My Addiction

Ok, more than a week has gone by, and I haven’t written a word more about our trip to Sydney because I’ve unfortunately succumbed to a serious new addiction, the Tour de France. Note how all typical addiction questions are answered in the affirmative.

Does the Tour cause you to lose sleep? (Yes, it’s on 10pm to 2am!)

Do you think about the Tour as soon as you wake up? (Yes, I check the articles on the internet.)

Has the Tour changed your daily habits? (Yes, I rode around Mount Coot-tha to commemorate the mountain stages in the Alps and have been cooking French dishes described in the “Taste of the Tour”.)

Do you become agitated if you are unable to see the Tour? (Yes, I don’t know what to to on rest days, and I was considering canceling our farmstay next weekend because it’s the same night as the Individual Time Trials, but thank God they have a TV the cottage.)

Are you obsessed with the details and inner workings of the Tour? (Well, I can tell you the leaders: Pereiro, Sastre, Kloden, Dessel, Evans, Menchov, Leipheimer, and I suppose poor Landis. I even know the teams, the significance of the other jersey colors: green, white, and polka dot in addition to yellow, many of the mountain passes and more!)

So you can see, I’ve been reduced to a sad Tour junkie. Although I did see it go by once when I was living in France, and have followed the highlights, it’s the first time I’ve ever watched the tour in its entirety. (It’s usually on cable in the U.S.) I suppose this year the Tour is especially engaging since Lance retired and quite a few of the big name riders are out because of doping scandals. Anyone of the top five or six riders could win!

I’ll probably experience some post Tour withdrawal and need therapy, so if there are any other Tour junkies out there, send me your suggestions.