Studs n Stripes XXYYX

From one very popular sports event to another.  Maybe this one is not well-known in North America (although there’s a Texan by the name of Lance Armstrong involved), but I’m talking about the most gruelling sports event in the world, the Tour de France.  (“Le Tour”).
Gruelling both mentally and physically.  This incredible mega-race on a bike is already into day 10, with 15 more days to go.  Today the riders had to climb the Col de la Madeleine in the Alps at Haute-Savoie.  And that was after they already been riding 150 kms on their bikes today alone!  So, for a pleasant addition, they had to climb 1 hour non-stop to the 2,000 metre summit.  Then descend at average speeds of 70 km/hr right to the end of today’s stage, where again there was another 700m climb to the finish line.
I first heard about the Tour in the Lowlands when I was 3 years old, through my father. I am not a fanatic about the Tour, but I do respect the riders efforts and love the panorama and scenery these fellows have to race through.  It’s a great way to follow the various locales and mountain regions of France.