woolybanana Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Dare I say it, but I think that the UK TV commentary is more technically knowledgable than the French one which tends to concentrate on the Tour as a cultural and historical icon. Wat I finds irritatin after a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Best memories of the Tour over the years? For me the year that Chris Froome, already in the yellow jersey led out his sprinter team mate Mark Cavendish on the Champs Elysée (the only year Sky had a pure sprinter in the team) for MC to win the stage. Their faces at the end were a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 So I lost this once...try again.Listened yesterday to a podcast started by Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe. In the last episode Wout Pouwels took over as Rowe got Dq'd.He (Pouwels) told of the verbal, physical and online abuse he'd received over the last couple of days for the heinous crime of "dropping" (I.e. cycling faster than) a flagging Alaphilippe. French "fans" stepping out into the road to give him the finger, appalling abuse on his Instagram account...In particular he told of one man who stepped out to give him the finger, small child sitting astride his shoulders. Obviously the French like to start teaching their children about sporting behaviour from an early age. Apparently, having to be driven down the final ascent after the mud slide a couple of days back, the so-called fans were able to hurl abuse and the cyclists didn't have the distraction of being on their bikes competing, so it was a rare "opportunity" for them to hear the abusive taunts in their full glory.The tour is arguably France's premier sporting event. You would think that the powers that be would want to see some of this sort of ugliness stamped out. Another reason for preferring the commentary of a knowledgeable and more importantly unbiased team on ITV, who have to a man and throughout the last 3 weeks, given credit to every jersey winner, stage winner, points winner...irrespective of team or nationality, with enthusiasm and impartiality. They were willing Alaphilippe on, applauding his valiance on the final racing stage....as Geraint Thomas said on his podcast: when all's said and done, it's a bike race.If I could watch the French coverage, I wouldn't. It would ruin my enjoyment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 @Wooly: Froome running up Ventoux, Cav getting the yellow jersey at last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 [quote user="NormanH"]" the possible snob value of saying one watches on French TV" and also the fact that I don't have access to ITV...[/quote]Oh yes you do. If you use the link I suggested, when you asked for a site that transmited UK tv via t'internet a while back, you could be watching T de F right now live on ITV4. Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 We don't watch the TDF on British TV, French TV, on line, nor anywhere else. I wouldn't walk across the street to watch if I had a free ticket.We saw quite enough of it, and other events featuring maniacs in Lycra, over the years, when we were driving across France with two tired kids, trying to get to our overnight hotel, only to be held up by the Gendarmes for up to an hour, in anticipation of a crowd of sweaty men pedaling past.I think it might be a ploy to get people to pay for the Autoroute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 ?? like a bloke I spoke to last year at the team time trial who had booked a hotel in a town on his journey back from holiday in Spain with his wife. They awoke to find themselves unintended prisoners...Unlike you, they seemed untroubled.I dislike most sports and feel like you do about them, but enjoy the tour. Each to their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 [quote user=" YCCMB"]?? like a bloke I spoke to last year at the team time trial who had booked a hotel in a town on his journey back from holiday in Spain with his wife. They awoke to find themselves unintended prisoners...Unlike you, they seemed untroubled.I dislike most sports and feel like you do about them, but enjoy the tour. Each to their own.[/quote]We weren't going back from a holiday, just a duty family visit.I was going back to my work in Algeria, which took at least 4 1/2 days from the UK in the late 1960's, when there were no Autoroutes, and we usually had to stop in the hottest part of the day.I'm afraid it put me off any possible interest in the sport for life.They don't/didn't even put any signs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Look on the bright side: at least you didn't have to fly with Air Algérie..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 [quote user=" YCCMB"]Look on the bright side: at least you didn't have to fly with Air Algérie..?[/quote]They were an OK airline in the late 60's - they had French pilots[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YCCMB Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 My later experiences weren't too special. Still, in fairness, I've experienced worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard51 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Its a strange spectator sport. A bit like motor sport circuits.You position yourself on a small section of the route and wait for ages until loads of people flash past in seconds - then its over.Without commentators you have no clue about what is going on.Why don't they just have circuits away from public roads. Horse racing was taken of public routes a long time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomoss Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 [quote user="richard51"]Its a strange spectator sport. A bit like motor sport circuits.You position yourself on a small section of the route and wait for ages until loads of people flash past in seconds - then its over.Without commentators you have no clue about what is going on.Why don't they just have circuits away from public roads. Horse racing was taken of public routes a long time ago.[/quote]For once I agree with you.Le Mans is useless without the radio commentary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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