Cycling Tour France- the Best Moments

Touring France as a visitor and racing through France as a professional cyclist are two entirely different experiences. The 97th edition of the 2010 Tour de France was especially significant for all who participated because it marked the end of the Tour experience for the 7- time American Champion, Lance Armstrong.

After a valiant effort, Armstrong finished 23^rd on the GC. (General Classification) It was apparent after the first week of racing that his hope of an eight championship would not become a reality. He now retires from the Tour having a record 7 victories to his credit. Many wonder if his efforts will ever be bested.

The race began with roughly 200 professional cyclists representing 15 teams. Armstrong “lived strong” and persevered for what many consider the toughest and longest 3 week race in existence. His team, Radioshack, also finished strong even as Armstrong's personal bid for an eight win fell short.

Covering over 1000 miles on a bicycle, even if it is a high performance racing bicycle, is tough to imagine.

With only 2 rest days in between stages, the demands on the bodies of individual cyclists is torturous. At times it can call for 5 or more hours in the saddle It is truly amazing that year after year, professional cycling teams send their best group of riders to compete for the top podium position of the  21 stage race.

For 2010 the winner of the Tour de France was Roberto Contador, from Spain. In second place was Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck and finishing third was the Russian, Denis Menchov

Roberto Contador, Tennis star Ralphael Nadal, and the 2010 Spanish Soccer Champions has given Spain plenty of reasons to smile. It would appear that Spain has much to be proud of when it comes to maintaining a high athletic standard.

In The Tour, Contador repeats as 3 time consecutive champion, elevating him to the group of most elite athletes of the Tour.

Winning 3 times in a row is most difficult, Contador’s emotional release of tears when the final stage was over, showed how tough it was for him to endure to the end.

Did you know there are actually 7 jersey’s awarded during the 3 week race?

Keeping up with the jersey colors and what the color stands for can be quite a challenge.

Here are the classifications and colors of this 97th edition of the Tour de France:

Yellow jersey (general classification): Alberto Contador (ESP/AST)

White jersey (best young rider aged 25 and under): Andy Schleck (LUX/SAX)

Green jersey (points classification): Alessandro Petacchi (ITA/LAM)

Polka dot jersey (best climber's competition): Anthony Charteau (FRA/BBX)

Teams classification: RadioShack (USA)

Most aggressive rider: Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST)

It seemed as if the crashes were never going to end when the first week of racing got underway. Serious crashes lead to bloodied and bruised cyclists trying to ignore their obvious pain to finish the stage of the day. Most were able to return and fight another day, but quite a few had to pack up and go home to their respective countries because their injuries were too severe. Broken bones, torn ligaments, bruised organs can all put you out of the GC contention and on to a hospital visit and recuperation time.

Especially horrifying to watch were the mass collisions. Traveling at such a high rate of speed, literally within touching distance of one another the cyclists in train like precision pedal for hours in what appears to be perfect synchronization. It only takes one minor misstep one tire brushing against another, one pebble or one flat tire and the end result is a pile-up of contorted bikes and bruised cyclists bringing that portion of the race to a halt.

The advice is for the cyclists to stay at the front of the pack where accidents are few and far between. The first couple of weeks of the Tour de France proved the validity of such advice.

Thanks to constant online coverage I was able to enjoy the entire race free of charge. I am now a life-long fan of Yahoo Eurosport.com and happy to give them a thumbs up and a plug.

Going back to the Tour, I have to say watching Andy Schleck was most exciting. He not only finished second overall but also won the white jersey for best rider under 25 years of age.  I really thought he would stop Alberto Contador from winning 3 straight Tour de Frances, but alas he was 39 seconds shy.

Last but not least, I have to include the racers themselves as a group. There is nothing like watching the peloton close the gap between itself and the leader/leaders riding ahead of the main GC. Travelling at incredible speeds which can approach 50 miles per hour at times, it is a thing of beauty watching these pros pedaling full speed as the end of a stage nears.

I look forward to the race next year and I am hoping Andy Schleck finally takes the top of the podium.