Spectators

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magnatom

Guest
I've never really been into cycling as a sport, but now that I am doing longer road rides I am beginning to appreciate how fit some of these guys must be!! :ohmy:

What I find strange looking at some footage is the spectators. The are often millimetres away from the cyclists shouting and waving things, and you sometimes see contact and crashes because of them. I've also seen spectators running alongside the cyclists (on steep hills) continually shouting at the riders). Is this not offputting, scary for them? What's the deal with letting the spectators get so close? Tradition?
 
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simon_brooke

New Member
Location
Auchencairn
Tradition, and the fact that there aren't enough gendarmes in France to man three thousand kilometres of route.

Yes, it gets a bit dangerous. Armstrong had a bad crash about five years ago because his handlebars hooked the strap of some woman (who was running alongside)'s handbag.

Another rider has in the past couple of years been punched - pretty hard - by a spectator. A lot of the spectators are drunk a lot are egomaniacs wanting to be seen on the television, a lot are totally irresponsible. The riders really don't like it. Sooner or later someone will be seriously hurt.
 
Will1985

Will1985

Über Member
Location
South Norfolk
simon_brooke said:
Yes, it gets a bit dangerous. Armstrong had a bad crash about five years ago because his handlebars hooked the strap of some woman (who was running alongside)'s handbag.
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It was on the Luz Ardiden in 2003 - a child holding a musette and nobody was running. Armstrong had plenty of road and IIRC admitted that he was far too close to the spectators.

I'd say a maximum of 15km ever needs to be manned at any one time. The crowds only ever get close when the riders are going up climbs.
Even then, it is usually the 1km before the crowd control barriers at the side or a narrowing in the road near the top where the problems occur.
 
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Molecule Man

Well-Known Member
Location
London
Am I right in remembering that Lance Armstrong pushed a spectator over who was running along beside the race in the Tour of California this year, wearing a not-so-subtle costume relating to doping?
 
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Molecule Man

Well-Known Member
Location
London
Oh, and I remember one of the TdF mountain stages in the early 90s I think, where Gianni Bugno took a swing at a spectator with his bike after he was forced to stop to avoid crashing into him.
 
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girofan

New Member
Location
Oswestry Shropshire
simon_brooke said:
Yes, it gets a bit dangerous. Armstrong had a bad crash about five years ago because his handlebars hooked the strap of some woman (who was running alongside)'s handbag.
Click to expand...


You must have been watching another race to me that day Simon as it was a bag being held by a young boy who was standing at the roadside, not a woman running alongside! :smile:
Women can't run fast enough to keep pace with a pro cyclist, even on a moutain pass. :biggrin:
 
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