O.I.A. V

I've been wrapped up in watching the Tour de France the past three weeks as usual, and I have a funny story to tell related to it.

There is a guy who works in the hardware store below the market who's become a friend as we occasionally have lunch out in the courtyard at the same time.  He actually enters chili contests and has qualified for the world championships in Tennessee this year (in green chili so far).  Anyway, he enjoys watching any kind of sports on the tele and knows I geek out on cycling, and the Tour de France in particular.  So, he's been watching the stages at night and the other day he came up to me while I was working in aisle 2 and asked a question.

It was after stage 17 where Valverde took the mountain top win and Froome and Wiggo were close behind.  He wanted to know why Froome had obviously waited for his team leader while it was clear he could've forged ahead and likely taken the stage win himself.  I glanced over my friends shoulder, noticing a Couple looking at some products, and then explained to him the answer about being a good teammate and all, and how Froome had already won a stage.  We got to discussing it and how it looked like the two riders were talking about the situation between themselves as they were racing.  I jokingly stated that Froome was probably asking Wiggo if he had forgotten to dope up that morning, and then my friend chimes in that maybe he was trying to offer him his water bottle with the 'good stuff' (I love watching cycling and always will, but I'm under no illusions about its rampant doping problems).  We had a chuckle about that and he headed off while I got back to work.

As I go by the Couple who were right behind us on the aisle the whole time, I notice that the dude is Barry Bonds.  Yes, that Barry Bonds!

Now, what are the odds of that?

I suppose it would've been slightly more ironic if it was Lance Armstrong.  But only slightly.  (I've sat next to L.A. at a restaurant in town before as he's a part time Aspenite these days)

Only in Aspen.

By the way, Bonds wife/girlfriend is smoking hot.  And he doesn't seem quite as big as he used to be ... hmmmm.  Maybe television does put on 10 pounds ;)