Who are they all?
I was in Liestal for the last two stages of the TDS. On Saturday we were about 150 m from the end about an hour before the riders came in. As well as the usual PR people walking up and down giving out hats, T-shirts, sweets, and a load of other tat, there were a bunch of other people just walking up and down the final 200 m. Clearly some were stewards in orange hi-viz tops, others looked officious with radios and clipboards, and then there were the local civil defence conscripts looking bored and stopping anyone without a pass onto the road. There were a number of others, mostly men in designer jeans, tight jackets and perma-tan, with official passes, who just walked up and down talking to each other looking far superior to the mere riff raff leaning over boards. There were a couple of designer women doing the same. A couple of them must have walked past 5 or 6 times. From their build some of them could have been pros, although they didn’t seem to have any sponsorship logos. Who were they? Part of the teams anxiously pacing up and down waiting for their man to come in? Local sponsors? Officials checking the atmosphere? Pros who weren’t in the race, but wanted to make sure everybody saw them?
When the last man came in, and the main caravan had come through, a row of black mini-vans with dark windows pulled up and similarly attired passengers got out. Walked up and down the last 100 m a few times, until everyone had seen them, then melted in to the VIP area. Again, who were they, WAGs? Sponsors? Russian mafia? And how do I get one of their passes?
When the last man came in, and the main caravan had come through, a row of black mini-vans with dark windows pulled up and similarly attired passengers got out. Walked up and down the last 100 m a few times, until everyone had seen them, then melted in to the VIP area. Again, who were they, WAGs? Sponsors? Russian mafia? And how do I get one of their passes?
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Without photos it's a pretty meaningless question...Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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VIPs ? Podium girls ? PR people ? Could be any of them ?0
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I think you'll find they are cycling version of what Roy Keane called the Prawn sandwich brigade at Old Trafford.
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I think you are referring to the drivers of the fleet of VIP vans (around 15 of them). This are the 8 seater mini-vans that carry VIPs (usually sponsors) around following the race. All the vans are black. The drivers are all ex Swiss pros such as Alex Zuelle, Steve Zampieri etc. The name of the driver for each van was written on the side on the drivers door.**************************************************
www.dotcycling.com
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I've seen the same at a couple of the Tour stage towns to which I've been; I remember the stage start area at Colmar last year having a lot of 'posers' walking back and forth. Some of the men (and women) in designer jeans with perma-tan, and with official passes, will probably have been journalists but I'm sure many were just journalists’ 'Anhang', as evidenced by the less they appeared to do (not speaking to anyone, not taking notes or photos, etc).
When you see journalists' cars whizz by, midway along a stage, they are often full of 'pretty' people.
I imagine Stephen Fry’s opinion about journalists (“I've never met a more venal and disgusting crowd of people when it comes to expenses and allowances”) is especially accurate when it comes to journalists who follow events which move from place to place over a period of time, like the Tours.
According to a UK journalist I know (although his domain doesn't include sport), journalists' expenses may often cover a multitude of 'sins', which might include the girlfrend along with, but which he feels legitimate based on the part itinerant life some journalists live.
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