I actually enjoy this test of endurance. There is absolutely no way that I could ever ride a bike for six hours a day for 22 out of 24 days. I am glad to see that there is hope that yet another american (Levi Leipheimer) could win the tour. It also is nice that Levi is from Butte Montana (a little place where I just happened to grow up). I will write more about the tour later but I have one glaring observation after the first four stages: The pace has been far below average in the last two stages. Stage 3 finished an hour behind the worst expected finishing time, and Stage 4 was also slower than expected. There are a two reasons that I can think of for this happening: 1) Everyone is reporting that the riders are resting up for the the early than usual run into the Alps 2) The riders are drug free this year and it is truly taking an effect on their performance over the long stretches on the road. I think that the first is a lot more likely, but with all of the scrutiny on the drug use that has surrounded cycling lately, I think that it needs to be mentioned as a possibility.
The coming days in the mountains will show for sure if the drug free tour can keep pace with the "juiced up" tours of the last decade. I for one hope that I am wrong, but you never know.
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