Comeback Kid Wins Tour de France

American Floyd Landis, who lost the lead on one of the final stages of the Tour de France, only to gain it back a day later in one of the most stunning comebacks in sports history, has won the Tour.

Think of the odds he had to overcome:
1. He was raised in a Mennonite family in Pennsylvania, and was discouraged from seeking the individual rewards of bike racing.
2. His right hip is completely degenerated (the awful-sounding medical term is osteonecrosis -- yuck!) from previous injuries, and he needs a hip replacement right away.
3. He "hit the wall" on a mountain climb just three stages from the finish, losing his energy, his lead and a seemingly insurmountable eight minutes.
4. Perhaps worst of all, he was named Floyd.

For the relatively few Americans who followed the Tour de France on Outdoor Life Network, in their local newspapers or elsewhere, this was an extremely close and exciting Tour, culminating in Landis's precipitous fall from first place in Stage 16 and his astonishing climb back to the leaders' group the next day in Stage 17.

For the millions who watch baseball instead, tant pis!