I first watched the Tour De France back in the mid 1980's. On the weekends, CBS broadcasted segments of each stage from the prior week and showed live coverage of the weekend stages. It was at that time that I fell in love with the Tour de France and bicycling.

I have watched the tour every summer from 1985 until the present, except for one summer when I was far away from any TV's. In 1987 I began doing some serious riding. In the spring & summers of 1988 thru 1991 I rode an average of 45 miles per day (that includes 1-2 day(s) off per week).

Back then during the summer weeks of the tour, I was inspired and driven as I spent 8 hours per day exercising in the form of bicycling, boxing and martial arts.

Back then I had assumed that I would be making a living in athletics/ sports. But, my life took a different path. And I must say that Politics was absolutely the very last thing that I would have ever thought I would be involved in.

I don't get the bike out much these days, but I am still glued to the tv during the tour. The nearly 2,000 mile race that goes through the Alps is still just as inspiring to me as it was back then.

This year the tour was especially special. Lance Armstrong was back. I have never seen so many fans along the roads as this year. The French people came out in record numbers in order to see and cheer on Lance Armstrong. The Versus channel does a great job of covering each days stage race live.

Lance did not win this year, but his accomplishment (finishing 3rd) was truly amazing. The media and many Americans didn't pay as much attention to the tour this year when it appeared that Lance was not going to win. But, after a four year layoff and a very bad crash earlier this year, a third place finish is truly amazing. His performance this year was as incredible as his prior wins.

Bicycling is a team sport. And Lance was not the team leader for his team -Team Astana. His teammate Alberto Cantador (Spain) was declared the team leader and Lance and the rest of the team had one mission - to get Alberto Contador the overall win. And they did just that. This was despite the fact the Contador was not a team player himself. Contador is arrogant and showed no respect for Lance Armstrong. And so it was difficult to watch Lance work to get Contador the win.

If Lance had been on a different team, he may have been able to finish second this year instead of third. His conditioning wasn't back to the level it was in previous years and so it would have been difficult for him to defeat Contador this year. Contador has been called one of the greatest pure climbers in the history of professional bicycling.

But, Lance was inspiring once again. He will return again to the tour next year. And next year Lance will not be on the same team as Contador. Lance will be on a brand new American team sponsored by Radio Shack. Lance will be ready and he will train like a machine over the next 12 months you can be sure. He was disrespected and he will make Contador regret his rude remarks and behavior.

Lance has a talent of putting together a strong team. Contador will struggle at putting together a team, because he is not a team player. If Lance doesn't have any crashes in the spring races next year then I predict that he will defeat Contador (who many experts think is unbeatable) and win the tour once again.

This years tour was a true classic. Next year's tour is still a year away, but I am already looking forward to it.

The tour is always special to me. It's always magical and inspiring to me even when America has no strong riders in the race. But, this year it was extra dramatic and exciting.

Thanks Lance Armstrong.