Montargis

Having lived in Venice, CA and visited Venice, Italy, it seemed appropriate i would gravitate to today's stage finish- Montargis- often referred to as the "Venice of the Gatonais".

With over 130 bridges and walkways, you'd better bring your walking shoes AND your appetite when you visit. Of course, you could bring your BOAT. But that's far too cumbersome for me...i'm more of a 'light' traveler. Le Tour will visit for the 4th time, and while Montargis may not be the most recognizable town on the Tour roster, it has a couple interesting facts to note.

Those of you with a 'sweet tooth' may know that this is where PRALINES (the crunchy confection made from almonds and sugar) were 'invented'. The shop were they were first created (during the reign of King Louis XIII) still sells them.

Political historians may be aware that Deng Xiaoping lived in the Chinese community during the 1920's. The man known as the 'architect' of China's new brand of socialist thinking opened up his country to foreign investment, the global market, and private, albeit limited, competition. He's credited with propelling China into becoming one of the fastest growing global economies in the past 30 years. He worked at the Hutchinson Rubber factory, and yes, cycling fans, it's the SAME factory that makes Hutchinson tires- used by many men of the peloton.

Final Thoughts- Stage 4

The riders decided to follow the script today. Sprint stage, Sprint Finish. All eyes were on Mark Cavendish and his HTC-Columbia team, but the Italian, Alessandro Petacchi, threw on the afterburners and flew PAST Cavendish and the other contenders.

"Ale-Jet" wins his 2nd stage of this year's Tour and the 6th "July" win of his career.

For Lance Armstrong and the rest of the overall contenders, it was a fairly relaxed few hours- the only drama was to stay safe, but after the first few days, that's easier said then done. By the line, no changes would transpire in the overall, so Fabian Cancellara remains in yellow for another 24 hours.

The coronation of French kings took place here for centuries, today, it's an Italian who wears the crown. At the end, Petacchi popped the cork off another celebratory bottle of champagne- and Reims is the perfect place to do it! The world's top champagne houses call this town home, so let the party begin!

Final Thoughts- Stage 3

Stage 3 was NOT just another day at the Tour...this was the one every single rider either feared or relished.

Out of the dust rose the God of Thunder- Thor Hushovd has come so close to tasting success at Paris-Roubaix, it seemed only fitting he would caress the cobblestones better than the rest and win the 8th Tour de France stage of his career. The Norseman also donned the Green Jersey for the 1st time in this year's Tour- a color he hopes he carries all the way to Paris.

The cobbles were not kind to Lance Armstrong. A flat tire in the final few kilometers meant he lost close to a minute to Alberto Contador, and even more time to Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans. The Texan's game plan now has to be reshaped if he hopes to contend by the time the 'pave' of Paris and the Champs-Elysee are under his wheels.

Stage 3 became the 'blockbuster' we had hoped. Tomorrow, the sprinters get their shot at the Big Screen yet again. Hushovd has the upper hand, but Cavendish will bring the fight to him every chance he gets.

Craig Keeps from Crashing on the Cobbles...

What a start to my day! Only five hours of sleep, no food, very little way, and a 'general' idea of how to get there was in NO WAY going to keep me from 'trying my hand' (and hopefully not breaking my HANDS in the process) the legendary COBBLES of the Arenberg area. Famous for the "Queen of the Classics" Paris-Roubaix, these roads greeting my producer and i this morning, and the first thing we saw, no lie, was a rooster 'rising with the sun' and making sure others followed his lead.

Charging onto the 'pave', i suddenly realized my wildest dreams and predictions of what this could be like, we NOTHING like what i was experiencing. I have NEVER felt anything like it. Imagine holding onto a jack-hammer, while pedaling a bike, all the while trying to keep your eyes on the road to make sure you select the best line (which really means the least 'cracked, broken, and crumpled' stones in front of you). Throw in the shaking sensation of "Magic Finger Bed" on steroids, and maybe, just maybe, you're close to visualizing what it's like.

MON DIEU! (as the French would say).

I have to tell you, I LOVED IT. You can see how the riders who have a little something extra in 'the caboose' can fly over these sketchy stretches. It allows them to anchor themselves on the bike, and therefore the road, just a little bit more than the climbers who are skin-and-bones.

Today's stage is going to be EPIC. Truely. And now I have some basis on how to quantify what it is they are going through. And for me, that's what my job is all about- finding a way to make the viewer 'feel' (in some small way) what it is the pros are experiencing. I only rode a small sampling of what the true heroes will undertake today, but it was a taste that will last for a long, long time.

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.