Team RadioShack, which includes seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, is the favorite but the race this is year is in May rather than February so the competition will be in a lot better shape. Teammate Levi Leipheimer has won this Tour three consecutive times so he is basically the Lance Armstrong of the Tour of California but the event is now 6 weeks before the Tour de France, which means the only way to attract key riders is to make it a preparation race for the Tour. And it is.
The part I get to watch is the fun warmup - there is a climb at Cool (yes, we have cities with names like Cool in California) but for the most part is it just 104 miles of going nuts. Stage 6, a climb from Palmdale to Big Bear Lake, is a lot more grueling: 12,000 total feet of climbing which includes a long finishing climb up to 7,000 feet.
How big is the event? Versus, which is apparently what ESPN used to be, is carrying the race every day, so if you have that network and tune in at 2PM Pacific you may see me with 2 bored kids. I think a cycling race in America will get carried based on Armstrong's name alone.
It's certainly better use of his time than that period during his retirement when he basically followed Matthew McConaughey around (and apparently Jake Gyllenhaal was the toadie).
Here is a pic of them together and the imaginary movie script to go with it from the always-entertaining but now defunct Golden Fiddle:
FADE IN:
INT. A BEACH HOUSE BATHROOM, MALIBU, CALIFORNIA. NIGHT Matthew McConaughey and Lance Armstrong shower, shave, wax, pluck, gel, and dress together before for a big night at Sky Bar in Los Angeles.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Hey, Matt.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: What can I do you for, LA?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: You gonna wear the linen shirt tonight?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: That’s right.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Yeah, me too. Hey, Matt.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: What now, amigo?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: How many buttons you gonna leave unbuttoned?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Well, my friend. I’m fixin’ to go four deep tonight. Give the ladies a little taste.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Yeah, right. Four sounds about right… Hey, Matt
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Che cosa ora mio Amico?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: You gonna roll your sleeves up?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: To right below the elbow.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Hey, Matt.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: What now, Sir Lancelot?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: You wearing those same shorts you woke up in?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Afirmativo.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: What about foot wear? Flip-flops?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Always!
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Left hand?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: In po-keto.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Dammit!
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Easy tiger. What’s got you down, now?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Ah, it’s just another Nike contract here that says I have to keep wearing this stupid f**king bracelet for 3 more years.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: Man, it’s the same bullshit they tried to pull in my day. If it ain’t that piece of paper, there’s some other choice they’re gonna try and make for you. You gotta do what Lance Armstrong wants to do, man. Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Livin’ strong.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: That’s right. Livin’ strong.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: You’re right. I’m sorry… Okay, I’m ready. How do I look?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: You look like the American dream, my friend.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Sweet. Now let’s go *** some underage Hollywood p***y!
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: All right, all right, all right.
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Hey Matt.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: What now, compadre?
LANCE ARMSTRONG: Do you think we should call Jake?
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: …
LANCE ARMSTRONG: …
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY: …
BOTH: HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!
FADE TO BLACK
THE END
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One interesting thing of note is the positivity of the riders because the event is in America so European journalists will not be as prevalent. Phil Leggett, commentator for the Tour de France on the Versus network, says American journalists do a good job being balanced and fair in their reporting, which means not accusing everyone successful of being a doper. Mark Thompson, a London-based lawyer with expertise in British and American news, agrees. "Americans are more interested in the truth as opposed to paying for kiss-and-tell stories," he told Anna Tong at the Sacramento Bee. "America has a whole different culture about journalism, which stems from First Amendment and the Constitution."
So Americans may take journalism for granted. Apparently it could be a whole lot more partisan and sensationalist than many think it is.
For cycling science check out What Is A Peloton And How Does It Work?
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