Thursday 13 #17- Tour de France

Warning: if you aren't a pro cycling fan you might as well skip this post. 13 thoughts about this year's Tour de France. As usual- click link above to see more participants & leave a link in the comments & I'll link to you here.

1. This year is much more interesting without Lance. Sacreligious of me to say so, I'm sure.

2. The Spanish doping scandal opened things up even more, although I miss watching Jan Ullrich & Ivan Basso.

3. Floyd Landis's dead hip joint was really scary looking & if I was his wife I'd be praying really hard that he comes home in one piece.

4. T Mobile appears to have much more depth than almost any other team that lost its GC leader in the Spanish doping scandal.

5. Who will be anointed new leader of Discovery? Johan Bruyneel is pretty darned cute too, ladies.

6. The German guy who dresses up as the devil & waves a trident is back in the mountains this year. I just saw him this morning- dressed in red & black.

7. I really want to buy an encyclopedia of world flags. I hate not knowing where all of those flags are from. BTW- the one rider from South Africa, Robert Hunter, has fans following the TDF route this year. Very cool. The South African flag is absolutely gorgeous.

8. Those Basque fans are pretty ardent aren't they?! Write all over the roads. Hang flags everywhere. Push their favorite riders up the mountains even though it's 'against the rules.'

9. Did you see the guy running down the center of the road with his shorts around his knees? Full moon rising, people. On live tv no less. Yesterday's coverage I think.

10. One of these days I'll be one of the cheering hoards clinging to the side of some astonomical mountain in France waving team flags & screaming myself silly.

11. I love the scenery. The tours of France & Italy (the Giro d'Italia) offer eye popping views of each country, especially for those of us who are unlikely to ever actually travel there.

12. Have you seen the newest diet books? The ones claiming French women don't get fat & that Mediterranean women are skinny too? Well, if you watch the crowds along the roads Europeans seem to come in all shapes & sizes just like Americans.

13. Only 10 more days to go. * WAAAAAAHHHHH*
Tour de France, Giro d'Italia,Dieting, Professional cycling, Thursday 13, Thursday Thirteen