2013

Living - and already savoring - the Adventures across the backroads of western Idaho and eastern Oregon!

27 July 2011

Marrying the Tour to the Technology

I watched the Tour de France bumper-to-bumper, recording it each day so I could watch it each evening in fast-forward through the (very repetitive) slate of commercials. What an amazing three weeks. I now understand the fascination some people around the world, and millions in Europe, feel for cycling. The announcer today said half the people who sent feedback this year said they watch the race for the scenery and history!


Matching cycling with the DVR is fantastic. Rewind, forward, pause. What more does a guy need? Ah, I know. More sports ideas – Continental Racing League, college lacrosse and more. It won’t be football this season; the Bills are without this fan this year after I endured all that off-season posturing and money-grubbing…


And, I got to watch biking across the lowlands of France and up-and-down through the Pyrenees and Alps. Those guys chug uphill and then rip-roar downhill at 30 miles/hour. Fascinating strategies, both individual and team. Camaraderie and sportsmanship. Numerous historical call-outs among the varied countryside. Colors, sounds and folks dressed like lunatics alongside the road. Interviews with the teams to explain the high-tech stuff we’re seeing in action.


August 20th is the next big cycling event, followed August 27th by the US Pro Cycling Challenge in the western US. “Tune up your DVRs and get ready to rumble!”

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