The "Manx Missile" Mark Cavendish has been ruled out of the rest of the "Tour De France" after severely dislocating his shoulder in a high speed crash in the sprint for the line in stage one of the three week race. This is very disappointing for British cycling fans in Yorkshire where the race started who were hoping to see Mark win and thus take the lead and pick up the famed yellow jersey for the first time. Unfortunately he now has to retire from the race before it's even begun.
I love the Tour de France. Three weeks of hell on a bicycle as around 200 supreme athletes race up impossibly steep roads, bash their bodies over cobbles and complete a lung busting circle around France of around 3000 km. These guys are brave, risking their lives as they hurtle down mountains, and totally mad for putting themselves through the pain barrier, all to achieve eventual glory on the grand boulevards of Paris. At the moment, the leader of the race and likely winner is an Englishman, Bradley Wiggins. For a Frenchman, the idea of an “Anglais” in the yellow jersey and winning their race for the first time must be a galling experience (sorry for the pun), however Bradley has, after a lot of scepticism, started to win over the doubters.
