So what’s been happening while I’ve had my nose stuck in Photoshop and the Pescadero Coastal Classic images? As we know, a rather muted version of Tour frenzy is poised to burst onto the scene on Saturday. And we hear that Lance is going to ride RAGBRAI, or rather a day of it... That should turn it into a frenzy and a delight for the race promoters.

Are you a gambling person? I’m not, but I just received this press release: The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com has calculated individual odds on 30 individuals participating in the grueling three-week long race. Italian cyclist Ivan Basso, who finished second to Armstrong last year, has been inserted as the odds-on favorite to win the Tour de France at 11/10 odds. PinnacleSports.com lists five-time Tour runner-up Jan Ullrich with the second-best odds to win his first yellow jersey at 9/4 odds. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who's known for his prowess in the mountain stages, is listed at 11/1 to emerge victorious, followed by Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov at 13/1. Meanwhile, Floyd Landis (14/1) and Levi Leipheimer (30/1) are solid contenders to become only the third American to capture the Tour de France title in the race's illustrious history. Other riders that should compete for the championship include: Cadel Evans (25/1), Yaroslav Popovych (30/1), George Hincapie (35/1) and Francisco Mancebo (50/1).

So Jan has the second-best odds of winning, but some folks are wondering if he’s gonna get nabbed for questioning by the Spanish Guardia Civil when Stage 11 ends in in Val d'Aran, Spain. I guess Jan is starting to experience all the media crap that Lance has put up with for years.

Hey, we got a cyclist who needs our help, bigtime. The story is on cyclingnews.com this morning. “Bret Neylon (Heroes Foundation Cycling Team), a middle school history teacher and running coach from Brownsburg, Indiana, crashed while racing at the Summer Solstice road race in Wilmington, Ohio. Nylon, 39, suffered a fractured C3 vertebra causing him to lose all feeling from the shoulders down,” Mark Zalewski reports.

The Bret Neylon updates website says, “The treatment center of choice is the Shepard Rehabilitation Hospital in Atlanta. The family, insurance company and doctors are all in favor of this move. It is one of the best and if not the best facility in the country for Bret's condition. Bret will need $7,925.00 to fly from Dayton to Atlanta on a medically equipped airplane. The flight has to be paid for upfront. The Bret Neylon Support Fund is currently able to subsidize half of that amount. “

If you recall, that’s where Saul Raisin got such great rehab treatment. (I’m wearing my green and white Raisin Hell band, are you?) If some damn, rich airline won’t kick in for the flight, then we all gotta help out. If it was you or me or our family, you’d be damn glad to get some help. When a lot of folks give a little money - it can really add up.You can click on the Link below to read everything and kick in a few bucks. Yeah, I know that I ask you to donate and four people respond, but let’s do a little better for this guy, OK? Follow the link to find out why we should help and to donate....