Prof. Blanchard asks whether anyone is paying attention to the Tour de France now that Lance Armstrong has retired. I cannot claim to have followed as closely as in recent years, but I did pay significant attention to this year's race. Granted, it was tainted from the beginning when three of the top contenders were suspended due to serious allegations of a blood doping scandal. But nonetheless this year provided great drama and yet another victory for an American, in this case Floyd Landis.
Landis will never get the attention Armstrong did, although the reasons why are part of the compelling story. Landis is suffering from an arthritic condition in his hip that will require surgery. It is not clear he will ever race again. So his chance at a repeat vicotry is questionable. Landis did show great courage in this win. After collapsing in Stage 16 in the Alps, seemingly costing him any chance of winning, he then made a monumental recovery the next day in Stage 17, also a brutal mountain stage, winning the stage and leaping from 11th to 3rd, only 30 seconds behind. That 30 seconds was eliminated yesterday in Stage 19, an individual time trial, with Landis finishing third in that stage, well ahead of his major competitors. Landis overcame seeming defeat to launch an almost unprecedented come back and ultimate victory. Congrats to Floyd Landis, America's eighth straight victor in the Tour de France.
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