2003 Tour De France
If you ask most bicycle racing fans, they will tell you that the not one tour de France was more exciting than the one that occurred in 2003 starting with the 14th stage. Two hundred and fifty thousand fans crowded along the narrow paths, known as switch backs, that rises to the very top of the Luz-Ardiden. This is the peak that looms for about a mile above the Basque region of the French Pyrenees.
Along the cliffs, the crowd was jammed solid on the edge of each precipice. They were right on the slender blacktop that directed it to the finish of the 15th stage of the 2003 Tour de France. They were awaiting the arrival of the 162 bicycle riders who had started out the day?s racing within the southwest France flatlands hours before. Being that the Tour de France doesn?t take place in an arena or stadium, it extends to the same terrain and roads that a multitude of spectators travel daily to arrive at their houses and places of employment. Three weeks of the Tour de France becomes a lifetime the casual racing fan can hardly forget.
American superstar cyclist, Lance Armstrong, was expected to glide to his fifth consecutive win. However, he didn?t complete without a bout with ?the struggles?. His rival, German cyclist Jan Ullrich had shocked the powerhouse from Texas several days earlier by defeating Armstrong in an unforgettable, against-the-watch time trial, tarnishing Armstrong?s golden aura of undeniable invincibility. As the race reached the Pyrenees, Lance Armstrong was struggling to maintain the slim lead, a quick 15 seconds, after about two weeks and one thousand ? miles of cycling.
Enduring most of the race shoulder to shoulder, Armstrong and Ullrich?s rivalry had started earlier in the day through small villages, as they were zipping along past vineyards and farmsteads. Later during the 14th state, Armstrong caught his handlebar in the purse of a gung-ho spectator. He pivoted prior to his fall, but then rose quickly. He mounted on bicycle as he appeared uninjured, but he lost precious race time and psychological composure. Armstrong?s chance of victory was in serious jeopardy.
Lance Armstrong started the 15th stage of centennial Tour de France displaying signs of weakness. His whole race was in question. However, being the true champion that he is, Armstrong was neither finished nor consumed against Ullrich and the other competitors. Armstrong preserved and found his second wind reservoir in his soul.
Nearly a minute ahead of Ullrich, Armstrong crossed the finish line in the midst of thunderous applause on the mountaintop. Rarely smiling during the race?s first two weeks, he finally had plenty to smile about. He still had five days to go, but Armstrong did end up the victor once again. Hardly an individual thought his win was surprising after he?d defeated the mountains, his rivals and the pain and mastered himself. Now, that?s the Tour de France. To find out further information about the best deals on bicycles, log visit http://www.OnlineBikeDeals.com
James Brown writes about http://www.onlinebikedeals.com, http://www.onlinebikedeals.com/Categories/Racks.html and http://www.SimplyBestCoupons.com
French Articles:
Planning a Wine Trip to France Just Got Easier: www.winetravelguides.com Announces Updated On-line Guides
Over 40 updated on-line travel guides to wine regions in France are now available by subscription from the Wine Travel Guides website. With recommendations and insider tips from a dozen experienced wine and travel writers, Wine Travel Guides make it easy to plan an independent wine tasting trip to France.
All About French Manicures
All About French Manicures
French Polynesia As A Vacation Destination
When you go to French Polynesia you will find a lot of different types of accommodation from world class, world famous resorts to small comfortable inns, and plenty of Bed and Breakfast places.
A Month in Provence: Photographer Karen Fadel, Chosen as Exhibitor in the Laguna Beach Summer 2007 Show, Debuts her Series on France
Karen Fadel creates original images with mixed media
and moods from her experiences while traveling in
Provence, France. Ms. Fadel was selected to spend a
month on a cultural exchange in the South of France by
the Rotary Club International. She and four other
professionals represented Southern California
businesses and traveled for an experience of a
lifetime. Her French works on exhibit at the Festival
of the Arts in Laguna Beach offer all an opportunity
to see the experience through the unique perspective
and eye of the artist, Ms. Karen Fadel.
RF Engines Delivers Advanced Signal Analysis Aystem to the French CEA and Announces Follow-on Contract
A multi-resolution filter channeliser for complex signal environments.
This Is The Nuts Now Available in French
This is the Nuts is now being offered in French. Francophone customers can now take advantage of the many features of the popular rakeback site, and others can also navigate it in a number of languages.
iolo Brings System Mechanic® to French Market With Micro Application Alliance
iolo Partnership with Micro Application brings a localized product to French-speaking markets, and gives the publisher rights to sell System Mechanic in France.
Dragonfly Returns to French Riviera
Dragonfly (http://www.dragonfly.com), the Internet video network company based in Hillsdale, NY, will provide the web-based technology for Adweek magazine's online coverage of the Cannes Lions 54th International Advertising Festival (IAF), June 17 through June 23. The IAF is the largest conference in the world for advertising professionals, and Dragonfly will partner with Adweek to enable their online videosite coverage of interviews with global marketers and creative executives, candid stills, and commercials up for awards. Dragonfly's online reports from Cannes will be available starting on the evening of June 18.
The Pride Of France: The Vineyards
According to the saying there are as many cheeses as wines and as many wines as vineyards. So one can easily understand the choice of wines is really tremendous! Every person who makes wine brings something particular, that?s why each kind of wine is original and unique. Every detail is important during the process of winemaking. That?s what is important in the first place: the choice of terroir; the climat (the date of harvest); the choice of grape-variety (it?s determinant); the type of container in which the fermentation will take place; the temperature at which the juice of grape is maintained during the process of fermentation; the fermentation period; the type of container in which the maturation will take place. Although there are ...
French Door Curtains Now Offers Trendy Look
Door curtains serve dual purpose of adding elegance and controlling light into your home Door curtains are now coming with the more modern designs and in the some of designer door curtains come with the window panels are placed inside the doors itself giving your home a wonderful look
French Wine Explorers Announces New Ownership
2008 luxury wine tours include France?s most prestigious wineries.
Diet: Are French Fries Really A Vegetable?
The government, nutritionists, doctors, and dietitians implore us to eat 5 servings of vegetables a day. Considering that a serving is only half a cup, a decent-sized side of vegetables and a big salad does it for the day.
Projector Lamp Retailer Continues Expansion with French, German and Mexican Sites
MyProjectorLamps.com (MPL) has launched another series of projector lamp websites that target Mexican, German and French markets.
Holiday Home Retailer Siblu Buys 10th Parc in France
Siblu increases choice in growing market
The Love Of French Perfume
A perfume is more than a fragrance. It is a way to affect one?s mood, coincide with one?s personality, and refresh one?s spirit. Depending on what you will be doing, where you will be going, and what time of day it is, you will pick which perfume complements you and the situation best. Over time women have come to find that for most situations, French perfume suits them the best.