Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Here is the final kilometer (actually, the final couple of kilometers) of yesterday's stage of the Tour of Spain. Note the medieval fortress on the right, as well as the cobblestones over which the two breakaway riders are pedaling. Imagine someone who built the fortress observing this race and wondering what is going on. In case you're wondering about the race tactics, the two men in the breakaway cooperated with one another for several hours to ensure that the peloton didn't catch them. When they reached the final kilometer, they became rivals. Each wanted desperately to win the stage, but only one of them could do so. The key to winning a two-up race is to stay in the slipstream of the other rider until you're ready to sprint to the finish. In this case, the rider in green had nothing left when the rider in white attacked him. It was a well-deserved victory.