OK – so I am back on the Tour de France topic – seems to be too easy to write about given that the race has so many aspects of THPL. 21 days of racing, epic days, amazing demonstrations of perseverance, grit and determination. There are specialists, there are team dynamics, there are sacrifices and there are incredible performances. And what I find fascinating is the “race within the race” – there are teams working together and individuals going for wins. It all happens because of harmony amongst a lot of talented cyclists.
The sprint finish though, might be one of the most amazing aspects of the race – the whole day – for today 5.5 hours and 134 miles, comes down to a 1 kilometer sprint to the finish line. The team lines up, they jockey for position, they tear down the pavement at 40 mph and then they sacrifice everything to get to the finish line with usually just a wheel’s length separating first from second. You have to be fearless to compete in a sprint and you have to be able to generate power akin to a motor bike and when it works it is truly harmony in motion. If you have not seen a bike sprint finish you should check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFDZRb3Nqjg - yes it is in French but you will get the idea. Enjoy!
Loving life as we sprint for the finish
Ciao
Joe