Nike released their newest LIVESTRONG spot today…  I’m a huge Tour geek, and an ardent Armstrong fan.  I just hope he can recover from his flat on the pavé in Belgium.  This was filmed on the final climb for this year’s Stage 7 – Station des Rousses – the first day in the Alps.  Hey Lance – continue on your promise to be ‘The Hammer‘.

There is a 3 week span in July each year where I am virtually worthless at night.  I find myself spending massive amounts of time on my couch – remote in hand, watching 180 of the fittest athletes on earth climbing mountains on two wheels, racing through the countryside faster than the average commute, and literally wrestling each other to the finish line in an all out pedal mashing sprint.  This year, Versus has nearly perfected their online presence for their coverage of The Tour de France.  They offer several levels of quality – from low quality via the free selection to a full HD experience, on demand, with their paid season pass.

Versus brings a very strong social element to the site – pulling in the Twitter feeds of Lance Armstrong, Team SlipStream, and the official TDF tweet stream.  Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Bob Roll and others on the broadcasting team each contribute semi-regular blogs during the 3 weeks the tour rolls through France.  Additionally, there is an extremely active communitycontinously interacting on the message boards – debating the likes of who is the odds on favorite to win the individual stages, sharing photos from the action, and kibutzing the team dynamics of Team Astana.

While I still spend hours on my couch each night watching these men on wheels fly through French countryside, I find that a quick peek (ok, sometimes it’s a bit longer than that if the stage is exciting) on Versus’ site makes for a great viewing experience as I kick off my work day…