I've spent most of my adult years with little interest in professional cycling. I've been to T-Town a few times to watch the racing, but have never really followed cycling as a sport. That changed in a big way last year, when for the first time, I watched the daily re-caps of the annual Tour de France. I was mesmerized by the rivalry between Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and Dane Jonas Vingegaard. Pogecar had won the grueling 21-stage, 2,200-mile event for two years straight. Could Vingegaard, who had been working in a fish factory, pull off an upset? He did, and what really drew me to him as a person was the absolute class and true sportsmanship he displayed during the race. In a descent following a mountain climb, Pogacar slid off the curvy road and took a tumble with 22 km to go. At this point Vingegaard could have just dropped him. Instead, he waited for his rival to catch him. I've never seen anything like that in any sport. For that reason, I've been a fan ever since. I think it's the greatest sporting event in the world.
This year, once again, the real race is between Tadej and Vingegaard. After 16 days of racing, the Dane is clinging to a 10-second lead. Neither has won a stage, but their overall time is what gives them both an insurmountable lead.
Along the course, fans crowd the roads as cyclists fly by. They run alongside, wave flags and generally cheer but give the athletes space.
Some are irresponsible, pouring beer on or punching riders.
They must be from Philly.
The rider in the overall lead wears a yellow jersey. The rider who does best on the mountains wears a polka dot jersey. The fastest sprinter wears green. The fastest rider under 26 wears white. This can change daily.
The cyclists have a much-needed day of rest today. On Tuesday, the race resumes with its shortest stage, a 22 km time trial.
2 comments:
Tour de Farce that ignored blood doping for decades. Watching it is about as exciting as professional ax e throwing or bowling.
I got hooked watching when Lance was riding. Loved the scenery in the background. Damn gorgeous. I have seen several times when a fellow competitor stops, slows, or the whole peloton slows to help. The final stage is a relaxed ride for all into town until the sprinters race the last few laps on the Champs-Elyees.
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