'09 Tour De France Final Stage To Paris

I've just finished watching live coverage of the '09 Tour De France's last and final stage race to Paris. Every year this grand tour concludes at the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, a grand and important strip of roadway in Paris marked at one end by the Arc de Triomphe.

The Arc de Triomphe at night. Image credit: Fromparis.com

But don't be fooled by my seemingly cultured writing about Paris because I've only been there by watching this race on cable TV.

The Champs-Elysees, somehow taking its roots from Greek Mythology, roughly translates to "the place of the blessed dead." Interesting isn't it? Well, there is one residential subdivision here within this mega-subdivision BF Paranaque where I live that is called, "The Elysium", also taking its inspiration from the same source. Even more interesting, who would want to live in "the place of the blessed dead"? I might want or could live there but much much later on, if you get what I mean. [ For more on this click here. ]

Anyhow, the TDF for this year is over. The grand tour winner: Alberto Contador of Team Astana. He won the '07 TDF as well but couldn't defend it in '08 as his team wasn't invited to the tour. Contador hails from Spain while Team Astana is owned by the Kazhakstan country/state.

Second place finisher of the tour is Andy Schleck from Luxembourg of Team Saxo Bank. Bjarne Riis is the team's DS.

Third place finisher is Lance Armstrong, the legend who has already won the Tour 7 consecutive times from 1999-2005. Also belonging to Team Astana under the direction of Johan Bruyneel, Lance has come back from after 3 years in retirement to promote his Livestrong Foundation's fight against cancer (and, of course, try to win it for the 8th time). He's big on this front as he is a cancer survivor even before his reign in the Tour De France. I suspect there might be a few more reasons for his comeback such as writing another book, win more endorsement contracts, and just generally make lots more money. Who could blame him. Johan also happens to be Lance's DS during his 7-year reign of the tour.

The North Sidewalk of the Champs-Elysees. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Biggest losers of the tour are Carlos Sastre and Cadel Evans. Carlos was the '08 winner with Cadel as 2nd place finisher in a race that didn't include Lance and Alberto. This year, they did not even figure in the top 10. They're big losers, imho, not just because of their poor performances but more because of their attitudes. Grumbling and taking out their bitterness on the media. Too bad for you guys.

To end with a positive note, the Cav, the Manx Missile from the Isle of Man, Mark Cavendish wins this elite sprinters' stage at the Champs-Elysees and takes 6 stage wins throughout the '09 TDF!

2009 Tour De France

Are you into cycling? I am. Just more of a spectator and follower of the Tour De France now though. It's held every month of July, a three-week race consisting of some twenty consecutive day races they call stages broken up by just two separate rest days. It's intense racing for sure especially during the mountain stages where the men are separated from the boys.

Image credit: Cyclingfans.com

You'll find the most elite in professional cycling here. The likes of Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, Alberto Contador, Jens Voigt, Mark Cavendish, and Thor Hushovd to name a few that stand out in the 2009 Tour De France. This race is ongoing at the time of this writing over there in... wherelse, France. Some stages cross the borders into other countries like Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. This year the TDF started in Monaco -- is that a country? I'm not so sure. I follow this year's event on [www.velonews.com].

The best of the best professional team managers, or as they are known in the cycling world, the Directeurs Sportifs (or just plain DS) give yet another face and personality to the sport with the interviews they give the media. The likes of Johan Bruyneel and Bjarne Riis who have been professional cyclists themselves before entering team management play a big part in the professional cycling scene.

I discovered the Tour De France when I lived in the States. My brother Ted was sort of following it because it was the Lance era back then and I got hooked. Been following it for some years now.

As for me riding a bike, I do it occasionally. Maybe if there was a group I could join I might take it up.

P.S.
Can't write about this sport without mention of the voices of the Tour De France -- Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. This awesome broadcasting pair on the Versus.com staff covering the race from year to year gives the best audio narrative and commentary on the planet. It's just not the same experience without these two providing the live coverage and witty commentary that they are famous for. They're on [www.versus.com/tdf].