Are There Tour de France Meltdowns?

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For every bit of hero that Lance Armstrong is, I highly doubt that he's a nice guy to be around during competition. Not that it'd be surprising... No truly driven person ever is, as there is no time for pleasantries when there are championships to be won. But does this backfire from time to time with teammates? Do the cyclists that make up the various support teams ever get pissed and have mid-ride fantasies about knocking their leader off his bike?

... It's day 12 and they're up in the mountains.. the oxygen is scarce and biting wind tears through their jerseys.. rain smacks their faces from every direction and their bollocks have long gone numb.. some crazed goon waving a loaf of french bread and an Italian flag nearly knocked them out of commission - again... Lance Armstrong and Team Discovery just blistered by them, obliterating any and all chances at victory.. And then their leader starts getting lippy.. "We have to make up time... you're holding us back... we're slow... your fault... blah blah blah." And they look at him and start thinking that he's no better than they are. "That arrogant, smarmy bastard. Nothing makes him special. If it weren't for us, he wouldn't be in this position. We made him, allowing him to reap the spoils for our hard work. He's nothing without us... A fall would do him some good."

Were I in that position, I don't think I'd be mature enough to handle it. Captain Leader would find himself a victim of my attitude problem, hopelessly tangled in his bike on the side of the road. Oops! My foot kicked your tire. My bad, boss. I thought it was that Italian fan.

Kudos to these cycling teams for holding it together, both physically and mentally. The mental fortitude that one must possess to endure an experience so grueling is something that few can fathom.