Tour de Lance Update
USA Today has a great wrap-up of Lance Armstrong's record-tying fifth straight victory in the Tour de France, the world's most grueling athletic event. The New York Times also has good coverage, as does Lance's hometown paper, the Austin American Statesman here, here and here.

ABC News has a look at how age is affecting Armstrong, shown at left with his wife Kristin and their three children. This Reuters report details some of the many problems that dogged Armstrong throughout the Tour, and why he says that, despite victory, his performance was "unacceptable."

This story from the Los Angeles Times looks at what it'll take for Lance to win a sixth TdF. Miguel Indurain, the Spanish rider whose record of five straight Tour wins Armstrong has now equaled, says Lance stands a decent chance of winning a sixth.

Tyler Hamilton, the American rider who finished fourth despite riding 19 of 20 stages with a broken collarbone, says he'll always look back and wonder "what if?"

The Christian Science Monitor says the American audience for the Tour is growing. And Bloomberg News says lance's five straight victories has caused an upsurge in American cycling-related tourism to parts of France and has this interesting juxtaposition of news stories: A neurosurgeon on two weeks' leave from the U.S. Army in Baghdad made his way to the Alpe d'Huez, one of the Tour de France's legendary mountains, to yell his encouragement. He held a banner proclaiming: "Go Lance! Go Postal."

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel had a story a few days ago looking at the carbon-fiber technology in Armstrong's bicycle frame, made by Trek Bicycle Corp. in nearby Waterloo, Wis. I'm currently saving for a Trek 1500. It's not the same model Trek that Lance rode up the Luz-Ardiden climb, but it's a rather nice bike. You can help me get it sooner by dropping some change in the tip jar.