Quick Step's and Stepping Out...

The Quick Step Team's Tom Boonen, pictured here, is not vengeful. He's excited beyond the extent of a normal expression. My daughter Jannelle, on the other hand, is exempt from being beyond expression... she lost at go-carts all night and still found a smile amongst her racing peers. He feels 'darned' good, and well - so does she !

Boonen and his team just worked their way to the end of Stage 6 of the Tour de France, where he was accurately set up to escape a huge pileup at the 1km banner (most Tour hopefuls were in the crash, including LA). Jannelle wasn't as fortunate as she was spun easily by her comrades before completing her first lap. Dakota should have time taken from her overall G.C. She was given the 'black mark' upon her wristband. In the NFL this would be first down and fifteen yards, easily.

It's amazing to see these guys hammer to 40+ mph after they've ridden in excess of 100 miles at speeds averaging near my sprint ability. Unfortunately, Robbie McEwen, the Aussie, was left in the pack during the crash and lost his Green Sprinters Jersey today. A Frenchman, Voeckler, still wears yellow tomorrow. Lance still sits at a deficit of 9:35 behind Voeckler, but this is not a concern. Voeckler, and the other four or five riders with better times than Lance are not climbers, or contenders.

Stepping out were Petacchi and Cipollini, two of the Tours greatest sprinters, neither of whom were able to start the day. Kelley and I met Mario (Cipo) during the Tour de Georgia, and managed to get his signature, along with Jakob Piil (team CSC), Bobby Julich (American, team CSC), Ekimov (team USPS), and Gord Fraser (US domestic team). We're hopeful of procuring other signatures during the Tour, but by the looks of the masses, it appears it may be a futile attempt as there are ten's of thousands of onlookers... some pushing in on the barricades to the extent that fans get in the way of finishers. We're very hopeful that the crash that occurred today will be one of a diminishing variety as we move forward toward our visit in St Leonard de Noblat come Tuesday. Good luck Lance and US Postal. Our hopes and wishes are with you all !