I was just reading a wire story recapping this year's tour with a focus on other riders anxiously hoping for Lance Armstrong to retire. The story mentioned a banner posted on the most arduous climb of the tour by an American fan.

A roadside banner on the mythical L'Alpe d'Huez featured a map of France in U.S. stars and stripes with the words: "American owned and operated since 1999."

Bwahahaha!