The 99th running of the Tour de France starts tomorrow in Liege, Belgium. For all the controversy, and allegations of drugs and everything else; remember that in the early years they rode on dirt roads, smoked cigarettes and drank beer and wine in every town. And they did it with Singlespeed bikes. I for one can look past the crap that plagues all of professional sports and listen intently to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen’s timeless voices. I can TiVo the mind blowing high-def aerial coverage. And I can be inspired by some of the best athletes in the world who ride their bikes for three weeks at an average speed of 20-30 miles per hour for over 2,000 miles. Trés bien, n’est pas? Allez!
The New Yorker has posted some great vintage photos.

And just ride.