Tour De France Update: Mettle Man

Text by Christian Camerota

Bionic human pin cushion Lance Armstrong is no stranger to needles. The 37-year-old's seen his fair share during cancerous trials, doping probes, and post-crash repair jobs (to busted limbs and bikes, alike).

Apparently the only scars left from having his body and mettle tested as if he were a military prototype, though, are the ones he's seered and continues to scald into the French countryside. There's no getting around it: You put this man on a bicycle and he makes just about anything else in the world seem possible.

Rick Reilly's got a poignant, succinct look into Armstrong's chase for his 8th Tour title here and his clever turns of phrase (he refers to Armstrong as "cycling's Dorian Gray") coupled with a tale of impending triumph that's hard to muck up make for a great read.

ADVENTURE will continue to post updates on the Armstrong Comeback Story Redux, along with the rest of the Tour, until its conculsion July 26th. Stay tuned…