For the past decade and more, the highlight of my summer has always been watching the daily struggle of 170+ cyclists in the most-watched bicycling race in the world, the Tour de France. July is completely calendared around it! If you have never watched this prodigious display of athleticism, it is hard to describe just how arduous the event is. 21 different days – stages – with two “off” days to recuperate. Time trials, sprint stages, the Pyrenees Mountains, the Alps, and finally ending up in Paris on the cobblestones. As exciting as the race is, the panoramic shots of the French (and other countries when it takes that route) countryside, the castles, ruins, cathedrals, and rustic villages is breathtaking. And it has a following of fans that can only be described as “unique.” From city streets to bare mountain tops, folks are there, enthusiastically cheering on the riders. To see a troupe of vikings racing along with the riders up a mountainside road, or the inflatable chickens that some wore around their waists, faux nuns, devils, water bottles, and this year, a hamburger, add an almost carnival-like atmosphere to this race.

Years ago, my oldest son was involved in this sport and it was while he was staying with me in Tampa, finishing up his PhD, that I got hooked! You could never get me on one of those tiny seats, but my mind allows me to travel the tour with them! Each year, my sons and I plan a Euro trip to witness a stage or two…but each year, household budgets and responsibilities always seem to get in the way of executing on our desire! But someday…

If you missed it, you have a chance to see one of the other great races – the final for the year, I believe – the Vuelta Espana 2025 that begins at the end of August.