A regular visitor to the grandstand reminded me that this week is indeed one of the most outstanding weeks in the theatre of sport, particularly if you are a spectator.

Think about it. We have some of the most high profile contests going on all week. We have the Tour de France going on in Europe and at the same time there is Wimbledon’s grass court championships and then the postponed (from last year) Euro 2021. In the latter event the very best Football nations in Europe contest the trophy over a few weeks.

I can usually enjoy watching the Tour because of the outstanding scenery if nothing else and someone in the grandstand here has gone over there to watch it and fills me in about all the intricacies of the event. I cannot get as excited as he does because although I ride my bike daily it’s a machine that does not have any gears and only one back pedal brake. I like it as is and wouldn’t consider even showing it any lycra.

The Tour proper goes for three weeks and covers more that 3 thousand kilometres. Individual days can be up to 250ks and the sprint just 30 k’s. I’m not sure which is more important the teams event or the individual honours. When it comes to individuals, have you worked out just what the different colours mean?. The Yellow I know is the overall leader while the green jacket is for the points leader. Then of course there is the spotted jersey which is for the leader of the climbs. Okay but I bet you didn’t know there was another colour for combativity award (probably blood red)

Now to Euro which is the name it is known by. Some sixteen nations contest this event. It has been going in its current format for less than twenty years unlike the Tour which has been going for more than a hundred. The final will be in London at Wembley stadium and by the time you read this we will know if England makes the final. They have to beat Denmark who were involved in that collapsing incident I spoke about last month. England had an easy win against Ukraine in the quarter final but had to account for arch enemy Germany in the pool match. It is the first time in 25 years they have made the semi.

Finally there is the Tennis championships at Wimbledon and what price a ticket for the final of that and the football. All our hopes are with Ash Barty as usual and I will have a story about her in a later column.

Another very big sporting event concluding this weekend is the Stanley Cup which is the trophy for the winning Ice Hockey championship which is the big deal in North America’s sport. Its one of the few occasions where Canadian teams can compete and defeat their American cousins. It really is a bigger deal than our Origin matches so I am told.

So it will be a bit of an anti-climax when the third Origin match comes about. Antiques Roadshow again gets relegated to the backroom this week.