Tour de France At Home

The first few days of the Tour de France, for us, are always the same. Who did not make the teams, (Bobby Julich you were missed) who is new, what teams were reorganized, who went from here to there and so on. We like to be able to pick out the little things in a race and not depend solely on the announcers. At 2 hours and 40 minutes the "bathing suit" was interesting! Not my style but interesting. At 4 hours forty minutes the guy in the bermudas who was clothes-lined off the course by another spectator before he caused the bike rider to hit him was a joy to see. How often I have waited to see other "stupids" pulled off the course. Then watching our Discovery boys and trying to figure out what, if any, the team strategy was. Contador definitely proved himself a climber. Our hopes for George Hincapie faded as the climbs continued. Levi played it cool. He loves the Pyrenees and there are only 1 and 1/2 minutes separating 3rd and 14th places. Go Levi!
But you have to love Rasmussen, all alone and asking for nothing. What a ride!!

My knitting has suffered but the rest day will allow this team to regroup. I have been mulling over the design on my TDFKAL dog cape and I may have solved it. I have been working the KAL baby hoodie and I am ready to shoulder seam but I am going to graft or 3 needle bind off the seams. Less scratchy and bulky. Never tried it so I am out here on the Col alone and bracing for the climb! Bring me good fortune, Rasmussen, I was pulling for you!

Shep just returned from 6 weeks exploring the East coast of Australia so we feel we have a vested interest in the Aussie riders. It was wrenching to watch Michael Rogers slowly slip away until he finally had to acknowledge it was over for this year. I used my kleenex a lot. ABout 5 years ago my husband touched a wheel with another rider and went down into a roadside ditch. His new bike, a birthday present from me, was OK as everyone kept telling me. But my John had 4 broken ribs, a broken collarbone and a punctured lung. 5 days in hospital, and a long recovery at home ensued. Since the breaks were in the back and side, sleep was difficult, and he wound up sleeping in a recliner on an eggshell crate mattress. I thought he looked like a baby bird in a nest. So our sympathies are also with Stuart O'Grady as we know what lies ahead. Robbie, how we have missed you. You bring us such great joy as we look and look for you at the sprints, trying to be the first to spot you before you burst from somewhere and take it all. Your fall must have been worse than we knew and your courage was admirable. Riding with banged up knees and wrists are murder on a cyclist and we ached with you. You'll be back soon for more last minute thrills.

After yesterday's stage 8 I am exhausted, (where is MY masseuse) and some slow pedaling on the in home recumbent are in the works while I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Wonder what Lance thinks of all this?