Last year, my friend Bruce Aldrich joined me for the final eight days of the 2006 Tour de France. He took hundreds of image and a good supply of video during his maiden voyage to the race.

As an elite athlete and skilled photographer and videographer, Bruce made an 18 1/2-minute video called Eight Days On The Tour de France, 2006. I'm biased but I believe it provides a unique combined perspective on the race  — from a fan's perspective and as an insider who traveled as a journalist on the course.

After a decade at the Tour, this condensed eight-minute version of Bruce's video also perfectly summarizes my experiences at the Tour. I like to call it "A Wondrous Grind."