Thursday, 7/6

Well...that's an unfortunate turn of events.

First of all, I'm back! Hope you had a great holiday weekend. I myself enjoyed my five day weekend, as weird as it was. Hopefully, I can find me more of these in the future because, you know, everyone deserves something like that. It was during my five day weekend, though, that I discovered a longstanding summer tradition of mine is going by the wayside.

I'll no longer be able to watch the Tour de France each evening for the next three weeks.

Some of you may recall this long-standing tradition of mine, in which I gaze longingly at the French countryside while listening to the rather zen-inducing voice of Phil Liggett as he calls the race. Since I started doing it a decade and a half ago every stage of the race has been on NBC or one of its cable networks, but as I discovered last Sunday that's not the case this year. Nope; after tonight's stage they're moving the whole race--kit and kaboodle--over to their streaming service Peacock, which means that unless I want to subscribe to yet another streaming service I'm screwed out of the race until the final stage in two and a half weeks.

Thanks, NBC.

Part of me realizes why they're doing it. After all, it is a bit of a niche event, but fans of the race are hardcore, and sending them over to a (pay) streaming service to watch the race does make a little sense, especially when your streaming service (Peacock) is NOT doing very well, either financially or subscriber-wise. But I already subscribe to four other streaming services, as well as cable. I do not want to subscribe to another one just to watch three weeks of a bike race, no matter how much I like it or how longstanding of a tradition it's been.

I'm just not.

So, the tradition is coming to an end. and maybe, in a way, its a good symbolic time for it to happen. The rider I've enjoyed watching over most of those 15 years, the amazingly talented Peter Sagan, is retiring after this year's Tour is done. He holds the Tour record for most green jerseys (given to the best all-around rider, as opposed to the one with the best time) and he was a joy to watch. However, several injuries and three (!) bouts of Covid have left him not up to his usual standards the past few years, which is why he's calling it quits.

And seeing as how NBC's coverage is apparently not up to their usual standards anymore, either, maybe it's time I should be calling it quits, as well.

Sadly, traditions must, inevitably, come to an end. I was kind of hoping this one would go on a bit longer, but circumstances were not to be. So just let me say thanks, Tour de France, for 15 years of thrilling races, beautiful scenery, and a way to spend my July evenings.

It won't be the same without you.

(jim@wmqt.com)