The Tour de France
I swore this year that I would not spend those hours watching the TdF, like I have for the last 8 years. I mean, there are so many sports that take so much TV time. This year I skipped the NBA and Wimbledon successfully. But the bike racing pulls me in like hot pigs to cool mud.
I'm just amazed by it. The complexity of this race and the breadth and depth of these riders leaves me pretty much speechless.
I'll talk more about it this week. However, a quick look at the race through the Diamond lens shows:
Power: Amazing technology in machinery, techniques for riding, and of course, beyond-fit fitness levels.
Purpose: The strategies of individuals and teams, the number of different goals to be sought and traded off, the politics and diplomacy. This is one of the most complex games I've ever seen from the point of view of intention-->consequences. There is so much that counts!!
Touch: The feel for the road, balance, smoothness, weather, timing of the sprints and the breaks. The riders certainly have clear purpose, but their intuitive sense of the race and road is really a pleasure to watch. (How often do you eat out of a bag while riding your bike? Or relieve yourself while riding it, for that matter!)
Will: Ultimately, it's down to this. It is an epic battle against the self, the other individuals, the other teams, the roads, and the mountains. The ultimate suffer-fest.
I am rapt. More details tomorrow...with thoughts about the first six stages.
Posted On: July 08th, 2010 in Sports Diamond By: Weems Westfeldt
