Gearing up for the greatest show on earth

Twas the night before the Tour and all across Crosica not a cyclist was staring, not even a last minute doping scandal, despite Lance Armstrong's interview with a French newspaper in which he revealed it was impossible to win the Tour without drugs, but from which the newspaper conveniently ignored the word 'was'.

To cycling fans, tonight is indeed like the night before Christmas, but better. This is like the night before a Christmas that lasts three full week and from which the presents only get better and better and the days go by. Forget the twelve days of Christmas, this is the twenty-one days of Le Tour. That is, twenty-one days plus two rest days where column inches will be filled with gossip and scandal.

And here's hoping that scandal is some inter-team rivalry that has reached breaking point when one super domestique has decided to take on the roll of team leader by refusing to wait for his struggling captain, as opposed to something more sinister.

The Tour de France is the greatest annual sporting event in the world. It's arena is an entire country, it's attendance is measured in the millions, it's scenery unmatched in sport, it's drama and intrigue fitting for any good reality TV show, and it's ever twisting story line befitting a soap.



It's like watching a twenty-one part TV mini-series with more twists and turns than Alp d'Huez itself and more wait-till-tomorrow-to-see-what-happens-next cliff hangers to match any Pyrenean descent. Protagonists come and go, characters are developed, careers are made and broken, and every day we watch to see what will happen next.

But unlike any TV show, movie or stage play, the script is unwritten. Nobody knows what will happen despite our best guesses. Favorites will crumble in a crash that might change the entire perspective of the race, some big names will fall away under the pressure of the high mountains, and someone we never thought would rise to such an occasion will come good. We'll watch the flat stages to see how the big names manage the frantic pace and constant urge for everyone to ride near the front, and to see how the sprinters battle will play out. How many stages will Cavendish win and how many Green jersey points will Sagan take? Then there's the time-trials, both individual and as a team. Which team is best prepared and which individual's form be truly exposed.

Likewise in the mountains. There is no hiding up there. The best teams will come to the fore and the best individuals will thrive. We'll have solo victories, we'll have a break that sticks, we'll have mass sprints and we'll have the cat and mouse battles of the general classification leaders watching one another, trying to gain an edge.

This whole circus will be headed up by the race caravan which will travel a few hours ahead of it, tossing cheap merchandise to the waiting fans and the entire things will amble its way around a country for the 100th time in its history before descending on the bright lights of an evening time in Paris.

Given this years collection of big stages right near the end of the Tour, only in Paris will we know who has truly won this race and even at that the Green jersey battle might come down to that final dash up the Champs-Élysées. They'll circle the Arc de Triomphe this year to celebrate the races grand history and the finest avenue in the world will have a special grand stand loaded with every living man to have completed this great race ... all, that is, except for Armstrong.

Cycling has once again been dragged through the dirt these past eight months as its dirty laundry has been aired in public. Cycling is the only sport that does this to itself so that its fans can feel like what they are seeing is real, or the best effort of that. No other sport does the same yet these other sports are spared the criticism ... praised for what they bring and never criticised for what they hide. But cycling rewards us for our patience and or loyalty by giving us a show such as Le Tour. Here's hoping the gossip, speculation, scandal and other drivel we've had to endure in the months before can be put behind us now and we can enjoy what's on offer for three weeks from tomorrow. Cycling is in a better place than it's been for years and the 100th Tour is a good place for it to showcase it's beauty. Cycling deserves that; we deserve that.

Less than twenty-four hours to go and then the drama will begin.

So sit back, relax, grab a cold bottle of beer or a hot cup of tea, finish up reading whatever Tour guide you bought, and enjoy the greatest show on earth ... then, when the stage ends and if the weather is nice, head on out on your bike and play Peter Sagan, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish or Ryder Hesjedal for a few hours.