Well, the Tour De France is two rides away from over, with the final ride taking place on Sunday in Paris on through the Champs Elysee. And it looks like Lance is just about to wrap it up and take home his seventh consecutive Tour victory. He's won the Tour more times than any individual in history, and if he retains his nearly three minute lead, he'll just increase his margin on the record. In an interview after today's race, Lance determined that he's got about ""five more hours in my career as a cyclist. I'm not terribly sad about that." You wouldn't be too torn up, either, if you had won cycling's most prestigious events more times than anyone in history and had spent more time on a bicycle seat than in a bed.


The thing that really struck me this year is that the Tour is not just a bunch of guys racing. It's actually a team sport. Lance's team was formed not because they're all good buddies and they like to hang out while pushing their bodies to the limit of human endurance. Those guys are there to help Lance win. There are strategies. And battle plans. And fierce battle royales. With chains and knives and baseball bats (not really... no weapons allowed... expect teeth... and fingernails... and shards of broken plastic water bottles...). And this is bicycle racing. Like little kids do. The Tour even has a white jersey that is awarded every day for the most combative rider. That's right. The guy who can best utilize his punching and kicking and biting and water bottle shanking skills while not falling off the bike takes home a prize, too. And it's white, so you can see all the opponent blood he collects on the next ride through the beautiful French countryside.