An Open Note to Bicycling Magazine

The idiots at Bicycling Magazine who send out their daily Tour email don't understand the protocol behind NOT spoiling the race result.

Day after day I get an email from them with the stage result trumpeted in the subject line.

I weep for the audience who hasn't had the time to watch the latest stage and I shake my fist at Bicycling for not waking up.

How hard would it be for the people running emails at Rodale to just put - STAGE 17 Results - in the subject line instead of - Sastre Takes Yellow From Schleck?

That's like telling other people who got booted from Top Chef or what happened in the latest episode of Burn Notice.

I know you're living in Floyd Landis country and might not have the knowledge of how technology should be used. But let this serve as your friendly reminder that some people don't flip to the last page of a book to see how it turns out.

Thanks in advance for fixing your methods.

15KM to go in Stage 15

Here's the last of my updates to you before I post the 9PM spoilers.

At 15KM from the finish, the four breakaway riders are still in the lead by 12:35. The pace behind them is heating up and riders are being dropped off the back.

The last of the climbs for the stage is about 3KM away and it's a biggie - a category 1.

Riders who have been flung off the back include O’Grady, Sorensen, Eisel and several others.

As mentioned, the next few entries will appear after 9PM EST so as not to ruin the race result for those of you who hate SPOILERS.

And into Italy we go

Stage 15 is where the heat gets turned up on the riders. The hills become alive with the whir of the cassette and the riders start to feel lactic acid build up in their legs.

Little climbers will go skyward and sprinters will abandon the tour. In fact, I'll check with race radio in a second to see if there really are 157 riders left in the Tour at the start of this stage.

Also, even with six stages left after today, the riders get one more rest day tomorrow and then it's north toward Paris.

If you've been slouching and not paying attention, the only think you've missed so far are two doping scandals, one team abandoning the race (an entire team), a rider from the UK winning FOUR stages and Australian Cadel Evans solidifying his hold on the overall lead.

This will be dual posted at JeffCutler.com and at TDF08.com. But if you're rabid for racing news, come on over to TDF08.com for regular stage updates.

As always, no spoilers until after 9PM EST.

Tides

The tides here on the eastern coast of the United States are such that right now it's low tide and there is abundant beach for sitting and reading or people-watching.

SO, I'll be back here in an hour or so with some more updates. Then the spoilers will kick in later tonight.

Please let me know if the time that I'm posting spoilers is OK or if you'd rather have the recaps earlier in the day. I've only chosen 9PM EST because it's 6PM on the West Coast and gives people a little time to watch their Tivos and DVRs with recorded race results.

More shortly...