the buzz log

There will be hundreds of competitors. The race will be over 1,400 grueling miles, hit 17 towns and end, as tradition dictates, in Paris. But this Tour de France has a new twist: It's prisoners only. However, the only chain gang here has sprockets and spokes.

The pack of prisoners will be overseen by guards on bikes, along with prison sports instructors. No breakaway sprints (the actual term) will be allowed. And although there is a prison at each leg of the race, participants will sleep in hotels. We can't possibly foresee any problems with this scenario.

In a preview of what might be to come, the penal race for 176 convicts, the first of its kind, will be viewed at least by one prisoner as a "kind of escape for us." You don't say.

The jaunt for jailbirds begins next month. The French say the bicycle race is actually a therapeutic form of rehabilitation. And good behavior could result in early release. Let's just hope the early release doesn't happen inadvertently during the race.