Crashes, crashes and more crashes plague the 2012 Tour de France.
Having ridden a bike for over 20 years, I’ve had my share of mishaps. So when I see a crash on the TV, I cringe as my brain and body remembers the pain. If you want to relate, jump out of your car doing 35 miles an hour wearing a t-shirt and shorts, remember to wear a helmet.
This year, the coverage of the Tour de France, as well as other international bike races, has been excellent on the NBC Sports Network, aka OLN and Versus. Since 1999, I’ve eagerly watched the Tour live, the same year Lance Armstrong started on his 7 tour wins. Each year, this live coverage invigorates me, it’s like a jolt of coffee to my biking season.
There’s nothing more humbling than suiting up after watching a tour stage and trying to sustain a 25 MPH pace on your road bike. Forget about reaching speeds of 35 to 40 MPH in a simulated sprint. Sissy looking spandex shorts aside, it’s a really tough sport.
Who will win this year’s tour? The rider who avoids the crashes.
Broken bicycles, old busted chains
With rusted handle bars, out in the rain