Vive le Tour, Volume 101

It's time to drag out my all-time favorite picture of a bicycle ...

God, look at the thing!  I think it's a mid-90s Tour de France Bianchi.  If the picture was bigger you would see that the Tour route is painted on the downtube.  Plus the polka dots on the back stays -- the polka-dot jersey signifying the leader of the King of the Mountains competition just as the yellow jersey signifies the GC leader.  And those celeste-green mag wheels!  Celeste being the most famous color in bicycling.

Bianchi, just so we're clear, was the state-of-the-art bicycle back in the day.  It's since been eclipsed by any number of manufacturers; even dropped out of the Tour when the Liquigas team disbanded (Liquigas being pronounced "leaky gas", which I always thought was unfortunate, since the last thing one wants from one's gas is a leak).  Lately they've made a comeback, however.  Which makes me, as the rider of one (a celeste Veloce Ten for you completists), happy.

And the record should show that no matter how many Cervelos or Cannondales whiz by the Tour de France spectators, they don't have pictures like this back at the front office ...

Check out those shoes!  Magnifico, Fausto!

Only nine more days til the running of the 101st Tour.  Maybe ten.  Either way, be still my heart.