Polka-dot jersey kind of ride…

Last weekend Alicia and I did another long ride – this one 71 miles round trip. It felt a lot longer, however, because of the hills. Part of the route was similar to the preceding week’s ride, but the part that looped a bit farther north was also quite a bit steeper. We agreed that we should go around perpetuating the kind of graffiti we appreciate so much on Huron River Drive:

You see, the polka-dot jersey is awarded to the Tour de France cyclist who is the best at climbing hills. They get points for big climbs that are separate from the overall race, and throughout the race, the rider with the most points gets to wear the jersey. There are a number of different classifications, and each of them comes with a special jersey. The yellow jersey is worn by the rider with the best overall time, the green jersey by the rider with the most points, the polka-dot jersey for climbing, and the white jersey for the best young rider. Some enterprising individual painted a tiny polka-dot jersey on the road at the top of the largest hill on Huron River Drive, and it is a delightfully motivating little symbol.

Only a few days left until the big ride, so I’m taking it pretty easy. It’s also 101.8F today, so I’m trying not to die as well.