Floyd Landis cracked in a huge, sad way today on the ride up to La Toussuire in the Tour De France. He lost all energy and couldn’t keep up when his rivals took off, speeding away and up the climb. It was a long, long day, but those last 11k probably were the longest of his life. Chris Carmichael, writing on Bicycling Magazine’s website, offered some context and condolences in his "Everybody Bonks Sometime article.

We’ve gotten so used to Lance Armstrong’s kevlar-strong performances. We’re not used to seeing real heartbreak like Landis’ – a catastrophic failure for the ages –  from the yellow jersey wearer. So, I found myself thinking yesterday after the Alp D’Huez that Floyd would just cruise into Paris a’la Lance and sweep up his first Tour win. But, today was a reminder of why we all love the race: the drama, the heartbreak. And, even though my guy is not going to win, it’s still a beautiful spectacle.