On a Downhill Cycle

摘要

This year's tour de France, Which began on Saturday, is a prodigious test. Not just for the riders who climb, sprint and sweat their way along the three-week, 2,270-mile journey across the Alps and countryside. It's also a prodigious test for cycling's future. After seven straight victories, Lance Armstrong is no longer competing. Yet his legacy of success-coupled with fresh allegations of his wrongdoing—is casting a shadow over the start of this year's already chaotic race.