The Tour de France Needs a Champion: YOU

Take Back the Tour -- not to be confused with Take Back the Night, though it wishes to be taken just as seriously -- is a movement that aims to "champion [Tour de France] riders who compete clean, while giving a platform ... to [their] passionate fan base."

More to the point, it reminds bike junkies that VERSUS (the sponsor!) is "the exclusive cable television home of the Tour de France."

"Show me another sport that's as tough, as demanding and as epic in its grandeur, grit and beauty than the Tour de France, but it's a competition that has seemingly lost its way over the past few years," said SVP Bill Bergofin of Marketing and Promotions for VERSUS. "[This] campaign ... will provoke a dialogue ... which will hopefully help to restore the Tour to its glory."

Three cheers. Having done that, watch two of the campaign manifestos (their word, not mine!):

o Fans
o Riders

For an effort encouraging fans to "screw the politics," those spots felt pretty political -- and ardent, too. But the Tour de France just does that to people, or else I'm still heavily under the influence of the bike I bought three weeks ago. (It's not just a mode of transport. It's a way of life.)

VERSUS will host coverage of the Tour de France from July 5th to 27th. Expect about 14 hours of blood, sweat and tears per day.

The agency responsible: Concept Farm.