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Tour De France

I have a close relative that has been riding in one of the team cars. First time for him. He says those drivers as well as the cyclists are amazing drivers. There is no room on the road to start with, then you put all those cyclists going as fast as they do, then people standing on the side of the road, most of them half wasted waving banners, running along beside the cyclists, etc. , then the specially built motorcycles on which sits the driver and a cameraman whizzing along and manuvering to get better shots -- it's amazing hundreds don't die every tour.

I think the tour is an amazing show of courage, mental challenges when exhausted, and terrifying possiblities faced by a bunch of relativly small athletes in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. It's memorizing, but really hard to compare with watching other sports like football or soccer or b ball where action is relatively constant.

But then, I have watched matches between some of the best chess players on earth from an adjoining room, and have found that too very compelling.

I just enjoy each of the different ones that I enjoy and don't try to compare them with others I enjoy. Those I don't like to watch - like bowling or curling - I just don't watch.

But I do like to bowl and I never would ride in the Tour de France or any of those tours.
 

The more I have come to understand the in's and out's of The Tour, the more exciting it is. Second by second strategy that changes by the second. I cycle about 65-70 miles a week, and watching these guys going well over a hundred miles a day is mind boggling to me. IMO they are the best conditioned athletes on earth by far. Both physically and psychologically.

Much like my daughter who had no understanding of baseball and football. After watching it and having it explained to her she now truly enjoys both.
 
In the Tour today, a cyclist threw a water bottle after it was empty. And the commentator made the remark that that was a 600 $ fine. My question is what are those guys suppose to do with the empty bottles? Seems a little over board to me. Thats my rant about the Tour!!! But what an epic decent Vingegaard almost kisses the pavement, saves it. Then Pogacar does kiss the pavement. Only to have Vingegaard wiat for him to catch up. Then Vingegaard wins going away.
 
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bugeaters1 said:
In the Tour today, a cyclist threw a water bottle after it was empty. And the commentator made the remark that that was a 600 $ fine. My question is what are those guys suppose to do with the empty bottles? Seems a little over board to me. Thats my rant about the Tour!!! But what an epic decent Vingegaard almost kisses the pavement, saves it. Then Pogacar does kiss the pavement. Only to have Vingegaard wiat for him to catch up. Then Vingegaard wins going away.
Click to expand...

Oh man......

I shouldn't have read your post! Damn! LOL!.

I have been watching the replay every evening!

As I understand it, they are "supposed" to discard the water bottles back to the team car, and/or the discard stations set up along the route.

I heard that it wasn't legal for the riders to discard randomly along the route, but it wasn't being enforced. I am obviously mistaken about the enforcement if you heard that today. The intent I believe is the possibility of the water bottle bouncing back onto the course and causing crashes. In fact the other day (2 or 3 stages back) it did exactly that. Caused a crash when a rider hit it with his front wheel. He was injured but not to the extent to have to exit the tour.
 



CO4NU said:
Oh man......

I shouldn't have read your post! Damn! LOL!.

I have been watching the replay every evening!

As I understand it, they are "supposed" to discard the water bottles back to the team car, and/or the discard stations set up along the route.

I heard that it wasn't legal for the riders to discard randomly along the route, but it wasn't being enforced. I am obviously mistaken about the enforcement if you heard that today. The intent I believe is the possibility of the water bottle bouncing back onto the course and causing crashes. In fact the other day (2 or 3 stages back) it did exactly that. Caused a crash when a rider hit it with his front wheel. He was injured but not to the extent to have to exit the tour.
Click to expand...
I seen where that bottle came back onto the road. But normally the riders discard the bottles in the country where it's not a factor. Sorry to spoil the race for you today.
 
Hadn’t watched in several years, but this was a fantastic Tour. The best really rose to the top.
 
GREAT Tour. With Vingegaard being only 25 and Pogacar 23, there is going to be some wars coming in the next few years.

Even Wout Van Aert at 27 (best rider imo) has a number of battles left in him.

Will be fun to watch.

Going to miss it.....
 
My relative returned with all kinds of stories. He has some commercial interests in the race, and a number of the riders are his customers. He got out of the special car and stood by the side of the road at one point, and as the riders came by, one of his riders waved at him and called his name. He said he had never felt so important in his life, and all the spectators were buzzing about who is that guy, and when he got back in the car and chased off after the riders their jaws dropped.
 




The 2023 tour started today, I haven't watched it yet. But hope this year's race is as good as last years.
 
CO4NU said:
The more I have come to understand the in's and out's of The Tour, the more exciting it is. Second by second strategy that changes by the second. I cycle about 65-70 miles a week, and watching these guys going well over a hundred miles a day is mind boggling to me. IMO they are the best conditioned athletes on earth by far. Both physically and psychologically.

Much like my daughter who had no understanding of baseball and football. After watching it and having it explained to her she now truly enjoys both.
Click to expand...

They don't call you "Sidecar CO4NU" for nothing.
side.jpg
 




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