Stage 17, won by Carlos Sastre, of Team CSC.
On most mornings and/or evenings in July, I'm glued to the tv, watching guys ride for more than 100 miles for almost three weeks on bikes that cost enough to wipe out the rest of my school loan debt. A feat that can be done with just one of frames, not including the components.
The Tour is the onlyl sporting event outside of hte Olympics, that I'll watch religiously. Lucky for me, my wife also follows the Tour. I'm not inflexible. Tonight, we switched back and forth between the Tour and Project Runway.
The tour has been pretty good, despite the cloud of illegal doping that has followed the race again this year. So far, three riders have been arrested and suspended from the race, with one team, Saunier Duval, leaving the Tour after it's leading rider, Riccardo Ricco, was arrested after a new form of EPO was found in his bloodstream.
The doping is a real problem and at least more people are being caught these days. It takes a little away from the sport, but it hasn't really dampened my enthusiasm for watching the race. Cycling at this level is miles away from the daily realities of bike commuters and recreational riders, but I find something inspiring in it.
Some thoughts from Chris Carmicheal, Lance Armstrong's trainer for 15 years.
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