The Official 101st Tour de France, thread.

[1066familyman]

Mental crowds!

Such a big crowd approaching that first cat 4 KOM points line that an attack from the back wasn't easy for Edet. The Brittany rider not reading the script there. Two more cat 3's to go for today.

 

[Stat Brother]

[MENTION=11928]vegster[/MENTION], I can't help thinking the impossible to count 2m spectator hyperbole might be a little understated.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Yawn

 

[Stat Brother]

I hope no newbie asks 'why has that bloke ridden away from the other two'.
The answer 'because he's Jens' doesn't really stand up.

 

[wakeytom]

I hope no newbie asks 'why has that bloke ridden away from the other two'.
The answer 'because he's Jens' doesn't really stand up.

But why?

 

[Stat Brother]

http://teamjva.com/jens-voigt-soundboard/

https://twitter.com/JensVoigtFacts

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4...-Tour-de-France-with-help-from-kids-bike.aspx

 

[Stat Brother]

This is mentals.

 

[Hillian1]

Why are the crowds allowed to get so close to the riders?

There must have been only a couple of foot of road left there.

 

[Hamilton]

This is mentals.

Bordering on madness. Eagerness. Thirst for it.

I love it.

 

[Hamilton]

And go Jens. Please get that Polka Dot jersey.

 

[Stat Brother]

Why are the crowds allowed to get so close to the riders?

There must have been only a couple of foot of road left there.

Tradition, this is the sport of the people (well if you're French anyway).

You can't barrier an entire Alpine mountain.

Naturally it does have it's drawbacks.
Many a moron has interfered with race outcomes.
This years Giro had a few spectacular incidents of idiocy, one might have cost a rider the days win.

There's a lot of adverts from riders telling fans to give them space.
The riders do also take action themselves, punching and ripping shades off.
Also you do get other fans self policing.

 

[1066familyman]

Why are the crowds allowed to get so close to the riders?

There must have been only a couple of foot of road left there.

Because it's very much the people's sport:

No tickets required, let alone piss takingly priced ones.

No being herded like cattle.

Rub shoulders with the 'stars' before and after the race.

Ride on the exact same course as the 'stars' at your leisure ( but not whilst the actual race is taking place of course )

 

[Hamilton]

You can ride on the same roads, but you'll never be able to keep up an average of 40kph (25mph) over the entire route. We* can pretend to be pro's, but by eck they go at some lick.

*except [MENTION=16720]Indurain's Lungs[/MENTION]

 

[1066familyman]

Tradition, this is the sport of the people (well if you're French anyway).

You can't barrier an entire Alpine mountain.

Naturally it does have it's drawbacks.
Many a moron has interfered with race outcomes.
This years Giro had a few spectacular incidents of idiocy, one might have cost a rider the days win.

There's a lot of adverts from riders telling fans to give them space.
The riders do also take action themselves, punching and ripping shades off.
Also you do get other fans self policing.

I promise I shall never pass up the chance to post the Wout Poels Giro d'Italia manoeuvre whenever the opportunity arises

[yt]WF_k238buqs[/yt]

 

[wakeytom]

I promise I shall never pass up the chance to post the Wout Poels Giro d'Italia manoeuvre whenever the opportunity arises

[yt]WF_k238buqs[/yt]

Real sport of the people stuff that

 

[1066familyman]

Real sport of the people stuff that

It's really very simple. Don't act like a plonker and you won't be treated like one. It's a trust thing that shouldn't be abused. No screaming for a policeman or a steward when you get your comeuppance in this sport.

Plenty of examples of fans themselves taking action against plonkers, as SB pointed out.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Not a fan of riders being dropped out the back because the roads are so narrow. Real roads please.

 

[Stat Brother]

Real sport of the people stuff that

What the clip doesn't show is the fella acting like a football banning order further up the road.

This guy, same day, same mountain, was lucky not to get a good shoeing, as he pushed Mr Green into the back of Mr Yellow:-

 

[wakeytom]

What the clip doesn't show is the fella acting like a football banning order further up the road.

This guy, same day, same mountain, was lucky not to get a good shoeing, as he pushed Mr Green into the back of Mr Yellow:-

Fair enough, didnt seem to be doing much there!

 

[Leekbrookgull]

I would imagine the noise and intensity of the crowd near the summit as the ''lead riders'' come through is something else ?