The Tour backposting is 'complete' (Stage 12 13 14 15). My writeups aren't up to my desired level of detail or illustrated with as many photos as I would like, but concessions must be made, especially with the new Harry Potter in my possession.
My elation at watching Armstrong succeed in this year's Tour is already starting to get that twinge of foreboding that come July 24th, Armstrong will no longer be competing. The big mountain stages are now done, and all that's left is to see if Armstrong can put in a dominating time trial performance in Stage 20.
I am not sad that Armstrong is retiring. He chose the right time to retire, at the top of his sport, with no more accolades worth being an absent father. There will be seven years, 147 stages of Tour de France DVD footage of him riding his way to victory in Paris.
When I do worry it's when I think about the void Armstrong's retirement will leave in American cycling. I worry that this is my last opportunity for awhile to try and dissect each Tour stage because OLN will no longer carry daily coverage of future Tours. I worry that the fledgling San Francisco Grand Prix and Tour de Georgia will lose public support. Someone, an American, will have to carry the banner of American cycling forward.
There are many more American riders having success in the Tour than when Armstrong first arrived: Dave Zabriskie won stage 1, George Hincapie won stage 15, Chris Horner nearly won Stage 13, and Levi Leipheimer and Floyd Landis have stayed high in the overall. None of them have quite the brand of "Lance ARMSTRONG, Cancer Survivor," but I have high hopes nevertheless. My memorable highlight from this year will not be of Armstrong, but of his teammate Hincapie. After being there for Armstrong in each of his Tour victories, I've waited for Hincapie get a TdF distinction all his own.
Several years ago, I would have said that Armstrong was my favorite rider. Today I would say that it's Dave Zabriskie. It's not because Armstrong in anyway fallen in my view, but now there are so many more American riders to choose from, riders with more to gain from future accomplishments. That is part of Armstrong's legacy, and for that, Thank You Lance Armstrong.
