How exactly did the word "queen" enter cycling parlance to describe the decisive stage of a tour, grand or otherwise? Did the Queen of Belgium, or Spain, or Holland ever ride one of these stages? Or watch them? Did winning the mega-climbfest earn the rider an audience? Surely, somewhere beneath Ibsen, old Sports Illustrateds, and sewup glue tubes, TC has a book that explains this.
Anyway, by the time Cycling.tv signs on, the riders will have covered enough feet of climbing to bring my muscles into shock, and the hostilities won't really have started. Enjoy! I might be a somewhat silent hand this morning.