here I am watching the toursad to admit... I do not really follow the tour
but... I do make a habit of watching the tour
having the modern technology of dvr and digital cable makes the possibility of watching the tour pretty easy
much easier that years past
the tour stages are recorded and can be played through at my leisure
commercials can be fast forwarded
some commercials are worth watching, most are ignored
I can fast forward through the high tech transitions, history, and review
I can also watch that stuff
some of the announcer chatter is as good as the race
for me watching the tour can be an experience at many levels
it is a cultural event
the gathering of so many countries with a classic approach of review with a European flair
the accents add to the ideas
the backdrop european cities, towns, and villages
another great aspect of the dvr
the ability to pause the boys are out of bed time to chase them back in a parental fashion try to enjoy it but not let it become a game as I corral them back to bed it can be exhausting it can be frustrating one out of every hundred and fifty great escapes there is a moment of fun tonight is the right mood to let it be a little fun now I am back the kids are asleep and the previously recorded Stage 4 of the Tour de France from OLN is now playing they were all jazzed up and needed to blow some steam tough to funnel them into a sleeping mood sometimes
for me the tour is something beautiful to watch
not just the athletes on their bikes
but the presentation as a whole
the voices of the announcers do more than a play by play
the announcers tell a story with some build up
the interaction of the people with the racers
the interaction of the racers with their support crews
it is an interesting collection of chaos
the close ups of the cyclist are cool
that classic moving camera from a motorcycle or a little european car gives a great shot
there are also amazing arial perspectives that are interesting close up
but are wonderful and dramatic from above
the european scenery is wonderful
helicopters and hill sides and maybe a tall rooftop show the amoeboid mass snake through the town centers
the amoeba often splits then rejoins
the old cities with their ancient structures on what may well be new roads placed upon ancient paths
farms that have been farmed for generations and generations and maybe even centuries and centuries
all a beautiful backdrop for a glorious sporting event
the celebration of the fans as the racers pass
the bystanders and their cultured tailgate party
drinking wine and eating cheese
not so different than a nascar parking lot with beer and bbq ribs
yet somehow a little more cultured and a little more cool
gotta fast forward some commercials
and
get back to focusing on the tour
the final miles are winding down
wearyellow.com
oln
le tour
livestrong
floyd landis blog
google earth and the tour
(I need to check this out deeper)