Hi there. I'm off this week.

Apparently we're more productive at work after a good holiday.

So I'm counting this Caribbean rum distillery tour as professional development.

Yours calling.

Take your holiday as seriously as British Airways Holidays

Take Your Holiday.

Atoll protected.

The We're taking a break before the Juro de Talia on the Bradley Wiggins show,

but to tide you over until the return of Grand Tour racing, here's an episode of Eurosport's

Cycling History podcast, Recycle, on the man Brad

went toe to toe with. Lance Armstrong's crash and fight back for victory on Lutz-A-Diden in the 2003

Tour de France.

With the yellow jersey of Armstrong, the Yuskutal orange of Iban Mayo, the Celeste Bianchi blue of Jan Orrick and the electric pink of Alexander Vinokorov's Team Telecom,

even the vibrant colours of the 2003 Tour de France, played out during a fierce European heat wave, set

the race apart. Before it became a mere asterisk, the American's record equalling fifth

tour triumph was a race for the ages. It was the hardest fort of Armstrong's GC wins and one

equally filled with intrigue and controversy.

Stage 15 to Luz Ardiden was, in particular, according to author Richard Moore,

arguably the most dramatic and important single stage in his seven tours.

Even before the peloton rolled out of Banyer de Bighour that morning,

for the third successive day in the

Pyrenees, the defending champion had been racked by tensions and doubt. Armstrong, then 31,

...