BK/Cub Reporter is in France and Reporting!

Photo credit: PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images

What Cubbie and Hubby might be seeing this week.

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from everyone's favorite Tour reporter, Cub Reporter (also known here as BK). She was just checking in one last time, from the airport, before her plane left for France.

She and her trusty traveling companion, her husband Bill, was with her and they were ready for all of their travel. Literally Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Plane to France, train to destination town and cab to hotel.

I'm happy to report that Cubbie and hubby (just came up with that and it is too cute...) are in France watching the Tour DAY France on French television. Although she gathered up a few reports before she left and sent them to Tim, she's fast and furiously writing another one right now as they watch le Tour. The indication I get from the text is that it will be classic Cubbie. You'll want to watch for it over on Tim's blog.

Cubbie will meet up with Bob Roll this evening and I'm sure hijinx will commence. She has told him about all of the questions and, apparently, dares that were forwarded to her courtesy of this blog and their own site. I think Bob is a little in awe and maybe, just maybe, a little fearful since we know that Cubbie is fearless and we may just see her on the mountains painting or on top of one of those straw structures along the side of the road. Mostly, she wants to get something bobroll.com related on television. She will be lobbying for a shirt or a hat or something on Bob during coverage. Do any of us doubt that she will make that happen? Keep watching.

Just got another text from Cubbie as I type. "We're in the hotel sitting room watching let tour in French. Charming. I'm gonna go get a shower SOON. France is sticky". Ok...she's got travel fatigue and needs a shower after traveling for hours and hours. But, it's 'charming'. I'm slightly jealous. Ok, maybe more than 'slightly'.

I asked if the French coverage has a Phil - you know the excitable kind of announcer. She says "Yeah. He gets all excited. It's great. They have an Al, too. Sounds just like Al's voice in French."

As for le Tour itself. I was disappointed to see Floyd out of the yellow after yesterday. Tim thinks that Phonak was smart.

"However, given the circumstances,

I think Floyd was imminently smarter

than most people assume; the pressure

to defend is now shifted to another team,

leaving Phonak with a few days to simply rest

until arriving at the really hard stages in the Alps."

Bob thinks that Floyd is strong but that his team doesn't have what it takes to get him in yellow again for Paris.

"Sacrifices have to be made to win the Tour.

If it means making your men

ride on the front until they pass out, well,

that is one of the things you have to do.

If you aren't unwilling to do that,

you don't deserve the yellow jersey."

I disagree with both of them. Eek! Did I say that out loud?

I don't think Phonak was smart letting those guys get such a lead on them so that they lost the yellow jersey. Who am I, right? But couldn't they have worked a little harder to keep the 8 second lead? I'm not talking chase them down like dogs and put in all that effort since they have a long way to go before Paris, but I don't think I'd want to give up the yellow jersey, even with the pressures that come with it. Who knows if you can ever get it back? Stuff happens. We've all seen it happen. Flats. Bonking. Crashes. All take time away from you. Giving someone over a minute. I just wouldn't want that to happen. But, that's just me and I'm not sweating my butt off over there either. Nor do I have mountains to climb in a couple of days.

I think that both Floyd and his team are strong and, if they put their collective efforts together they will be just fine and all riding yellow bikes in Paris. Floyd is, obviously, the toughest one on that team. But, I think his guys will rise to tho ccasionon. Hopefully, there won't be any bad 'stuff' to happen and they will rock in the Alps. After all, we all know Floyd kicks in the mountains - but he will need his team to lead him up for part of it so he can really shine.

I'm still confident in Team Phonak with Floyd at the helm. No worries.

Just Tour DAY France tidbits for today. Thanks for stopping by.