Lance and the Race, Up Close and Personal

OK, it’s not this year’s Tour de France, but it is the Tour de France, and it is Lance Armstrong, and it is an amazing up close and personal look at the athlete, the race, and the surprising clutch of friends and fans who travel halfway around the world to see Armstrong do what only he can do.  Published in the July issue of Outside, this piece is excerpted from "Lance Armstrong’s War," by Daniel Coyle. Here’s a tease:
"With seven miles left, Rubiera finished his turn at the front and
Azevedo took over. After a hard acceleration, 11 riders had been
reduced to four. Then Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, the rider whose
talent Armstrong feared most, slid slowly off the back. Azevedo kept
going, his face delirious, until the race had been distilled to Basso
and Armstrong, tunneling through the orange throng of Basque spectators."
Nice writing, great story. Read more and buy the book.