novelty. The story had nice lines to it. A has-been champion coming out of retirement to once more ride in the race he once dominated. A senior on the PGA tour. Michael Jordan trying to get back in the game. A publicity stunt for cancer research. What harm could it do? You really couldn't take him too seriously. He was along for the ride.

THE JESTER STRIKES AGAIN. Some of these are story lines Lance himself has perpetuated since announcing his intention to come out of "retirement" last fall. And once again, the Texan with an unquenchable desire to dominate and a chip on his shoulder half a mile wide, along with a seasoned ability to seduce his rivals and the press with bait-and-switch tactics, has turned the tables. The jester strikes again.

TO BE RECKONED WITH. Four stages into the 21-stage Tour, Armstrong has emerged as the virtual leader and positioned himself as the man to beat. Again. Whether or not he ultimately wins is beside the point. The point is, Lance is back in full force, full physical capacity, full intimidating control. He is the man who will be reckoned with. Like it or not.

MAKING ADVANTAGE. By taking--or making--advantage in an opportune breakaway in Stage 3, Armstrong put himself into serious contention, moving from 10th to 3rd place. After Team Astana's dominating ride to win the Stage 4 Team Time Trial on Tuesday, it moved five riders into the top ten positions and severely diminished the chances of some of the Tour's top contenders. More importantly, it brought Armstrong to within 2 hundredths of a second of donning the Yellow Jersey.

THE WAY IT IS. Fabian Cancellara will wear the Maillot Jaune for a few more days. But Cancellara cannot climb mountains well. The Swiss champion is not in contention to win the Tour. Armstrong is the virtual Tour leader. Any doubts about that will only fuel his anger and bring humbling consequences to the riders and teams who seek to prove otherwise. Apparently, that's just the way a Tour with a healthy Lance Armstrong in it is.

FORGET ONE STORY LINE. No doubt, several main story lines remain. The rivalry between Armstrong and Alberto Contador is real and will play out. Astana's ability to hold together amid that rivalry is real. Armstrong's ability to respond to attacks in the mountains from contenders is a question mark. But forget the story line about the old man who made a cameo appearance in the most demanding sporting event in the world.

CAVENDISH AND ARMSTRONG MAKE THEIR MARKS

So, we have several stories developing after just three stages of the 2009 Tour de France.

CAVENDISH ROMPS. One story is of a young British sprinter named Mark Cavendish: He's won, hands down, the first two sprint finishes of the Tour. He's the man to beat when it comes down to a bunch sprint for the line. Will anyone rival him for the Green Jersey?

LANCE INTO 3RD PLACE. Another story is about you know who...Lance Armstrong. By getting into a successful breakaway of two dozen or so escapees about 30 km from the finish in a particularly windy section of the course in Monday's Stage 3, Armstrong gathered about 40 seconds from his rivals. He leapfrogged from 10th place to 3rd place in the General Classification contest (the rider with the best time).

RIVAL TEAMMATES. What's more, Armstrong took an 11-second lead over his own teammate and former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador. There is speculation of an intense intra-team rivalry between Armstrong and Contador, and today's action on the course did nothing to diminish that. Who will lead Astana into the mountains? We'll see.

TTT ON TUESDAY. Interesting scenario: Tuesday, Stage 4, is a Team Time Trial. Astana is expected to win it. If they do, and if their time is at least 40 seconds better than that of Columbia-HTC and Saxo Bank, then Lance Armstrong will be wearing the Yellow Jersey tomorrow evening. We'll see if it happens.

POST STAGE 1 REFLECTIONS

AND...THEY'RE OFF! Great start to what will be a dramatic Tour de France. American Lance Armstrong set the early pace in this individual time trial through beautiful Monaco. Teammate Levi Leipheimer set the mark to beat. And only the top contenders, riding last, met and beat the challenge. As expected, Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara bested everyone. 2007 champion Alberto Contador finished strong, as did Cadel Evans of Australia, last year's 2nd-place finisher. The ITT did its work of separating contenders from supporters.

TOP TEN. Here's the top ten after Stage 1:

Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank	0:19:32
Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana	0:00:18
Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream	0:00:19
Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana	0:00:22
Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto	0:00:23
Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana	0:00:30
Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas	0:00:32
Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC	0:00:33
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas	0:00:37
Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana	0:00:40

LANCE WATCH. I think Lance will finish in the top five of the Tdf, for sure. He rode conservatively today to a 10th-place finish. If the dude gets angry (and it won't take too much to make him angry), he can win it.

HOW IT WILL DEVELOP. Don't look for anything to happen in the first week, except for sprinters to duke it out on fantastic finishes. Don't expect much separation among the contenders in the second, which includes climbs through the Pyrenees mountains. The third week...will be wild. The Alps will tell all. And the next to the last stage (the day before Paris) is the climb to Mount Ventoux. This is the queen stage of this year's route. Hearts will break. Legs will fail. Men will cry. Heroes will be made. This is what makes the TdF the legend that it is.

ASTANA: GREAT...OR FRAGILE? Astana is loaded. Four riders are placed in the top 10 after Stage 1. Leipheimer, Armstrong, Contador, and Andreas Kloden each could be leaders on any other team. Each can time trial, each can climb, each is a proven winner. But can they work together? Will they? A few years ago, Ullrich, Kloden and Vinokourov (each capable of winning) were stacked on a team and they blew up in division in the mountains. No good chemistry between Contador and Armstrong. Armstrong's loyalties lie with...Armstrong. I'll be very surprised if we see him work for Alberto. Watch that rivalry.

'09 TdF JUST THREE WEEKS AWAY

Hard to believe it's that time of year again. School's out, summer's beginning, June is half over, and the best endurance athletes in the world are gearing up for the greatest sporting event in the world. Yes, I am biased. Yes, I'm a little bit crazy. But, no, I am not kidding. It's time for the 2009 Tour de France. We'll celebrate Independence Day on July 4 in America. In France, July 4 kicks off the first of 21 day-long stages that will take over 180 professional cyclists across more than 2,000 miles of terrain. The rider with the least accumulated time will don the Maillot Jaune, the Yellow Jersey, as the best of the best.

This year's Tour de France is a wide open race with lots of legitimate contenders, four past winners, and the returning presence of seven-time TdF winner Lance Armstrong. Over the next three weeks, I'll share what I'm reading and gleaning from professional cycling journals and news outlets to set up the race. After each stage, I'll share my own reflections and comments and updates. I hope to make a few more fans of the Tour de France out of this little mania of mine. If nothing else, it's an outlet for my own enthusiasm for the event. Stay tuned!

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

I've been tracking the Tour of California...and wishing I were there

ON SUCH A WINTER'S DAY. While we're dealing with the continuing winter with freezing temperatures in the American Midwest, cyclists have been racing through sunny California. It hasn't all been warm and sunny--take last Sunday's Stage 1 day-long downpour, for example. But it certainly has been a beautiful Tour of California to follow online and on Versus TV.

LEIPHEIMER TO THREEPEAT? American Levi Leipheimer leads the race heading into its final stages. Should he hang on to the lead, it would be his 3rd straight ToC victory. Lance Armstrong's comeback bid is playing out well; the 7-time Tour de France champion is in 6th place after the prologue and five stages.

MAYBE NEXT YEAR. Wish I were there. It would be great to be in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon when the best cyclists in the world roll in from an 89-mile ride from Santa Clarita. Maybe I can plan a vacation for this week next year and follow what has become America's premier professional cycling race (folks who oversee the Tour of Georgia may argue with me about that). Follow the Tour of California and Lance Armstrong's comeback at http://www.cyclingnews.com/.

In the spirit of dialog, I welcome comments and/or questions. Click on "responses" below to post. They're moderated only to reduce incivility. Shalom!

LANCE IS BACK

DRAMA DEVELOPING. You've likely heard one of leading stories in sporting news this week: Lance Armstrong is planning to make a comeback as a professional cyclist, hoping to ride and win the Tour de France in 2009. This will be a dramatic story to follow as it develops.

AGE FACTOR. Is he crazy? Is he too old? Will he actually win? I will post developing story lines and comments here.

NUMBER EIGHT? Armstrong is a phenomenon already. The Texan came back from a devastating range of cancer, surgery and chemotherapy to win the grueling three-week, 2,000-mile Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive times. After his 2006 win at age 34, Armstrong "retired." But, apparently, he still feels like he's got a win in him. Certainly, he's got a cause burning within him. He's dedicating his effort to raising further awareness and funds for cancer research.