Tour de France, or Tour de Trappiste?

Last year at this time, five friends and I were bicycling into Liege, Belgium to watch the start of the Tour de France.

Throughout last year’s Tour, the dominant motif was the number six, as in Lance Armstrong’s unprecedented sixth victory.

Six also was the magic number for our bicycling group, as we had resolved to ride a 500-mile circle around Belgium while visiting all six of the country’s Trappist monasteries that brew beer.

Sampling was not optional.

When we rode into Liege, two monastery breweries had already been visited, and four remained. After Liege came the “mountain stages,” i.e., the Ardennes – not exactly the Alps or Pyrenees, but bigger hills than we’d planned on attacking.

But we made it through, ending a week later at Westvletern in West Flanders, and with a Belgian television film crew following our progress as we completed the trek and quaffed the victorious ales.

Tour de France, or Tour de Trappiste?

Why not both?

In 2005, Lance has returned for what I hope is a seventh and final victory lap before retirement. My respect for his bicycling achievements is immense. It is well documented what he’s overcome to accomplish his athletic feats; it's simply an incredible thing to be alive much less excel in his customary manner.

I’ll be following the progress of this year's Tour de France … and remembering last year's Tour de Trappiste.

Orval or Chimay, anyone, with a Croque Monsieur and Frites?