Le Tour de France (was:Tas ARC 2005) - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

fro · 11-07-2005, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tortfeaser

The Tour de France was better watching than the F1 last night.

Le Tour de France is fantastic, even if it's a general expectation that Lance will win in Paris.

Which led me to thinking about why the Tour de France coverage is interesting to even people like me, who only have a passing interest in cycling. Yet both of the motorsports on the weekend (F1 and ARC) are losing their appeal to myself (and others)?

Is it the quality of the competition? That there is an abundance of stage winners, even if there is one person who is generally accepted as the favourite? Is it the number of competitors? Is it the location?

Or is it the quality of the coverage (and commentary)? Is it that the commentators are people that have a genuine passion for the sport?

I don't pretend to know the answer, but it was an interesting to question to ponder while I walked at lunch...

Jme · 11-07-2005, 07:31 PM

I'm a huge fan of "Le Tour" and have watched it religiously for the past few years. I even watched it over the cricket!!! .....and I'm a cricket tragic.

I think it's got two things going for it.... firstly tradition. That's the thing that makes South Sydney, Wimbeldon, Ashes, the Monaco GP etc great... tradition equals passion.

... secondly and it's just got raw sporting drama which alot of motorsport has lost.

Trevor · 11-07-2005, 10:49 PM

I love Le Tour, have done since getting into cycling 10 odd years ago.

For me I love

The variety - Time trials, Team TT, Sprints, and the Mountains. This of course allows for the multiple jersey's and multiple stage winners.
The team tactics involved in it, I find most people who are not interested in the event, have no idea that it is really a team race, and that Lance wouldn't be able to win as often as he does without the team he has behind him.
The fact Aussie's do well, at least in the sprints and it is good to see outright contenders coming through as well (Rogers/Evans).
The "human element" to it, it isn't just watching cars go round and round, you get to see the faces, see the suffering. You really want to see the breakaway succeed, for example I really wanted to see Mengin win the stage, when he fell on the last corner and Rasmussen in last nights stage (really hoping he wins the polka-dot jersey this year, even though I have never heard of him before).

TK · 12-07-2005, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jme

I'm a huge fan of "Le Tour" and have watched it religiously for the past few years. I even watched it over the cricket!!! .....and I'm a cricket tragic.
I think it's got two things going for it.... firstly tradition. That's the thing that makes South Sydney, Wimbeldon, Ashes, the Monaco GP etc great... tradition equals passion.
... secondly and it's just got raw sporting drama which alot of motorsport has lost.

Since 2000, I've been a fan of Le Tour - I didn't realise so many others were such big fans too!

After spending a short time travelling through France that year, I was enthralled (as you are) by the countryside. Looking at the Tour route that year, it passed over some of the exact roads we took over the North-western Alps, stopping at the alpine village of Morzine. The route was pretty steep and challenging in many places.

And they ride this stuff for around 200km a day for 3 weeks - it's just awesome!

Then, at Olympic time, we had the chance to actually watch these guys in the Road Race around the Eastern Suburbs. Their speed and skill is amazing. You feel the force of the movement and sound of the pelaton as is rushes past - at about 50 to 60kmh or more on the flat!
IIRC, Ullrich won, with Armstrong 4th or 5th.

The coverage now on SBS is excellent. Phil Liggett is no doubt the "Murray Walker" of Cycling, with Paul Sherwen as his "Martin Brundle" (I can't imagine Sherwen as a "James Hunt"!).

TdeF...5 stars!

PS Fro..Time for a thread spilt. Maybe "Le Tour" commentary could go in the Event Reports

tortfeaser · 12-07-2005, 12:11 PM

Le Tour rocks. For all the reasons so eloquently described above. Cheers to SBS for the live coverage of all the stages. I'm shattered at work this winter, with the cycling, cricket, F1 on at night.

Stuff I like about the TDF - individual genius wrapped up in great teamwork - you're not going to win unless you're a freak with a great team; all the small etiquette and great sportsmanship on display - remember Ullrich waiting for Armstrong on le Tourmaline last year after a spectator caused Lance to fall?; all the tactics - Discovery giving up the maillot jaune to let them have a break from defending it; etc.

Its a cracker. I used to do a fair bit of riding and at my best could manage 45km/h for about an hour on the flat. These guys do 50km/h all day, for three weeks, up and down. And over 20km/h on cat 1 climbs. Unbelievable.

Jimbo · 12-07-2005, 12:24 PM

I'm an avid fan as well. Much the same reasons that every one else has mentioned, but also due to the fact that everyone is on an equal footing.

I'm sure there's some technology in those bikes, but it's not like one team/rider has a bike thats above an beyond the limits of others... Ie traction control/Active diffs/tyre compounds blah blah blah

Rock on the Le tour

fro · 12-07-2005, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tortfeaser

...all the small etiquette and great sportsmanship on display...

I was really struck by this. This is the first year I've really paid attention to le Tour, and the etiquette in the riding seems to be pretty complex, but important.

It's certainly interesting to watch...

rowdytoot · 12-07-2005, 12:50 PM

I've been in love with Le Tour since my teens (so a while now!), the comradery and sportsmanship (doping scandals aside) is amazing, not like any other sport at all..

There are such complex 'rules' in the peloton it's amazing, and the cool thing is, that cos everyone has to live in that pack for 5 hours a day for 23 days, everyone looks after each other to a degree.

According to Lance, that's the one thing he really struggled with when he came to Europe, he didn't understand that no one likes arrogance in the peloton, and he admits to be the bullish angry, agressive young Yank, everyone hated at first.

"give an inch, win a friend" I think was the quote. ie. give a little room to someone else, everyone stays upright, and then they'll return the favour if you need room later..

The power and endurance of these guys is amazing. I've been to the Tour Downunder in Adelaide a few times- after doing a lot of cycling in my younger years, and no way could I get my head around the climbing speeds of these guys.. Where I would,even after riding 300 km a week for a year,and having my Dad's Ironman Triathlon mates reckon I had pretty powerful legs, where I'd struggle to hit 15 km/hr uphill, they were doing 30 no problem at all...

Scary, wonderous, beautiful... I think that sums up Le Tour for me.

If you wanna understand more about the human side of it, winning it and Lance especially, read "It's not about the Bike". A fantastic read, not only about cycling, but about life IMHO...

Rowds

tortfeaser · 12-07-2005, 12:52 PM

I reckon the sports where participants are physically quite close together with weapons or similar necessitate good etiquette. Like golf. Or shooting.

I thought of another plus - the way riders from different teams work together for a common goal...for a while, and then its on. So you'll get a group trying to get a break, all of a different team, then sprint for points or the finish. But if the group had 2 guys from the same team, the peloton wouldn't let them go - to much advantage for one team. And there's a bunch of etiquette about how much work you do in a break - passengers are treated harshly, and about whether particular punters in the break get to go for points. If you've been a passenger in the break, then go for the sprint points you'll likely find yourself bashed afterwards.

Then there's the communal stop-for-a-pee. Funny stuff with >150 guys by the side of the road.

TKM · 12-07-2005, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Then there's the communal stop-for-a-pee.

I thought they just pissed their pants while riding.

Trevor · 12-07-2005, 02:50 PM

Sometimes they don't even bother stopping to pee. I remember about 3-4 years ago they cut to a shot of lance armstrong, you couldn't see "anything" but you could tell he had it out and was peeing into a bottle. Needless to say the camera didn't stay on Lance for very long.

I also like the Domestiques (spelling?), funny seeing them riding with multiple water bottles shoved down their jersey's so they can provide water to the rest of the team.

rowdytoot · 12-07-2005, 03:29 PM

the funniest one was Ulrich in 1996 or so, coasting along @ 20 -30 km/hr with a nice stream coming going towards the verge on the side of the road, one hand on the handbars, one on the equipment...

Rowds

tortfeaser · 12-07-2005, 03:51 PM

If you're not up with this year's tour, see http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005...ts/tour05rest1 for action to date. Last night was a rest day. Then to the Alps tonight.

Trevor · 12-07-2005, 04:26 PM

Or

http://www.letour.fr/

smee · 12-07-2005, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tortfeaser

Then there's the communal stop-for-a-pee. Funny stuff

Whats this stop.

Last year before the mountains SBS had to go to a station break becuse the tranmission showed Lance rolling up his knicks to take a slash whilst holding onto his team mate.

Also on the same broadcast, they had the helicopter follow a fellow into the field wondering where he was going before he rapidly dismounted and dropped his strides to lay some cable........

Cadel seems to be moving up a bit. Have to wait and see how he goes over the big hills.