On occasion I’ve watched parts of the Tour de France.

It might have been moments of “what if,” but it was just as much curiosity. What does it take to not just race but speed through villages, varying terrain, mountain passes and a pack of cyclists who want the yellow jersey as much as you do.

Equally as striking is the roads crowded by spectators. The European two-lane roads frequently looked reduced to a single lane and change because of the number of spectators, hard-core fans cheering on the race and their favorite riders. I’ve seen moments in other races where fans are trying...