I have been following bike racing for many years as my brother used to race. Very few cyclists are cheats just as very few athletes are cheats. Cyclists are more dedicated and fitter than any footballer will ever be.
Sick of the morons running in front of the riders, patting them on the back, chucking things over them etc. Why do they allow it?
With stages anything up to 180 kilometres the whole route couldn't be fenced off it's just not practical. But the running in front of and alongside the riders seems to have got worse in recent years.
Sad that cycling as a sport has been tainted by Armstrong and a few others who have been found out as cheats. I think it would be best if Armstrong was just never heard from again...but the fact he keeps popping his head up highlights the problem again and again. Having seen the tour come into Paris twice, I have the upmost respect for those athletes. They cycle for hours and hours at a pace that most of us couldn't keep at for more than a few minutes. Plus they do it within inches of the bike in front, so there is a risk there. I'm just looking forward to being out next Sunday, at 7am, to cycle down the Champs Élysées, at 7am before the tour gets in. They shut the Champs Élysées for the public to ride along the last part of the tour route before the tour gets in. Great fun!
I've been turned onto this after watching with a friend who understands it all and explained it to me and my wife The different competitions taking place within the main event, the tactics, the teamwork, the workrate of the riders and the sheer spectacle of the route and photography are making it compulsory viewing in my house. Track cycling is also pretty awesome, too, and certainly easier to understand as a casual fan.
Thought I'd bring this thread back up to the top and show you all my view this morning as I started up the champs élysées...now ready to watch Froome win it. Great morning.
You lucky man Dave, should be a great day for Froome and Sky after all the sh*t he's been put through...
So Froome wraps it up, nice shot of the whole Sky team crossing the line together at the end. Shame Cavendish couldn't make it a double for us, he seems to have met his match in Greipel...
Congratulations to Chris Froome and the Sky team. He's had to battle both the mountains and all the idiots that have spat at him and thrown urine over him.
RE. The piss throwing...... Don't think the French like the fact that the brits are starting to dominate a little. The performance data leak and all that jazz is just the excuse one nutter needs.
