Tour of California, strange days indeed.

jerry3571

I was really looking forward to see California on the telly with the Tour of California but what an odd race.
The weather was pretty lousy was my first impression.
My biggest impression was from the people from that great nation. If anyone needed an excuse to become an extreme terrorists then all they would need to do is watch the Tour of California. I've never seen such a bunch of Muppets. The Italains are crazy in the Giro but these tw%ts just wanted to be on the telly despite the riders; just as long as they were almost naked in a wig and on telly then nothing else mattered. I was shouting at the telly for the Police or someone...Superman maybe... to come and protect the riders; oh no I think Superman was there; he's put on a bit weight now and was also running all over the road. :shock:
The final oddness maximus was the return of those bad boys. It was like all the riders who were no longer on my Cycling Manager game had all returned. Just needed Vino and Ullrich to be there and it would be like the good ole days. Mancebo's victory caused me to laugh out loud as I thought it was a brilliant victory. I laughed my bloody head off. I hate to say it but he has served his time and as long as it's a good race then I'm ok with it.
If you don't like it then switch it off. In reality it's the only real power we have. If you switch off then there will be little or no racing and little or no drugs.
Ciao jerry

moray_gub

As has been said already jerry these characters are no different to the kind of people you get on Alpe D huez oe the Gavia or the Angliru. you must have seen the Devils,Angels,Superman etc etc during the tour ?

MG

cougie

I dunno - some of these guys did seem more interested in running behind the tv bike rather than the riders - I've never seen that before - and whats with the speedos/helmets ? Is there a joke that we're not in on ?

There are still a lot of euro idiots too.

jerry3571

I think these Californicating Califorians were there just to be on telly. I guess they've seen how it was done on the Tour de France coverage but they do not understand that most European fans were there for the bike racing. These muppets were there for their 5 seconds of fame.
With the Giro, they seem to know roughly how to not hinder the racing. These Americans had not a care and not any idea. I think also that in major races in Europe they have either a race vehicle or two motor cycles just ahead of the riders which keep the crowds back.
Also for the Giro, I've fallen asleep on an Umbrian hillside waiting for half a minute of mayhem. It wasn't near the finish so the Italians were a lot calmer there. I will say that after all these years of silence I will admit to seeing Jackie Durand holding on to his team car at the rear of the race. Naughty man.

avwh

Whole gallery of the tour is here (I had a press photographer pass, so I got really good access for photos):

http://allenh.zenfolio.com/f71455161

A sampling:

Lance on stage showing that Levi is "the man", at least for this tour:



Sprint finish - Cavendish starts celebrating well BEFORE the line - and the photo finish on TV showed that he won by less than 2 inches. Now THAT is a pro: knowing you've "got it" even when the margin is that small:



Lance on time trial stage in Solvang:



Taken on Sierra Road climb - brutal cold, windy, raining - this captures that even these world-best riders DO suffer, especially on climbs this steep in weather this bad (at the press conference, a reporter asked Levi what conditions were like. His answer: "go in your shower, turn it on as cold as it gets, and stand under it for 4 hours - that's what it was like"):



Another pack sprint finish, won by Thor Hushovd:



The tour marked the return of both Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton to competitive cycling:





Oh, and one of the podium girls was incredibly cute and well-endowed (my son saw this photo and said, "she was lookin' right at ya"; I responded that she knew to smile for the camera):

crankycrank

Ha Ha. Being a California boy I must say I have to agree with some of the comments here about the idiots blocking the camera. Camera whoreing is the state sport being near Hollywood and all that. On the one hand I'm so glad we have a bona fide world class stage race here but on the other hand I feel a little uneasy going out and cheering for the unrepentant dopers. (I'm not naming names so as not to start another thread about doping). I think since Lance started winning the TDF a whole new large generation of fans have come out to watch and they think being a fan means running around in a clown outfit like a few in the crowds of the TDF they see on the telly and not really knowing much about racing. There are still plenty of hardcore cyclists here that know the sport, they're just blocked from the camera shot. Ah, and oh yes, the lovely podium girls. Also known as the generic spokesmodel. Can be found in most of the western world but more per capita in Southern California. Usually, but not always, surgically enhanced, may have one, or usually several web sites , Facebook accounts and blogs showcasing their talents. A few are very intelligent, but not a requirement for success. Career objective is; Be in front of camera and get paid. Some will reach the pinnacle of Playboy pictorial followed by telly reality show and a few years later a spot on a drug rehab reality show. One has even run for Vice President of the USA!! :twisted:. I do love the racing though!!

jerry3571

Thanks for the photos Mr.
Happy Happy!
-Jerry

dennisn

I'm still wondering if I really saw the Statue of Liberty running along with the race, for
just a split second. I guess I probably did. I saw just about every other weird person out
there.

Dennis Noward

emadden

This guy stole my idea for the verbier stage of this years Tour... Anyway, you can see how pissed Lancey-Pansey gets ... also look out for the giggles in the background :-)

Martin Van Nostrand

the return of Tyler Hamilton (83rd) and Floyd Landis (23rd).

I guess doping really does work.

Bhima

That photo of Cav at the finish line is great!

dennisn

emadden wrote:

This guy stole my idea for the verbier stage of this years Tour... Anyway, you can see how pissed Lancey-Pansey gets ... also look out for the giggles in the background :-)

So what's you take on the "giggles in the background". Are they giggling at Lance because of his "doping allegations" being brought out in the open(so to speak)? Or are they laughing at the "strange man, who looks something like a bee and just got shoved off the road"? I'm going with the latter.

Dennis Noward

jerry3571

Looks like Chris Horner and Andy Schleck are in the background looking amused by the swatted Bumblebee.
I really don't get why Lance has been picked out like this. There were loads of proven ex dopers they could have had a go at. Again, look at the space this 18 stone chump is giving the riders. If Bumblebee man gave a toss about bike riding then write EPO on the roads. He looks as though he's a watcher of sport rather than a rider; he ought to get out there in the rain and snow and ride with the rest of us and lose some weight. I guess Bumblebee man will keep eating his Takeaways until he's on more drugs than any Pro has ever been; he just can't stop forcing it in. RUN FAT BOY! RUN!
:twisted:

Cheers Jerry

emadden

jerry3571 wrote:

Looks like Chris Horner and Andy Schleck are in the background looking amused by the swatted Bumblebee.
I really don't get why Lance has been picked out like this. There were loads of proven ex dopers they could have had a go at. Again, look at the space this 18 stone chump is giving the riders. If Bumblebee man gave a toss about bike riding then write EPO on the roads. He looks as though he's a watcher of sport rather than a rider; he ought to get out there in the rain and snow and ride with the rest of us and lose some weight. I guess Bumblebee man will keep eating his Takeaways until he's on more drugs than any Pro has ever been; he just can't stop forcing it in. RUN FAT BOY! RUN!
:twisted:

Cheers Jerry

I reckon the giggles are at Lance... I dont think Lancey is loved by everyone in the peleton...
As for why Lancey was singled out rather than the other riders who have been proved to be on juice - well I guess its because Lancey is deluded in thinking that the public buys his story that he rode clean when the vast majority of other rider of his generation, and his competitors of the time, were on something

dennisn

jerry3571 wrote:

I guess Bumblebee man will keep eating his Takeaways until he's on more drugs than any Pro has ever been; he just can't stop forcing it in. RUN FAT BOY! RUN!
:twisted:

Cheers Jerry

Well put.

Dennis Noward

moray_gub

emadden wrote:

This guy stole my idea for the verbier stage of this years Tour... Anyway, you can see how pissed Lancey-Pansey gets ... also look out for the giggles in the background :-)

Lance Pansey ? wtf .....lol how old are you ............anyway dont know if you noticed but its old hat at the Tour and the previous people who dressed up looking like syringes etc looked like a bunch of fannies. But hey whatever floats yer boat go for it i say.

MG

moray_gub

dennisn wrote:

emadden wrote:

This guy stole my idea for the verbier stage of this years Tour... Anyway, you can see how pissed Lancey-Pansey gets ... also look out for the giggles in the background :-)

So what's you take on the "giggles in the background". Are they giggling at Lance because of his "doping allegations" being brought out in the open(so to speak)? Or are they laughing at the "strange man, who looks something like a bee and just got shoved off the road"? I'm going with the latter.

Dennis Noward

Dont think there is any question about who the giggles are for, the fat pie eater who ended up eating some yellow snow.

MG