So I'm sitting there watching the tour again this evening (- yes "Nerd" is in the blog's title...) trying to catch the key words that I couldn't remember for the Fly to the Finish game that Versus, Bicycling, and Saab are hosting. 

Up comes Bob Roll's (http://www.bobroll.com/) question of the night which essentially is: Will there ever be a Tour of America?  As is noted on the show, while there are well supported tours of both Georgia and California - there isn't one of the entire US. 

Now I'm going to paraphrase Bob here but his answer was "Yes when we run out of gas.  Until then America has Nascar."... Cycling Motivation and Nascar - However, I like your answer Bob, and I have to agree...

BTW - It was a brutal day on Le Tour - not so much because the course was brutal but because two of the overall (vs. sprint, climbing etc.) favorites, both from team Astana, had major crashes.  The first to Kloden didn't seem major but reports are he may have broken his coccyx (last bone in your spine) the second to Vinokourov looked brutal and left him with a truly nasty road rash but apparently he's also in the hospital being checked for broken bones.  Note both men finished today - but the ride by Vino after his crash to pull within 1 minute 20 seconds was inspired - let's just say that both men showed more heart in 'playing' hurt then most US professional athletes (I know if my right hip as much like raw hamburger as Vino's; I'd be on my way to the hospital - not riding up a mountain at 20+ mph.)