Tour de Ambivalence
Category: Sports (Pro/College/HS)...
Posted Monday, July 02, 2007 at 08:56 PM [GMT-6]

Are you aware that the Tour de France begins next Saturday, July 7? Do you care?

I haven't seen much at all in the media about the race. I suppose the absence of a likely American contender, and the seemingly endless doping allegations and sanctions, have combined to elicit a huge yawn from the average citizen, although I suspect most avid cyclists are still interested.

Even with all the baggage, the Tour remains one of the great spectacles in the sporting world. It's a rolling soap opera, full of intrigue, and strategies based as much on psychology and gimmicks as on physiology and physics. Ancient European traditions combine with cutting edge technology to create a three-week anachronism with layers of complexity that take a few years of viewing to begin to comprehend.

Even if you don't recognize any of the names at the start of the race – which, by the way, is in London this year – you'll find yourself drawn into the lives of the racers if you invest the time to observe their peculiar form of insanity. There will be unlikely heroes, stunning disappointments, and acts both chivalrous and comic. Crashes are inevitable; pray that none are fatal. Massively skilled athletes will be betrayed by piddling little mechanical bits; a few riders will be taken out by things as mundane as stomach aches and colds. Teams will sacrifice themselves for one member, and single members will sacrifice themselves for their teams.

And, after 2,200 miles of racing, one man will be awarded the maillot jaune because he finished a minute or two sooner than anyone else. It's really quite amazing when you think about it.

So, even if you're not hearing much anywhere else about the Tour de France; even if you've grown cynical about a sport that sometimes seems less credible than pro wrestling or, um, baseball; even if you can't pronounce half the names of the participants – give it a chance. There's still plenty of drama and admirable achievement to go around.

Here are some additional TDF resources, in addition to the official site linked above:

  • Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team - Team leader Levi Leipheimer is America's best hope for an appearance on the podium in Paris at the end of the race.

  • TDF 2007 Blog - This is your go-to source for objective and wide-ranging reporting on the Tour and related media coverage.

  • Bicycling Magazine's TDF section - The magazine is promising more extensive coverage than ever.

  • VeloNews - This online magazine has an international flair with more inside scoop than just about any other source.

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Comments

See now...you sucked me in last year. Only for a huge doping scandal (did they ever decide yes or no on that? I got so annoyed that I just quit paying attention.) So...sure, it's got drama - rolling soap opera definitely fits - but, well...I'm leery.

You'll be covering it here, right?

Posted by: beth at July 3, 2007 06:07 AM

Eric, from a non-cyclist's point of view, a lot of the event's appeal departed with Lance Armstrong ..... I acknowledge that the event is still everything it has always been ..... but there is - for me, at least - no 'hook' to pull me in and hold me .....

I think you're right about the media, at least in a couple of pints you make ..... yes, the lack of an American contender does reduce the level of American interest ..... but there's also that personal 'hook' ..... it's something you'll see in almost all sporting events, where they have focused on an individual and his/her story in order to encourage interest in the event as a whole .....

Posted by: Jeff at July 3, 2007 06:14 AM

Beth, believe it or not, no final decision has been made regarding Floyd Landis's "victory" in last year's Tour. However, the race will begin this year with no one wearing #1 (it's traditional for the previous year's winner to get that number in the current race) since Landis isn't competing.

I will be trying to offer my own feeble insights as to how the race is developing, and perhaps highlighting some of the more arcane trivia that accompanies the spectacle.

Jeff, there's no doubt that the absence of an individual "hook" is affecting MSM coverage, at least in the US. And the only overall hook is a negative one: will the race leaders be able to pass the drug tests? It's an unfortunate situation, because it overshadows the truly amazing individual achievements that will take place during the race.

Posted by: Eric at July 3, 2007 06:50 AM
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