Tour de France 2017 ***SPOILERS***

[mjr]

Or because they were on Bardet's manor today...

Ah, I missed that!

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I've just been reading about Roche in the '87 Giro ...

At least the tifosi had a clear reason for booing Roche in 87, he'd attacked his team leader and their idol. The morons yesterday had no such justification.

 

[smutchin]

Tim Wellens has pulled out after declining to apply for a TUE for corticoids to treat an allergy.

Good for him.

 

[suzeworld]

The second hand watch advert is the worst.

The bloke's setup on the bike is farking annoying.

Tell me more.

 

[Aravis]

At least the tifosi had a clear reason for booing Roche in 87, he'd attacked his team leader and their idol. The morons yesterday had no such justification.

Not really, Roche was quite within his rights to make the break on the Sappada stage, thereby putting pressure on the other teams. The fact that Visentini and his gang reacted in such paranoid fashion put them on the wrong side of the moral argument. But Roche knew they'd do that, making the whole thing a lot more murky. Hardly surprising that people took sides, but clear reason it was not.

Incidentally, Roche had a couple of weeks off after winning a fiercely competitive and emotionally draining Giro and then won the Tour. Now that there's a decent gap between the two, I keep hearing it's too hard for modern riders to be competitive in both. Why is this?

 

[400bhp]

At least the tifosi had a clear reason for booing Roche in 87, he'd attacked his team leader and their idol. The morons yesterday had no such justification.

Apart from the race was passing through Bardet's birthplace.

And they are French, not British and so they have a different mentality.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Just as well they've stopped dragging riders off their bikes to give them a kicking

 

[MacB]

Just as well they've stopped dragging riders off their bikes to give them a kicking

If that was resurrected who'd be your star of the piece?

 

[Aravis]

Jeez, the roadside of the tour is not Lords Cricket ground, where anything beyond a ripple of polite applause will draw disapproving looks.

Once upon a time, maybe.

Thinking about it, it was the 1959 Tour when prominent riders were booed quite justifyably. A story well worth reading - I certainly don't remember it. Being too young to have witnessed the Anquetil era is quite a regret - he seems to have been a fascinating character. I'd also have more than the most fleeting memories of real life steam trains, but there's also a good chance I'd be dead. What a choice.

 

[Pale Rider]

I've only taken a bit of interest in the tour in the last few years, but do the French boo every non-French winner, or is Froome being singled out?

Apart from being non-French and faster than their chaps, I can't think why Froome should get more abuse than the many other non-French winners.

Froome's personality cannot match Roger Federer levels of niceness, but he's inoffensive, bordering on dull.

Perhaps the French crowd is more frustrstated by Froome's dominance because there are now some genuine French contenders who Froome is preventing from winning.

In previous years, none of the French riders had a hope, so maybe the crowd couldn't care who won because they knew it couldn't be a Frenchman.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Yep, it's Sky thing. 'F**k Sky' was painted on the road where we were in Cherbourg last year and anything Sky branded was getting booed, what with the murky TUE debacle and Dave B's less than convincing performance, I expected it to be worse this year (I'm not saying it's ok by the way).

 

[Bonus]

I read elsewhere today that it was Spanish fans booing SKY/Chris and the reason was that they were angry with Landa not be allowed to go for it the other day.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

If that was resurrected who'd be your star of the piece?

I reckon each team should have a proper Wildman, a complete nutjob who could be used to protect the rest of his team from spectators; they could ride along with wooden clubs strapped to their bikes and wallop spectators if they got in the way or looked a bit dodgy. A sure-fire winner.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

...but do the French boo every non-French winner, or is Froome being singled out?

I read elsewhere today that it was Spanish fans booing SKY/Chris and the reason was that they were angry with Landa not be allowed to go for it the other day.

Bloody foreigners!

Still, they've not as bad as those Italians...

 

[Bonus]

I reckon each team should have a proper Wildman, a complete nutjob who could be used to protect the rest of his team from spectators; they could ride along with wooden clubs strapped to their bikes and wallop spectators if they got in the way or looked a bit dodgy. A sure-fire winner.

Froome can take care of himself when he needs to . . .