Monday, July 13, 2009

Tour de France, Lance Armstrong and Coming Back

The Tour de France has begun once again.

Today is a rest day. Eight stages have already been completed.

We love watching the Tour de France. The telecast comes to us VERY early in the morning. Channel 49 OLN here in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Of course OLN shows it at night as well. While we lived in France for two months I picked up a 2009 Tour de France T shirt which I wear each morning as I watch a stage. It has the logo on the front and the map of the route for the entire Tour on the back. I am like a little kid.

For several years Christine and I have followed these twenty-one days of time trials, sprints and mountain climbs. Christine and I enjoy this athletic event because of the magnitude and majesty of the course, designed differently each year to give riders every riding experience. We admire the team strategies as much as individual performances. We envy the stamina and endurance.In April and May we saw many riders throughout France handling mountains as though they were small knolls.


Certainly Lance Armstrong was a draw during his robust seven Tour de France victories and NO, we never believed that he took performance enhancing drugs even though the sport has been riddled with violations in recent years. Then this year, learning that Armstrong was attempting a comeback we were thrilled but admittedly not expecting him to be more than a team support player. He is thirty-seven years old and he has had a five year hiatus from racing. How could we know that he is something so special that as we have watched these past few stages, Lance has been in second and third place overall and may yet wear the yellow jersey. What a Comeback! It’s incredible, and of course he will pee in a bottle regularly for dope monitoring.

GPS Application:
I ask myself, "Am I in need of a comeback?" “Am I ready for a comeback?” Perhaps I am. Not a return to my former career. Life has changed for me, ??? pounds too heavy, drinking too much coffee, teeth worn with age, corrective lenses and my granddaughter plays with my wisps of hair on top of my head. Life's purpose is a bit confused. Spiritual slippage is a concern. God says, “Now, therefore, (because of all that has happened) return to me with all your heart... ” (Joel 2:12)

Lance Armstrong's Official site
Livestrong Website - The Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Livestrong Blog
On Tour with Lance
YouTube video of the Tour's Itinerary

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