Last summer I joined a Facebook group called "The Tour de France Dominates My Month of July"...and it's true. The Tour started on Saturday, and I've watched it every day since then. I'm not really sure what I love so much about the Tour, whether it's the sheer intensity of a month long race through my favorite country in the world, the fact that I'm fortunate enough to have seen a few stages personally, or an inherent interest stemming from my parents' history with cycling. Whatever the reason, the Tour really does make me happy. This year is particularly interesting because Lance Armstrong is back after leaving the Tour for 4 years. [Side note: While there is much speculation and accusations of doping, I really can't believe that a man who came so close to death during his battle with cancer would ever willingly harm his body in such a way. And although I do not support the decisions he's made in his personal life, nobody's perfect.] I think I will always hold a certain amount of admiration for Lance based on the fact that his participation in the 2001 Tour was an inspiration for my dad, who was fighting his own cancer at the time [the same cancer Lance had], and ultimately led to my parents' decision to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which led us to Austin, Texas so my parents could ride with Lance in the Ride for the Roses. In the summer of 2002 we found ourselves in Europe, where we were able to watch 3 stages of the Tour de France [including the final stage on the Champs Elysees in Paris]. Hopefully one day I'll make it to another stage...it really is a pretty amazing experience to find a spot to park yourself, wait for hours [meanwhile befriending the people around you- somehow we actually came into contact with a lot of Americans], and finally see a blur of colors pass you by, maybe catching a glimpse of the yellow jersey in the middle of the bunch. I guess for me the Tour is a symbol of hope. The riders clench the fleeting hope that they might have a chance to continue from one stage to the next. For the people of France, this hope lies in the long-standing tradition of a hellacious bike race through the heart of their country. For my family [and for countless others I'm sure] this hope lies in the message of perseverance conveyed by those men crazy enough to partake on a 21 day, 2,100 mile bike race.

viva le tour <3