A race to get hooked on

By Dave Kannas

The first of the three Grand Tours of European bicycle racing has begun.

The Giro d'Italia, or Tour of Italy, began its 21 day's of racing through Italy. The peloton is made up of 23 teams or about 200 riders. The Giro is followed by the Tour de France in July then the Vuelta a Espana, or Tour of Spain in September.

If you haven't yet watched one of these Grand Tours, give it try. Since you're reading this column, I'll assume we have something in common: a love of or at least a passing interest in bikes. I'll also assume that if you watch one of the Grand Tours, you'll be hooked for life. The Tour de France is televised entirely by Versus TV. You can watch the others by subscribing through Versus.com and watching them on line.

These races have it all: the world's greatest athletes, courses through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, color, drama, team tactics, spectacular crashes (Some are career enders, others have been life enders) and much more. No other sport has the edge of the seat excitement of a sprint finish with a bunch of riders bouncing off each other while often riding at over 40 miles an hour. At other times the finish is at the top of a mountain where only two riders arrive after hours of climbing. At times neither wants to take the win from the other because of the heroic efforts of both, but one has to win the stage.

My wife, Delores, was infected when she watched her first Tour de France with me. When that year's race began she saw it as nothing more than a bunch of young guys wearing colorful uniforms while riding around the French countryside and over its mountains. As the race progressed, she began to see team tactics at work. She also started to pick her favorite riders and called them by name. That's a challenge when there are around 180 riders in the peloton.

Her favorite one year was "Thomas" who wore the yellow race leader's jersey for several days and finally lost it in the mountains after giving everything he had to keep it for one more day. You had to admire the guy. He weighed all of 150 pounds, but I'd put him up against any NFL line backer in strength, courage and determination. When "Thomas" lost the yellow leader's jersey, Delores and I both felt a sense of sadness, even though it was taken by a guy named "Lance."

As the race progressed, Delores began to notice that things were happening for a reason. For example, certain riders were given the freedom to break away from the peloton without being pursued by others. These breakaways were often no threat to the favorites in the overall classification. If the breakaway rider was a threat, he was quickly chased down and brought back to the peloton. But sometimes this breakaway succeeded. She also noticed that riders had special talents that were called upon at different times. There were time-trial specialists, climbers, sprinters, but all worked toward the success of the team leader who tended to be good at all of these.

I ask only that you try one of the tours. Like a potato chip, you'll have another, then another. Next thing you know, you'll go out and buy a road bike and a colorful jersey.

This year I've made a monumental decision. Since the editor of this fine newspaper has generously offered me space in it to blather on about bicycles, I'm going to slide a little further out on the limb and to give him the opportunity to stamp the name of this newspaper on the Tour de France. You may recall that I went to the Tour of California this year where I watched some of the same teams race that are now riding in the Giro d'Italia. But the Tour of California lacks the history, the legend and the romance of the Tour de France. So, I'm going to offer the editor the rare opportunity to send me to France this July to cover the race. I know that France in July isn't all that attractive, but I'll sacrifice. Imagine the spectacle of dispatches from the greatest bicycle race in the world! The mind boggles at the notoriety for the paper.

While I plot my itinerary for the trip, you may want to write letters of support for my proposal. You'll see it'll be a win-win situation for me and the newspaper, but mostly for me.

While we wait for the editor's reply, ride safely. Au revoir!

Keep waiting, Dave, who can be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com