Seven

Lance has done the unthinkable: he has succeeded in winning his 7th Tour de France. I can honestly say that winning just one Tour let alone seven, is one of, if not the most incredible feats in sports. Lance is without question one of the best athletes in the world, ever.

Lance is a very driven man, more so than all of the other riders in the Tour. So what is the fuel for a man with an ongoing fire? One can only speculate, but I think that his kids and Sheryl Crow are a huge part of his life. When up on the podium today, receiving his last Yellow jersey, Lance was right along side Luke, Grace and Isabelle, his eyes filled with joy.

For the last seven years of his life, his entire year has been focused on one month and one month only: July. In those seven months of his life, he has faced every challenge from the best cyclists on earth. And in doing so, he has traveled approximately 22,000 miles, almost around the earth. From Alpe Duez to Courchevel, Lance has always come out on top, this is what makes him so great.

It takes a special individual for a champion to walk away at the top of their game, knowing that it couldn’t get any better. We look at the greatness of such athletes as Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players ever. He left at a perfect time after winning his sixth championship for Chicago, but when he returned with Washington he was not as great. There will be no returning with Lance, and that’s the way he wants it. Seven is supposed to be a lucky number, but Lance's success had nothing to do with luck.

I just want to say thank you to all of the readers, I hope you enjoyed the articles.

On the Way to Paris

Sorry, I don't have time to write today, we have a 5 1/2 hour drive to Paris. For now, find Lance . . .

What Really Happened in Boone

Lance Armstrong went to the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Georgia to compete, and many speculated that he would win a medal. Little did Lance know, that he already had cancer. On October 2nd, 1996, he was diagnosed. This is where the new 10//2 line of clothing comes from, according to Lance; this is the day that everything changed. October 2nd, 10/2, get it? After being treated and cured he returned to racing. He returned a different man. He did not have the passion that he once had and he did not find the same enjoyment in cycling. This is when Bob Roll, Chris Carmichael and Lance went to Boone, North Carolina for a training camp.

The training camp took place in April, 1998. Lance and Bob Roll rode everyday, with Chris Carmichael following in a car. Boone was meant to help Lance re-discover his passion for cycling, and it did. I asked Chris Carmichael what Lance’s outlook on cycling was before going to Boone and he said, “Not good, he quit cycling.” I then asked, “What changed in Boone?” and he told me that, “He (Lance) realized he had a second opportunity after cancer and that he wanted to focus 100% on cycling.” Carmichael also stated that no one specific thing changed Lance, “It was the whole trip”, Chris Carmichael said.

For those who don’t know, Lance has different symbols on his Time Trial bike wheel and also on his regular bike for the last seven days of the race. Artist Futura, and Nike designer Mark Smith developed symbols of experiences that define Lance’s life. This trip to Boone was such an important event in Lance’s life, that he has two symbols on his bike representing Boone. What symbols would you have on your bike?

Will the Tour come to an airstrip near you?

The ever popular sponsor parade lines up on the runway after covering the course.

Today’s stage finish is just outside the small town of Mende. When driving through the town, I noticed the 5 KM to go sign. This means that the finish will be outside the town, which usually means that it is a pretty funky place. The media compound and finish is located on an airstrip! The second airstrip of the Tour! The field is mostly empty, except for the strip of runway. All of the media trucks are located right off of the runway which is used for the straightaway finish.

As a side note, the ground that isn’t asphalt is crawling with grasshoppers, millions of them!

The spectators that want to attend the finish had to walk up the last climb because cars were not allowed. It is finishes like this that make the Tour de France so interesting. “All the tour finishes are relative to the psychotic madness that makes the Tour so enjoyable” says OLN commentator Bob Roll. He also says that “This finish was hoopty-bizango”, which for those who don’t know means that it is reallllly weird.