The Week Ahead
FRIDAY 7/1
Hollister Independence Rally What can you expect at the rally that inspired Marlon Brando's 1954 flick The Wild One? How about 150,000 bikers descending on tiny Hollister, Calif. (pop. 34,413), to preen on their hogs, arm wrestle and display their body ink in a tattoo contest?
SATURDAY 7/2
Tour de France It's all about Lance, as the six-time winner begins his 10th and final tour for his new Discovery team. Germany's Andreas Klöden--who returned from a four-year tour hiatus to finish second to Armstrong last year--and 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich are among those aiming to unseat the Texan. The 21-stage event kicks off with a 19-kilometer time trial from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-I'lle. (Through July 24.) OLN, check listings
Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 Jeff Gordon defends his title at Daytona in the traditional holiday weekend night race. Gordon also won the Daytona 500, so a victory would make him the first driver since Cale Yarborough in 1967-68 to win three consecutive points races on the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who used to dominate restrictor plate races, hopes a return to the track where he's won six times will turn his season around. With 10 races left until the Chase for the Championship--the top 10 qualify--Junior is in 18th place. NBC 7 p.m.
MONDAY 7/4
Independence Day Active folks can celebrate the Fourth of July at the Peachtree Road Race (left), the world's largest 10K. More than 55,000 runners are expected to wind through the streets of downtown Atlanta. If you're looking for something less taxing, Kenwood, Calif., is hosting the 39th annual World Pillow Fighting Championships. And the Double A Bowie (Md.) Baysox will try to make history. They'll give out 4,000 whoopie cushions in hopes of breaking the world record set in 2004, when 3,970 folks in Kusatsu, Japan, sat down simultaneously and created a mighty wind.
TUESDAY 7/5
In Stores: MLB Superstars Show You Their Game Softball gold medalist and This Week in Baseball correspondent Jennie Finch hosts an instructional DVD with tips from big leaguers. After going into the batter's box with Barry Bonds and on the mound with Mark Mulder, Finch lets the players take a crack at her riser. "She had good stuff," says Albert Pujols, who tipped his hat to Finch after she struck him out. "I don't want to experience that again."
 
SI PICK OF THE WEEK
SATURDAY 7/2
Beach Party
Fresh off their win in the Beach Volleyball World Championships in Berlin last Saturday, Misty May (left) and Kerri Walsh return to the U.S. for the AVP Nissan Cincinnati Open. The 2004 Olympic champs have put together 28 consecutive match victories in winning all five AVP events they've played this year, and their success has started rubbing off on people. At their last AVP win, in San Diego in early June, Walsh's fiancé, Casey Jennings, won the men's draw with his partner, Matt Fuerbringer. Says Walsh, "Now is such a fantastic time to be a volleyball player." NBC 4:30 p.m.
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COLUMBIA/THE KOBAL COLLECTION (BRANDO)
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DAVE MARTIN/AP (GORDON)
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JOHN AMIS/AP (RUNNERS)
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OLIVER LANG/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (MAY AND WALSH)
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PRODUCTIONS (DVD)