The biking world is on a roll (sorry) over the elimination of Ted King from the Tour de France. He missed Tuesday’s cut-off by 7 seconds. As if watching his team compete without him for the next 3 weeks isn’t enough, his parents had flown over to the finish of the next day’s stage to see him ride. Ouch.
There are real-life details to upper-level competing that aren’t obvious from the worm’s-eye view. At Rolex one year, I overheard two parents talking. Both of their kids were hot favorites to make that year’s team, but the selection trials were not over. They were comparing notes on whether on not to book their international flights. Get a low rate now and lose the money if kid does not make the team? Wait and spend more? Were they jinxing it by buying? Showing a lack of faith by waiting? Such dilemmas had never occurred to me.
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Been There, Done That will be commenting on Tour de France 2013. So far Episode I & Ep I, Part II.
Virtual Brush Box 
More cheering section woes: dateline 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I lived in Lexington, KY, a bare 6 hour drive to Atlanta. My godmother lived in Conyers, GA, an easy five minute WALK to the cross-country course. (Walk, not drive, not shuttle, not try to park; in fact, you could see bits of it from her house.) My coach was on the long-list for the selection. Perfect storm, right? No, the three days of the Kentucky Bar Exam, which I had to take, were, you guessed it, the three days of the Three-Day. Insult, injury, and serious sulking.
The Tour is passing near here today and tomorrow, but I have to confess to 0 interest… I’d rather watch Wimbledon.
And there are people who live near Wimbledon who would rather be at the TdF. The world can be quite inefficiently organized at times.
Bring back Billie Jean King and I’ll watch Wimbledon. š
I have a neighbourly interest in Andy Murray!
Good luck to him!!