TDF
Tour de France. I know, what’s this doing on Fastpitch West? Just a nod to my cycling friends and fans of the race, which started on Saturday, July 5. July will be, of course, the biggest month for fastpitch fans, with the WBSC World Cup and more just around the corner. But it’s also the month for road cycling.
The Tour de France is cycling’s ultimate test of endurance – a three-week odyssey across France covering over 2,000 miles of punishing terrain. Riders battle mountain passes, sprint stages, and time trials while racing against the world’s best cyclists. It’s considered the most prestigious and grueling bicycle race on Earth, where only the strongest survive to reach Paris and claim the coveted yellow jersey.
Jasper Philipsen claimed the first yellow jersey of the 2025 Tour de France after winning the opening stage in a sprint finish.
Mathieu van der Poel is the rider I root for, in part because we both ride the same bike. (Canyon). He is riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck at the 2025 Tour de France. Van der Poel played a key role in helping his teammate Philipsen secure the yellow jersey, in the first stage, acting as a crucial part of the team’s sprint train. Can anyone beat Tadej Pogacar ? Perhaps not, but it will be a great month to watch the race unfold.