Tour talk: “Really making a meal of this one”

As a lover of language, I really enjoy listening to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen do the Tour de France commentary. One of the great things about being an expat is that you often get to ride with a mixed group of people – Brits, Germans, Australians and even some strange Canadians. It can be a vocabulary-expanding experience. In Guangzhou, I achieved an amazing fluency in Australian. In Hong Kong, my daughters absorbed an array of Britishisms. When I eventually settle in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I hope I can find a diverse bunch to ride with.

Anyway, while watching the Tour today, I started jotting down some of the marvelous soundbites from Phil and Paul.

When one rider (I forgot who) was obviously just trying to survive the mountainous stage, Paul observed that the guy was just trying to get through his own “piece of purgatory.” Phil noted that tomorrow’s stage would be a “real cracker.” When it became apparent that Christophe Riblon would win the stage, Paul said, “The newspapers will dance with him tomorrow for sure.”

Then when it became super obvious that Riblon would win, they said, “The Frenchman at the front is really making a meal of this one.”