late thoughts on the tour de france

i find myself overwhelmed by twitter recently, especially during cycling races.   everyone is chattering, mainly about the same thing.  a crash, an illegal gel pack pass, or whomever won that day's stage.  i often think i have nothing more to add, as people post more eloquently than i.  so now, i'll present to you my thoughts on this year's 100th tour de france!
spoiler!  chris froome won.  was this a surprise to many?  no, not at all.  team sky has a knack for finding good riders, making them skinny, and leading them to a tour win.  they've become a real powerhouse in the cycling pro world.  don't worry, my heart still lies with garmin (whomever else decides to be a sponsor that year).  chris froome has an interesting back story too, so that makes him all the more appealing.  last year's winner, sir bradley wiggins, had already made his name in the world of track cycling.  i admit, i am jealous of the brits, they seem to have more readily accessible cycling viewing.  froome also had great assistance with his star domestique, richie porte.  it was also beautiful to have the final stage finish at dusk along the champs elysées.  i watched with my dad.  i cherished being able to explain the sport i love to my dad.
isn't that the best part of cycling for americans?  you are able to share your passion with your friends and family.  it's hard to ignore when cycling is engrained in you.
the rider that excited me the most this year was nairo quintana.  how fantastic of a rider is he?  i can't wait to see more great things from him in the near future.  he rides with pure panache.  not only did he get the white jersey, but also the polka dot.  for those unfamiliar with the tour, the white is the best young rider, and the polka dot is the best climber.  he's a bit like alberto contador reincarnated. hopefully without the cow doping. i am excited to see more colombians in cycling.  they seem like they were born for the mountains.
mount ventoux is always my favorite stage.  this time, the riders got to go up the mountain twice.  i am a big fan of uphill finishes.  the scenery is always fantastic.  i make sure that our office tv is always showing the tour de france.  it always starts a great conversation around the office, and i hope to get more people in to cycling.  the beauty of the french countryside helps a little as well.
all in all, the hundredth edition of the tour de france really lived up to it's hype.  there was the usual banter of doping and what not, but that's to be expected for the next few years.  sky seems to dominate the tour, so it will be interesting to see what happens next year.  until then, we still have the vuelta a espana as the last grand tour of the summer.