I didn't swoon. I never yelled at the TV. I never gaped in awe at an out-of-this-world performance. So, why am I so completely INTO the Tour again??? I think because of those things, rather than despite them. For those of you (all two of you, thanks, Dad) who have read these....

Few locations transcend the sport quite like Belgium. Wind-swept, wet and cold climate on cobbled terrain better suited for tanks than skinny tires. There's a reason they're called Belgian hardmen--the apex of resilience....

What is to be done? If you use the interwebs, then you know: Cycling has dopers. The sport we love has a surfeit of riches, measured by vials of EPO, CERA, and bags of boosted blood. Seems awful, doesn't it?....