If You Ride A Bicycle........HOLLER!!

          (Raceytay)

            For those of you who are not into sports, I'm just gonna tell you right now...this post is just gonna annoy you!!  So.....I'm sorry. ^_^ But it's the last day of the Tour De France and the last day for me to talk about how GREAT this year's Tour has been...and I gotta!! ^_^

           (EnglishCountryGarden)

          Ever since it started on July 2nd, I've been semi-glued to the T.V. every morning, watching all of the men, in their colorful team outfits, riding like lightening on long 'break-away sprints' as soon as the day's race begins. I've been with them, pedal for pedal, up steep gradients in the mountains, and precariously speeding the slopes coming down the other side.

        (ShirleyPeters)

          There have been NUMEROUS terrible accidents. Much worse than anything I've ever seen in all the years I've been watching the Tour De France! In fact, some people were hospitalized at the end of stages, and were AMAZINGLY back in the race the next day!!! I mean, serious stuff!!!...One guy was riding with 33 stitches in his leg! Others had mild concussions, scratches and bruises everywhere. And it seemed that everybody was bleeding at some point or the other! O_0
       That's NOT the part I liked!!....just saying! What I did like was that even though Lance Armstrong....the person who was the reason I ever started watching the Tour De France in the first place!...wasn't anywhere to be seen, there was still excitement! Everybody 'REPRESENTED'!!!

       (ddfoto)

To those of you who don't get why a '50 something year old' woman like myself would be sitting around everyday watching men in 'tights' ride their bikes up and down hills....and I KNOW that's the way you're thinking about it, because I used to too!! LOL...let me just say: "Don't knock it till you've tried it!" :-)
       Here's what I love about it....the comradery of men from numerous different countries. Some not even understanding each other's languages, but understanding the subtle flicks of the wrists and nods of the heads; the so-called ferocious 'attacks' on each other, that simply amount to one person taking off down the road, or up the hill, at a strategic time, trying to outwit the other equally skilled rider next to him!

       (eeliethel)

I like that at the end of each of the 21 days of the Tour, they all were somewhere together having dinner together, or riding the hills in preparation for the next day's begin. Or they were joking around, challenging one another to what would happen the next day.
       I liked the sound of the helicopters beating as it flew overhead sending back the most gorgeous scenes of the French and Italian countryside! At times I forgot about the bike race because the scenery was just simply breath-taking!!
       And I liked that when there was an accident everyone was concerned for each other. They even would stop the race, sorta kinda, and wait until everybody got back to where they originally were, before the race would be back on again! :-)
       Honor in sport!...I like that!! :-) ... And yes, I'm aware that there are news reports swirling about 'doping' and cheating...After all, the world hasn't completely flipped on it's axis just because people are racing a bike!! LOL {In fact, a famous singer just died yesterday too, with similar 'doping' allegations swirling around her!}
       But when these boys come down the Champs-E'lyse'es for their final circuit later this morning, after riding exhausting 'Time Trials' yesterday that really established who the winner of the yellow, green, white and polka dot jersies would be today, I will be watching...and smiling. :-) And I'll be thinking about next year's Tour De France. Could it possibly be as good?!!! :-)
       And to the winner of the 2011 Tour De France,...the two-time runner up in previous tours,...Cadel Evans....Australia's first Tour De France winner ever!!...I say 'Good on ya'!!!!

           And I'd like to say a thank you to Andy and Frank Schleck and Alberto Contador too. I know you're probably not feeling that great about your showing this year, but who knows...next year it could be 'like before...but a little bit better'!!!

           Without you guys the race would have been just a bunch of men out for a little stroll! LOL You made it 'sport'! I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do next year! ^_^
       By the way, there still is a race going on today! Somebody still has to win today's sprint to the finish! I'm pretty sure I know who it will be!! ;-) But just the same........ride boys! RIDE!!! :-]


Tour De France 2011

2011 is your year!
You ran the 'Time Trial' of your life.
You rode up hills, through sideways wind,
Your bike just cut it like a knife.

Cadel Evans, the podium is yours!
Ride to Paris, Champagne in hand.
Your will was stronger than all else.
This year....'You Are The Man'!!