英语博客(A cup of English):051 The Tour of California

　　Beginners.

There are some special times in our lives when we come into contact with greatness, with people who have done great things. My husband experienced one of those special moments about a week ago. He had flown down to California with a couple of friends to watch the Tour of California. He was fortunate enough to have a friendly, business connection with Rabobank which is a major cycling sponsor. Because of this connection, he and his friends were able to travel in a Rabobank car close to the professional riders. They were able to get close to these famous athletes before and after the rides. One other thing that they did, was to ride some of the same routes as the professionals, but several miles behind them. This gave my husband and his buddies 1 firsthand experience of the difficulty of this competitive sport. I think the trip will become an annual event, something to look forward to and to plan for during the year. I might go with him next year, even though I am not a cyclist. The tour obviously takes place along some beautiful countryside, so it would be worth going at least once.

Grammar notes.

Useful expressions: to come into contact (with), a business connection, before and after, firsthand experience, annual event, even though, at least.

Related vocabulary: sponsor, tour, connection, route, professional, event.

Verbs: To come into contact.Ex: The diver came into contact with the strangest kind of squid that he had ever seen.

To be able. Ex: I will not be able to come to the party. She had not been able to find her passport in time for the flight.

*Subjunctive: It would be worth going, even if it rained. ( you can swap 2 the clauses). Even if it rained, it would be worth going.

Advanced.

What does it mean to be a fan, to be an enthusiastic follower 3 of a personality or activity? Have you ever experienced the thrill of hero worship? It's quite common. My sons are fans of certain sports personalities 4 and actors, and my daughter is a fan of Hello Kitty. My fifth child, my husband, also has certain idols 6, but he hides his enthusiasm better than the children. On his recent visit to the Tour of California he was lucky enough to see some of the big names in cycling like Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, and David Zabriskie. It was, of course, a complete thrill for him and his group of friends who accompanied him. I'm sure that being a fan shows a desire to have achieved that which we are admiring. The funny thing is, last year when he went to the Tour, they did actually experience being worshipped by fans. Let me explain. They had spent a large part of the day cycling behind the peloton,-a long way behind. Nevertheless, they crossed the finish line where fans were still applauding, yelling, and waving flags. Little did the fans know that these very late athletes were nothing to do with the race. So, my husband and his buddies were celebrated 7 as professionals who had just completed the Tour of California. Cameras were flashing and devotional pats on the back were given. It was like an accidental dream come true. Hey, if you can't be a professional cyclist, you can always trick a few fans into believing that you are.....

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: fan, personality, hero, thrill, worship, idol 5, recent, the finish line, buddy 8, devotion.

Verbs: To hide (hide, hid, hidden); to accompany (reg); to admire (reg); to applaud (reg.).