Spotlight: It may be called the Tour de France, but the international bike race that sets off today is not limited to a ride through France. Cyclists push off from a starting point in the principality of Monaco; from there, the route also passes through Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Italy, with most of it running through France. The first Tour de France was run in 1903: 60 riders rode 2,428 km (1509 mi) in six stages. Only ten riders finished the race. This year, some 180 bikers will begin the 3,445 km (2,141 mi) route, through 21 stages, finishing on July 26. The record-holding winner of seven consecutive Tours de France (1999-2005), Lance Armstrong, has announced he will be participating again this year after a three-year retirement. He will be riding for the Astana team.

Quote: "One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle." — Michael Palin

Question of the Day: What are the main differences between the penny-farthing, the safety bicycle, and the modern bicycle?
The penny-farthing had no gearing between the pedals and the front/drive wheel, so the front/drive wheel had to be made really big to get any speed out of the bike. This made the bike prone to toppling forward while braking.

The safety bike had a chain between the pedals and the rear/drive wheel. By having a bigger sprocket by the pedals and a smaller one at the rear wheel you could get the bike up to speed while still retaining a more practical wheel size.

The modern "utility" bike is in principal very similar to the safety bike. It is most likely lighter, has better brakes and the ability to freewheel; it might have any number of gears, but the basics still remain.

Today we have all manners of specialized bikes, full suspension MTBs, flimsy road bikes and everything in-between.

Holiday: Fourth of July (United States Independence Day)

Lou Gehrig

Today in History:

• Walden: Henry David Thoreau took up abode in a small cabin he built himself near Walden Pond, where he spent two years in simple living (1845)
• Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland: Lewis Carroll told Alice Liddell the tale that became the book (1862)
• Lou Gehrig: afflicted by ALS, the baseball player bid farewell to fans at Yankee Stadium, calling himself that day "the luckiest man on the face of the Earth" (1939)
• Philippines: gained independence from the US (1946)
• Operation Entebbe: hostages taken by pro-Palestinian hijackers were rescued by Israeli commandos in Uganda (1976)
• Deep Impact: space probe fulfilled its primary mission by colliding with Comet 9P/Tempel to allow examination of the comet's interior (2005)

Gina Lollobrigida

Today's Birthdays:

• Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882): Italian patriot
• Stephen Foster (1826-1864): composer of minstrel songs "Old Folks at Home" and "Camptown Races"
• Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933): laconic, no-nonsense 30th POTUS
• Abigail Van Buren (91): advice columnist, "Dear Abby"; her identical twin who also wrote a popular advice column, Ann Landers (1918-2002), shared this birth date
• Neil Simon (82): Tony/Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter of The Odd Couple and Lost in Yonkers; plus, novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
• Gina Lollobrigida (82): Italian actor and photographer; actor Eva Marie Saint (85) shares this birth date
• John Waite (54): rock singer

Word of the Day:  Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg

Lake Chaubunagungamaug, also known as Webster Lake, is a lake in the town of Webster, Massachusetts, United States. It is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1,442 acres (5.83 sq km). The translation of the name of the lake is believed to be, "Fishing Place at the Boundaries -- Neutral Meeting Grounds". This is different from the translation, "You fish on your side, I fish on my side, and nobody fish in the middle", a hoax believed to have been concocted by the late Laurence J. Daly, a Worcester newspaper correspondent.
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, a 45-letter alternative name for this body of water, is often cited as the longest place name in the United States and one of the longest in the world. Today, "Webster Lake" may be the name most used, but some (including many residents of Webster), take pride in reeling off the longer versions.   (© Wikipedia)

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