An Epic Race Finds Its Hero, the Flying Dutchman

Yesterday was a rest day for the competitors of the Tour de France, and while I (like many another fan) suffered from withdrawal, there's no doubt that they needed a day off.  The ninth stage was sheer madness, and one part of it was utterly horrifying:

Johnny Hoogerland of the Netherlands somersaulted in the air and fell into a barbed wire fence. He needed 33 stitches to close his bloody gashes. But he managed to finish the stage despite the untold agony of his injuries and even to wear the King of the Mountains polka dot jersey. That's heroics, people.  Not to mention the manliest tears ever.

So as we return to the road today, MM salutes the courageous Hoogerland. Johnny, you look great in those polka dots.

This year's Tour seems to be dogged with crashes, disasters, and injuries -- carnage on the road. So many people have had to drop out, and Alexandre Vinokourov's hair-raising crash ended with a fractured femur and a helicopter ride to Paris for surgery.