What do you get from watching cycling?

[Hip Priest]

You shouldn't be looking at the packets in their shorts.

I challenge any man to look at Fabian Cancellara's calves and not feel confused.

 

[Berties]

Watching any sport live is the experience,if you want to see more watch it on telly,same with a lot of sports,
But for atmosphere ,real time experience with like minded people ,and a healthy day out watch a sport live,if you go to twickenham to watch rugby you watch more on the jumbotrons but what a day out,again it's down to the person , if I had time I would have a jolly to watch a start or finish at the tour,so if any ones going can we get some piccis up

 

[NeoCaesar]

Yes,Ahem...................give me an F1 car and i will drive it(don't blame me if i crash up your lawn ) and tennis............that sport wher they whack a green ball from one side to other while making extremely weird sounds..........not fun to watch

Tennis balls are yellow...

 

[yello]

It's a good question. I find most of a race itself to be quite dull. I can enjoy the scenery, even shots of the peloton moving across a landscape but the procession itself is ho hum. It's interesting to watch the ebb and flow of riders through the peloton, or the interactions between riders, but I don't really become interested until the final few km of the race and/or the mountain stages. I like to see the pure effort that goes in, the attacks and the mind games.

Suffice to say though, as a rule, if the weather's good then I'd rather be outside than watching the tele and I'll watch the highlights on the evening news.

 

[Thomk]

Cold stares from my other arf

 

[raindog]

so if any ones going can we get some piccis up

I've posted racing pics on here without any reaction whatsoever, so it kind of put me off.

 

[Willo]

I love both the colour and scenery of a big tour, particularly the TdF which for anyone who has seen it roadside is a pretty amazing spectacle from the atmosphere, the caravan, the support vehicles and the scale of the peleton itself. Then I find the racing interesting - both tactically and because of the sheer brutality and endurance on a 3 week stage race. As for learning something for myself, not much more than feeling very slow and confirming to me that my skinny, white, hairy legs don't look as good in lycra as shaved tanned ones!

 

[AhThisFeckinThing]

I get a headache, from the family telling 'Oh no not that cycling again'. They'll realise when their older there Dad was cool, really. Okay I'm kidding myself again. Each stage is like a story, the scenary (location), the characters (riders), the plot (profile). Don't watch any other sport and only 'found' cycling on the tv last year. Now completely hooked, not one tour missed this year, except Taiwan, that was a bit odd.

 

[Cush]

Nonsense -that's like saying cycling is merely transport. Golf is a competitive game with a physical performance required -a sport.

I walk across the local golf course three or four times a week with the wife and dogs, always give way to the golfers because I have seen the green fees but can never understand why it takes them so long to hit that little ball or why they need so much kit. One day we seen three deer run in magnificent formation and jump clear over one of the bunkers. I pointed them out to a golfer 'Oh yea they are a dam nusance on the links' was what he said, so after that I give up with golfers.

 

[doctornige]

Watching it is quite motivating. I often watch a bit, do a ride and catch the stage end. Really looking fwd to the Albertville stage though. Will watch all of that as it goes through familiar ski holiday country and will be pretty tough.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I was lucky enough to get a lift down to Dover earlier this week. Took the bikes on the ferry and rode to Boulogne for l'arrivée, surrounded (passed....) by hundreds of British cyclists on the coast road. I'm not cute enough to know all the teams and riders, and though we were close enough to the finish to know that Sagan was winning and Cancellara was up there, I was really glad that I'd recorded the race because you see so much more. The TdF is intimately connected to the televised media.

But, adding the participation (of cycling there and back, seeing bits) to the spectating (there and watching it on TV afterwards) it made for a truly memorable day. I'm too old and unfit to consider racing or even joining the slowest club rides but just watching cycling on the box is not quite enough.

 

[Dave Carey]

This is the first time ive watched any of the TDF and the more I watch the more I am getting into it, especially the sprint finishes. Though as a novice im still learning the rules of the race and the riding techniques etc... I chose a team to support which adds to the excitement and hopefully by the end I will undersand it a bit better. I did try to watch a stage live and have to admit it was boring but the hour long highlights on ITV4 or Eurosport are fine.

Watching is also making me want to get back out on my bike which I will be doing once I purchase a new one in the next month.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

This is the first time ive watched any of the TDF and the more I watch the more I am getting into it, especially the sprint finishes. Though as a novice im still learning the rules of the race and the riding techniques etc... I chose a team to support which adds to the excitement and hopefully by the end I will undersand it a bit better. I did try to watch a stage live and have to admit it was boring but the hour long highlights on ITV4 or Eurosport are fine.

Watching is also making me want to get back out on my bike which I will be doing once I purchase a new one in the next month.

Except itvs is only about 20 minutes long if you take out the adverts!

I really want a turbo trainer so. Can just sit watching it and pedaling away! Might try and convince the wife

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Shadow]

This is the first time ive watched any of the TDF and the more I watch the more I am getting into it...
- excellent! This is what happens, it's addictive.

I did try to watch a stage live and have to admit it was boring but the hour long highlights on ITV4 or Eurosport are fine...
- but when a stage like this sunday's comes along, an hour of highlights is not enough! It should be an interesting stage and should be great to watch live!

Watching is also making me want to get back out on my bike which I will be doing once I purchase a new one in the next month..
- good for you and bonne chance.

.

 

[jdtate101]

I watch it for the drama, excitement and to see all the lovely places they get to race. Can only dream about trying some of those climbs (until next yr anyway ), but TdF is just the complete package, great to watch if you love your cycling.

Plus..love Phil Liggett's commentaries....much better than Eurosport and Sean 'deadpan' Kelly.