Final Thoughts- Stage 2

No one could have predicted the way events unfolded today as the course and the conditions caused chaos once again. Sylvain Chavanel led for all but eight miles, and for his efforts, he was rewarded beyond his wildest dreams.

Not just with his 2^nd Tour de France stage win, but also with the grandest prize of all- the ‘maillot jeune’. He’ll stand a little taller, and pedal a fraction faster, with that honor tomorrow.

For the overall contenders, a crash caught out everyone- Armstrong, Contador, and the Schleck brothers- it was Fabian Cancellara who passed up personal glory to make sure the Saxo Bank team lost as little time as possible. He’ll lose the yellow jersey for now, but perhaps his sacrifice will ultimately pay off for his teammates, Frank and Andy.

Two stages, two days filled with scrapped skin, broken bones, and frayed nerves. And TOMORROW is the route everyone was worried about!

h2o007 comes HOME...

Talk about 'returning to the source'!! I've made a career out of excelling in and around water, so it's with great enjoyment that our stage ends today in SPA, Belgium. Here are some facts:

As the famed site of healing hot springs, Spa has been frequented as a watering-place since as early as the 14th century. Though other sources of healing hot mineral springs have become famous throughout the world, it is the town of Spa which has become eponymous with any place having a natural water source that is believed to possess special health-giving properties, as a spa. The place name is from Walloon espa meaning "spring, fountain." In 1918, the German Army established its principal Headquarters in Spa, and it was from here that the delegates set out for the French lines to meet Marshal Foch and sue for peace in the consultations leading up to the Armistice which ended the First World War.

It is also the location of mineral water producer Spa. Spa mineral water has been bottled since the end of the 16th century...Spa mineral water comes from the grounds of the Hautes Fagnes, of which the upper layers exists from heath land and peat. There are several types of Spa mineral water. The several types of Spa mineral water are instantly recognizable by their color of the label. These labels are blue, red or green.

Spa Reine (Spa blue). It contains no carbonation and has a very low amount of minerals.

Spa Barisart (Spa red). It contains few minerals and some carbonation.

Spa Marie-Henriette. It contains natural carbonation.

Final Thoughts- Stage 1

On a day when the sprinter's were to take Center Stage, it was a succession of crashes in the final kilometers that stole the show. Utter CHAOS and carnage reigned supreme as the King of Belgium looked on at the finish line.

Alessandro Petacchi picked his line with precision and timed his final surge to perfection, winning the 5th Tour de France stage of his career, and his first since 2003.

Fabian Cancellara would got caught up in the cluster of bicycles scattered across the street, but emerged unscathed, and wear 'Yellow' for another day.

Lance Armstrong's singular focus to stay safe was rewarded. Team Radio Shack made sure their leader not only survived, but is set to continue his quest for an 8th Tour title.

We expected fireworks on Independence Day- we got the peloton exploding!

Tomorrow we hit our first real elevation of this year's course, and you can bet the excitement level will rise as well.

The Greatest Ever

No, I'm not talking about my wife...but the best bicyclist the world has ever seen- Eddy Merckx. Today, the peloton will roll through the town the "Cannibal" calls home...Meise, Belgium...it will be an inspiration for every one of the 195 riders still left in the race as they pass through the same streets devoured by the five-time Tour de France champion.

There's a famous surfing saying, "Eddie would Go", well in cycling, they used to say "Eddie will Win". He took part in over 1500 races in his career, and won 525. There are baseball players that would beg, borrow, and steal for a 'batting average' of that percentage. Eddie was able to do it time and time again, and when you consider the races he placed on the podium (allowing for 2nd and 3rd), Merckx's percentage is staggering.

He had 80 wins while he was still an amateur! He won every 'classic' aside from Paris-Tour, the Giro d'Italia FIVE times, and the Vuelta a Espana.

A famous quote concerning Eddie was when someone asked if he would win a race, and another competitor replied, "If he WANTS TO, he will"...

These days, Eddie is still quite involved in the world of cycling- his bicycles are used by the Quick Step Pro Tour team, and he is a close friend of 7-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong. He is cycling royalty, and on a day when we await the pros in Brussels in the shadow of the King's Palace, it seems appropriate to honor the greatest 'Patron' the peloton has ever seen.

FInal Thoughts- Prologue

Another year, but not just another Tour. Lance's Last Stand. It's going to make for a memorable three weeks. Stay tuned...just like last year, i'm going to do my best to give you a 'review/preview' of each day...hope you enjoy...here are some thoughts after yesterday's quick, but clearly meaningful, first five miles of the 2010 "Grand Boucle"...

In the start house today, the time for talk was over. It was up to each man's legs to provide the answers, and Fabian Cancellara's sent a statement! For the 4th time in his career, Cancellara wins on the 1st day of the Tour de France. Now, the question becomes...how long will he wear YELLOW?

As for the duel between Armstrong and Contador, the prologue lived up to the hype...and if today's any indication, we're in for a "Battle Royale" over the next three weeks.

First Blood has been drawn by Lance. The greatest Tour rider of all time has sent a message to the peloton- his farewell will not be a leisurely stroll through the countryside, he is ready to fight every inch of the way.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's off to the TOUR I go...

All the waiting, the planning, the anticipation, and the preparation is about to pay off. It's TOUR TIME!!

For cycling fans, this is when holidays, birthdays, and 'sports spectaculars' are all rolled into one. BAM!

For the cyclists themselves, "Judgement Day" rapidly approaches. All the training, all the talk, and all the conjecture is about to take a back seat to what they can produce with their legs and their minds over the next 3 weeks.

For those of us 'behind the scenes', it's a frantic (albeit 'controlled') scramble to make sure all elements are in place to PRESENT the spectacle as it deserves to be experienced. TV producers putting last minute touches and tweeks on show elements in order to 'dazzle' the viewer...announcers garnering every bit of information before the prologue in order to 'wow' with their knowledge...event organizers overseeing the infrastructure to contain and showcase the 'stars'...

It is a circus worth experiencing at some point. We are all lucky to be a part of it. I'll do my best to impart what i feel is 'worth' knowing at times, as passionately and professionally as i can. It has the chance, and all the elements, to be one of the most INTERESTING races in years...

The obvious "Alberto vs. Lance" drama, the Green Jersey battle between Cavendish and Farrar, the 1st week's pivotal role in terms of the COBBLES on Stage 3, the 100th anniversary of the Pyrenees, and the critical role they'll play in determining the champion.

It's a jigsaw puzzle of epic proportions. We all have to wait for the final piece to be placed when the inevitable glory will be bestowed on only a select few in Paris on the 25th.

Gentlemen, start your 'engines'...

Fruitless Search

Those of you that know me KNOW that i rarely go on a 'rant'...at least in public. But, i've got to admit, i've 'cracked' over this APPLE iPhone 4 farce. For the moment, the Cupertino company should change their name to "Lemon".

Yes, i know, in the grand scheme of things...the BP fiasco, the Van der Sloot sadness, and the overwhelming myriad of more important issues...a 'phone' (or the inability to get one) should not weigh so heavily on my mind. What irks me the most as an Apple devotee is that THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER THAN THE OTHER GUYS when it comes to glitches and gaffs. How could you not know that your whole phone/internet ordering system would collapse? And if you thought there was even a CHANCE it would, why not advertise that you HAD TO go to a store to place an order. It's tantamount to 'false advertising'. Again, APPLE, you're supposed to let us read about this happening to those other computer companies.

Shipping dates have now been modified, and who knows why they advertised a WHITE VERSION...you can't order it, reserve it, or as far as i know, verify it exists, unless you believe the picture on the website. It's enough to leave a VERY SOUR TASTE in your mouth.

APPLE's lame attempt at an apology seems even less sincere when their press release states how 'happy' they are with 600,000 'pre-orders'...well, guess what, had you not shut your systems down, and made it IMPOSSIBLE for most of the day to place an order, you would have had a lot more, Mr. Jobs. And in today's bottom line, wouldn't that have made your press release even 'tastier'??

OK, you're thinking it, so I'll say it...

Hello, World! It's me. Did you miss me? Something tells me some of you did, some of you didn't, and some could care less. I guess in the grand scheme of things, that's just like life. So i'm moving on, and hopefully you'll come along.

Where have i been? AROUND.

:-)

But really, just taking a break from the 'overload' of our digital world. i have to say, for the most part, i am 'over' the need to be Tweeting, Blogging, Poking, and constantly telling the universe what i am up to...in the midst of traveling every week for work, it's become an almost inescapable and unbearable weight to try to keep up with it all. And i don't think i'm alone in this perception.

That said, i do think i'll have some insight and some interesting things to say in the coming weeks...so stay tuned...I was in Des Moines yesterday to cover the Hy-Vee Triathlon Elite Cup, I'm in Edmonton this coming week for some WEC action, and then it's off to Rotterdam for the start of the 2010 Tour de France.

SO, PACK YOUR BAGS AND COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

I can't wait to see the events unfold, and i'll do my best to convey the excitement and importance to those of you who chose to tune in. All the best.