In case you missed it over the weekend (and, this being America, you probably did) Saturday marked the beginning of the 2009 Tour de France the most spectacular, ridiculous bicycle race in the World.
And I use ridiculous in a good way. Because the Tour itself is a insane test of physical and mental stamina. For the uninitiated, the start of the Tour is typcially contested over a series of flat stages. To man these are rather pedestrian, but they often lead up to one of the more exciting moments in International sport, the sprint finish. Typically this is a time when the Americans take a back seat, and watch men like Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen go at it for the win. Recently however that has changed, with riders such as Mark Cavendish of the Isle of Man riding for American team Columbia-HTC and young American sprinter Tyler Farrar riding for Team Garmin-Slipstream. Cavendish is possibly the best sprinter on the road today.
In the General Classification things have been made even more interesting by the return from retirement of one Lance Armstrong, currently placed 10th in the General Classification. (what we would call the overall standings) While my pick to win the Overall is Armstrong's Astana teammate Alberto Contador, their are four GC contenders from that team alone. (American Levi Leipheimer and German Andres Kloden being the other two Astana riders currently in the top ten of the GC)
Soon the mountains come, first the Pyranees followed by the French Alps. Then the ride into Paris.
I can't wait.