Add it all up- airport check-ins, the flight time, the air traffic controls, the train to the bus station, picking up the rental car, driving through Paris during a trucking strike, and finally arriving at our hotel on the western side of France...travel time- 23 hours!
Not priceless, and NOT painless. Worth it? Yes.
The 95th edition of the Tour de France will begin in two days. This is like having the PBR World Finals everyday for three weeks straight, with a catch – imagine if our riders changed towns every 24 hours!
It's truly a sight to behold.
I'm lucky enough to get to see some amazing scenery and some incredible athletic achievements over the span of the next month, and as impressive as it is to see Guilherme Marchi master bull after bull, there's something to be said for witnessing almost 200 guys ride up and over mountain after mountain.
I'd recommend tuning in, even if it's just for a few minutes, to marvel at what these riders can accomplish. Most of us will never know what it's like to ride a bull, or ride a bike in the Tour de France, but over the next 22 days, we're going to try to make it so you feel as though you have.
In the PBR, 8 seconds is the 'bottom line', but if you ask 10 bull riders, you'll probably get 10 different answers as to how 'best' to get to the buzzer.
Cycling is the same.
There are a myriad of ways to define 'success' within this three week race, but the bottom line is to ride into Paris on July 27th. It's the 'chess game' along the way that makes this sport so interesting.
I hope you're along for ride.
I can't imagine how it must feel to travel cross country on a bike. It must be quite an amazing feeling. I can't say that I find bike racing that exciting, but there's no doubt that these guys are incredible athletes with some of the best stamina. Perhaps I will tune in one night.
Enjoy your time in France!
The common thread is Champions. And both can be looked at as 2 tough sports on dirt (well - cement on dirt). Great seeing you and your most talented commentary in one of the greatest athletic competitions in the world. Have fun!
Tulsa is this coming weekend but isn't being shown on VS until the 1st weekend of August...which means results, scores, and injury reports will be posted LONG before we see the event on TV.
The flip side of that coin is we'll be getting back into weekly new events very soon and then the finals will be right around the corner!!!