Same time next year:

The Tour de France is over for another summer.

For three weeks we've revelled in the daily (pace the Monday rest days) pains and pleasures of the hard men of cycling - speculated on team politics; delighted in the hard won success of our favourites; shared the disappointment when other riders fell back.

Despite our efforts with those unexpectedly strong winds, and our cloud bursting chants of 'Go Lance, go' we couldn't quite hold back the strength of the spaniard and the luxembourger - and the founder of the Livestrong charity hardly looked very thrilled with his third place finish. But Armstrong's promised to be back next year - with his own team, riding his own race.

Even though he may no longer have that razor edge he used for seven years to cut away the competition, Lance Armstrong still seems a cyclist very much worth watching.