Go George!

Since I had today off work, I spent the morning watching the 15th stage of the Tour de France live on OLN (Okay, cable isn't all bad...). This morning was a great one to watch, it was a mountain stage which is fun to begin with, and this one was great! There was an early break away like usual, and one of the Discovery Channel team riders managed to get in it (George Hincapie). There were 14 of them to begin with, and they built up a lead over everyone of 18 minutes before the peleton decided it was time to chase them down. Over the next almost 3 hours they were chased, but the final 2 men of the breakaway Hincapie and Pereiro finished 5 minutes ahead of Basso and Armstong (Basso is one of Armstrongs strongest threats, along with Jan Ulrich in the Tour). Hincapie out sprinted Pereiro to win the stage. Today was the first time since 1999 a member of Lance's team who wasn't Lance had won a stage. George also becomes the 8th American ever to win a stage in the Tour de France!

Watching it on TV made me realize how strange it must be to be one of the first riders up a mountain, when you're not with the peleton. The commentators were saying how today looked to be the biggest crowed of the Tour so far this year, and watching how packed the final mountain climb was, I can believe it. While the first riders were going up through the crowed, people would be packed in the road, and only push back at the very last second, leaving enough room the cyclists and the motorbike that was pacing them through before closeing off the space. As they would ride up people would run along side them, yelling, sometimes dumping water on them (which probably felt good), and then some people would reach out and grab/slap their butts as they rode by. Sometimes it even looked like they'd grab on to the saddle, and give a little push up the hill. Of course, none of the riders were phased by this at all. I can't imagine how long it took these professionals to get used to this!

I also watched some fan running along behind Ivan Basso and Lance Armstrong trip and get run over by a camera crew on a motorbike. That was actually pretty funny to watch(I'm a bad person)! Luckily for him it wasn't one of the chase cars, because he did seem to get up and walk back off the road, but I imagine his leg won't be feeling good tomorrow.