Home
>
Outdoors
>
Cycling in Europe: There?s More to the Tour de France than Lance

Cycling in Europe: There?s More to the Tour de France than Lance

For the 92nd time, the Tour de France has started. This three week cycling race is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and undoubtedly the toughest on the individual participants. No professional cyclist wants to finish his career without having "made it to the Champs Elys?es". And every single one of them has had dreams of winning the Tour. Very few will. In the current edition of La Grande Boucle two participants have tasted victory before and hope to do so again. Favorite, and record holding six times champion Lance Armstrong from Austin, Texas will be facing Germany's Jan Ullrich and 187 other riders from 28 different countries. On July 24 the winner of the Yellow Jersey will be known. When asked who would win Ullrich answered: "The Best".

The Tour de France wouldn't be as big as it is without it's millions of fans around the world. Most watch the Tour on TV and of course one can see all the spectators by the side of the road cheering on their favorites, especially in the climbing stages, where one wonders why not many more accidents happen. Fans crowding the road, not wanting to miss any of the riders and often not stepping back until the very last moment have on some occasions influenced the outcome of a stage.

Not seen on television are the thousands of active cycling enthousiasts who follow in de Tour's wake. From all over the world people come to France and on their bicycle they ride the same stages the professionals have traversed only days, sometimes hours before. Some of them come back every year. The entire year they spend training, not unlike the professionals, in order to ride the more than 2200 miles of the Tour. And for them there are no flowers or Yellow Jersey in the end, but there is the recognition of their peers and their sense of accomplishment. And of course they have gotten to enjoy the gorgeous scenery, the terrific French cuisine and wines and an active vacation. A side note for newbies, the small Inn's and restaurants in out of the way places often give the best bang for the buck.

Most of the active Tour followers don't have the time or desire to cycle around France for three weeks. They select certain parts of the race to hook up with it, depending on their interest in surroundings or strengths in what terrain suits them best. Not everyone can ride uphill and still enjoy him- or herself. The rest of their holiday is spent finding their own routes, camping out, enjoying lots of what France and the rest of Europe have to offer to biking lovers.

One of the main reasons Lance Armstrong has won six times is the almost obsessive perfection in his preparation. Armstrong said in his press conference on Thursday prior to the Tour de France 2005: "For me ?t's not a promenade around France". If you take a cycling holiday, be it in France or anywhere else in Europe or the world, and to you it is a promenade, a little but serious and well-informed preparation goes a long way.

Rob Bout is a long time Tour de France and cycling enthousiast. For more information on cycling vacations and the Tour de France visit http://biketravelinfo.com/

Rolling Meadows Cadillac Escalade rental .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.

The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.

Arcturus sets up cameras around the edges of baseball stadiums to capture real-time action and generate a 3D digital clone of the game.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The CyberGuy explains why healthcare organizations are vulnerable to hackers after there have been a half dozen data breaches this year.

Developed at two California universities, the innovative technology combines brain-computer interfaces with advanced AI to decode neural activity into audible speech.

Microsoft patches 12 critical flaws, but six have already been exploited by criminals. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says updating your system is only a short-term fix.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how robots can milk, feed and clean cows on dairy farms, boosting efficiency and comfort.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says quantum internet ensures unhackable security and redefines online privacy and speed.

Cycling in Europe: There?s More to the Tour de France than Lance

Outdoors