Scott Martin

I love the Tour de France. I just can't afford it.

Not the entry fee. (Is there an entry fee ?)

No, I can't afford to watch the Tour on TV. Specifically, I can't spare the 45 bucks a month my swell cable company charges for the Bowling Channel, the Annoying Celebrity Gossip Channel and 37 other "premium" channels I don't want plus the one that I do: Outdoor Life Network, home of the Tour.

So -- like a chunky sprinter who climbs with one hand on his team car's door handle -- I must find other ways to maintain contact with the peloton.

One option is to get chummy with someone who has OLN.

Naturally I want to see the live coverage, which starts at 6:30 a.m. here in California. So I show up at my new best friend's house around dawn with a box of Fruit Loops. (Never come empty-handed.)

"Hey, Bob! I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by. Mind if I flip on the tube? Say, those are some nice pajamas."

A second option is to get somebody to tape the coverage.

Advantage: less friendship wear-and-tear.

Disadvantages: (a) you have to spend 3 weeks avoiding your moron cycling buddies who greet you with "Can you believe what Lance did today?" and (b) you're at the mercy of another person's VCR skills.

Nothing like settling in to watch the l'Alpe d'Huez stage and getting 2 hours of bass fishing.

Of course, you can follow the action live online at cyclingnews.com. But you'll probably have to log on at work. Try explaining to your boss why you just vaulted out of your cube screaming, "In your face, Ullrich!"

Hmmm, maybe it'd be easier to get premium cable. Besides, I never did find out who caught the biggest bass.

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Tell Scott to pay the price at scottmartin@roadbikerider.com

page mise en ligne le 17 juin 2004 par SVP

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