Guardian of the Gate and Le Tour Day 1

I post my blog in several places - same blog, different audiences. I receive commentary from people in a variety of formats through personal Emails, comments and direct response posts. It's usually my post that creates the controversy, but earlier this week it was a response that caused it. The concerns voiced by my friends about a response to one of my posts were valid and absolutely correct. They were stunned by a comment that was angry, bigoted, and almost vitriolic, and to be quite honest, so was I. But I didn't delete the comment or moderate it although I attempted to respond to it in a kind and caring way.

I didn't strike out because I am a believer in free speech. There have been many times when I don't agree with words spoken (or written in this case), but there is a right for the person to have said them. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I DON'T CONDONE EITHER THE WORDS OR THE SENTIMENT THAT WAS EXPRESSED. As I told several of you, I'll be watching things carefully and, if necessary, I'll act in a more forceful manner. It is my hope that the issue won't arise again but I'll be prepared to use my "delete" and my "block" options if it does. Now...on to more fun stuff.

I am a Le Tour de France addict and this year's race looks like a great one. It's the 100th time that the race has been run and the course is killer! The whole race goes through July 21st, covers more than 2000 miles, and leaves a trail of riders and events behind it that are unlike any other sporting event. I'll be glued to my TV in the mornings, we'll have it set to replay throughout the day at at the store, and on good days I'll also watch the prime-time recaps. Yes! I'm happy, I'm excited, and I'm looking forward to seeing who will be wearing the Yellow, Green, Polka-dot and White jerseys on the Champ-Elysees on the 21st. Yeah!

What a great route we have this year. We start today in Corsica, we'll hit the mountains - lots of
them, and even travel to Mt St Michel one day. Outstanding!

Today's stage is Stage 1 and it begins in Corsica with 213 km from Porto-Vecchio to Bastia. The course is relatively flat so the sprinters will be front and center for the end of this stage. By the end of the day we'll have our first jersey winners and things will be underway. I can't wait!