Etape Broom Wagon

MrZ

Can anyone tell me what they/it look like?
I can't help but imagine a cartoon version of a huge combine harvester, menacingly chugging along and sweeping shattered cyclists off the course.....

Maybe that's just a refection of trepidation of this years ride though...!

Kléber

John.T

A fleet of coaches. Try not to use it as the bikes just go in the boot and get scratched to hell. Well mine did in the mass abandon at the top of the Tourmalet 2001.

morxy

and here's a closeup of the driver:

popette

Love it!

MrZ - that is spookily like my own dreams of what the broom wagon looked like - if you've seen the disney film "Cars", it would be like Frank the combine harvester.



I've got a picture on it on my phone. Will try to get it off and post later :-) Basically a car with a clock on the top followed by a load of Norbert Dentressangle artic lorries (but do they really go over the Tourmalet? I can't imagine it happening on those roads.)

mkirby

The last broom wagon i saw was a transit type van with a broom gaffer taped to the back door.

The Mechanic

The first thing you will see is the tail car with a timing board on the roof overtaking you. If this passes you then you will likely get stopped in the next few hundred metres and told to wait for the broom waggon. This will be a bus for you and a truck for the bikes.

Kléber

Not to be mean but if you think you might struggle, don't bother. Try a different challenge first and then come back when you're ready and confident. Trying to fight off negative fears, like being caught by the broom wagon, is a bad idea. Better to aim for a positive goal, like under 10 hours or what ever suits you. This isn't meant in a harsh way, just to make you aim for something more inspiring 8)

MrZ

Kléber wrote:

Not to be mean but if you think you might struggle, don't bother. Try a different challenge first and then come back when you're ready and confident. Trying to fight off negative fears, like being caught by the broom wagon, is a bad idea. Better to aim for a positive goal, like under 10 hours or what ever suits you. This isn't meant in a harsh way, just to make you aim for something more inspiring 8)

Don't worry, I agree with that philosophy and wouldn't have entered if I wasn't hugely looking forward to it and positively relishing the challenge! I'm very confident of a good finish given plenty of training but of course people can have off days and mechanical problems so you do think of all poss scenarois

This post was just a curious bit of fun, tongue in cheek and a bit self depracating....!

MrZ

popette wrote:

Love it!

MrZ - that is spookily like my own dreams of what the broom wagon looked like - if you've seen the disney film "Cars", it would be like Frank the combine harvester.



I've got a picture on it on my phone. Will try to get it off and post later :-) Basically a car with a clock on the top followed by a load of Norbert Dentressangle artic lorries (but do they really go over the Tourmalet? I can't imagine it happening on those roads.)

And I thought it was just me, I've never seen that movie but that's exactly what I had in my minds eye, possibly inspired also by watching the French bike-related cartoon "the triplets of Belleville" with a huge hangover over Xmas!

Thanks for all the amusing replies. I now have added incentive to keep up the training -don't want my new planet x titanium number getting lobbed in the back of a truck never to be seen again!

bring_back_jan

I imagine it's just like the wagon in Bellville Rendezvous; - everyone caught will be banished to a life of slavery powering the lighting for a stage show!

PBo

MrZ wrote:

And I thought it was just me, I've never seen that movie but that's exactly what I had in my minds eye, possibly inspired also by watching the French bike-related cartoon "the triplets of Belleville" with a huge hangover over Xmas!

Thanks for all the amusing replies. I now have added incentive to keep up the training -don't want my new planet x titanium number getting lobbed in the back of a truck never to be seen again!

man - that is one strange film - it GAVE me a hangover!

Kléber