So, You Think You're Tough?

What? Guys in lycra don't meet your standard of macho?

Brajkovic goes out with a concussion and many stitches.
Radio Shack is losing riders...fast!

 It might be time to revisit that perspective.

If you want to ride in the Tour de France, make sure you pack your suitcase of courage!

The 2011 edition has been fraught with carnage. Major contenders are out (Wiggins, Vinokourov, Horner). Teams are decimated (Radio Shack has lost four riders, and Leipheimer is well-bruised). And the peloton...rides on.

If you have been living in a cave, or if you are not a cycling fan, you may not have seen this video.

THAT's not the punchline. Here's the punchline: both riders finished the day. Johnny Hoogerland—he of the barbed wire—finished the stage. Why? Because he is a professional cyclist. Because he is tougher than you or I will ever be. Because he would podium to take the polka-dot jersey—a dream come true.

He would end up with 30+ stitches. But he is still in Le Tour.

So, do you still think you're tough?

Here are a few more to consider:

Tom Boonen, former world champion and one of my man-crushes.
digging deep after his 437th crash of this year's Tour.

Juan Manuel Garate gets a close shave

Vino looks none the worse for wear—other than the broken femur.
This guy's a legend. The surprising thing is that he didn't keep riding.