The caravane
pottssteve
Posts: 4,069
Alright,
Watched Stage 1 of the Tour from the roadside yesterday - first time I'd seen a "proper" stage. When the caravane rolled through the crowd went mental - I've never seen people get so excited over PMU before.
Without really trying we came home with:
1x pen
4x Cofidis caps
1x Carrefour casquette
1x windscreen visor
4x key fobs
2x Haribo
3x inflatable pillows
1x plastic shopping bag
1x floppy hat
2x pop up fans
My wife also bought a Tour musette with cap, T shirt, sweatband, buff, playing cards etc, despite me trying to reason with her that it was crap. At one point she was jumping up and down yelling, "I love Bic!" but didn't get anything from them.
We then did the usual of waiting about 90 minutes for the riders - Cancellara looked good in 7th place being towed along by "Big Jens"TM. And then they were gone in about 15 seconds....
My advice to anyone watching later stages is go for the Haribo and the Cofidis caps - they are the quality items
Back to work today, touched by the magic of the Tour.....
Watched Stage 1 of the Tour from the roadside yesterday - first time I'd seen a "proper" stage. When the caravane rolled through the crowd went mental - I've never seen people get so excited over PMU before.
Without really trying we came home with:
1x pen
4x Cofidis caps
1x Carrefour casquette
1x windscreen visor
4x key fobs
2x Haribo
3x inflatable pillows
1x plastic shopping bag
1x floppy hat
2x pop up fans
My wife also bought a Tour musette with cap, T shirt, sweatband, buff, playing cards etc, despite me trying to reason with her that it was crap. At one point she was jumping up and down yelling, "I love Bic!" but didn't get anything from them.
We then did the usual of waiting about 90 minutes for the riders - Cancellara looked good in 7th place being towed along by "Big Jens"TM. And then they were gone in about 15 seconds....
My advice to anyone watching later stages is go for the Haribo and the Cofidis caps - they are the quality items
Back to work today, touched by the magic of the Tour.....
Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
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Comments
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pottssteve wrote:Alright,
Watched Stage 1 of the Tour from the roadside yesterday - first time I'd seen a "proper" stage. When the caravane rolled through the crowd went mental - I've never seen people get so excited over PMU before.
Without really trying we came home with:
1x pen
4x Cofidis caps
1x Carrefour casquette
1x windscreen visor
4x key fobs
2x Haribo
3x inflatable pillows
1x plastic shopping bag
1x floppy hat
2x pop up fans
My wife also bought a Tour musette with cap, T shirt, sweatband, buff, playing cards etc, despite me trying to reason with her that it was crap. At one point she was jumping up and down yelling, "I love Bic!" but didn't get anything from them.
We then did the usual of waiting about 90 minutes for the riders - Cancellara looked good in 7th place being towed along by "Big Jens"TM. And then they were gone in about 15 seconds....
My advice to anyone watching later stages is go for the Haribo and the Cofidis caps - they are the quality items
Back to work today, touched by the magic of the Tour.....
Sounds like you had a good day Steve and also sounds like we now know where Cofidis spends its money!0 -
You soon get bored with it. You think to yourself do I need more caps that don't fit, those inflatable tube things, pens and keyrings when I have boxes full of the stuff at home? The Vuelta is much better, managed to get a lever arch file from their publicity caravan!
Mind you, best items from previous years would be the colapsable Skoda hat, stylish AND functional. And of course the TdF inflatable musette!0 -
No green PMU hands?I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0
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The caravanne was really tight on Stage 1 when we went last year. We positioned ourselves in a really busy area, but hardly anything was given away. The Bic float was the worst of all, 2 sets of pens thrown out for 500 people :roll:0
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The EtapHotel snood and the Cofidis key fob with attached plastic token for your shopping trolley picked up from last year's caravane have both come in very useful...0
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Now there's your problem. Unless our interested in being at the finish then position yourself somewhere along the stage where there's few people; after a corner or some way after rolling hills are good (the caravane often slows or stops after rolling roads to maintain a gap ahead of the riders).The Mad Rapper wrote:The caravanne was really tight on Stage 1 when we went last year. We positioned ourselves in a really busy area, but hardly anything was given away.0 -
redvee wrote:No green PMU hands?
They were there but I didn't get one. Most of it is dross though. I don't know who models for the caps but they must have a triangular shaped head.
A few laughs were had - one fella next to me got hit in the face with a bag of madeleines...
http://www.bicyclingnewsasia.com/en/roa ... -stage-one
SteveHead Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
BillyMansell wrote:
Now there's your problem. Unless our interested in being at the finish then position yourself somewhere along the stage where there's few people; after a corner or some way after rolling hills are good (the caravane often slows or stops after rolling roads to maintain a gap ahead of the riders).The Mad Rapper wrote:The caravanne was really tight on Stage 1 when we went last year. We positioned ourselves in a really busy area, but hardly anything was given away.
Best place I've been was the first climb of a mountain stage. The caravan will slow down towards to the top of the climb, but there generally aren't the people there, so you stand a good chance of getting what you want. Also the final week is better, they tend to be trying to get rid of stuff.
Best I saw was a guy next to me on said first climb of the day had the boot of his car open and they were throwing things into it! 0 -
When one of the Tours of Briatin came into Bristol the bloke next to me grabbed a Festina watch handed out to the crowd
I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0 -
What about the mini salty sausages? - they have kept me alive on mountain stages in previous years!0
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Twitter: @RichN950
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RichN95 wrote: 0
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I've a large shoe-box of various tat from my visits over the years, god only knows why I'm hanging on to it. The most fascinating thing I always noticed about the caravane going past was how that frail old granny who's barely moved for the last couple of hours suddenly develops the reflexes and agility of a ninja and couples it with the aggression of a rabid dog as she fights for her free keyring. The French love their caravane!0
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It must be a great summer job as well, You get to drive around France, act a complete fool and there are loads of girls there as well! You will probably have no hearing after 3 weeks though...0
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greasedscotsman wrote:
That lot came past us as well, but going a lot slower up the hill. Everyone with an expensive camera ran for cover. Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
It's a three-week party for 1st year university students.greasedscotsman wrote:It must be a great summer job as well, You get to drive around France, act a complete fool and there are loads of girls there as well! You will probably have no hearing after 3 weeks though...0 -
pottssteve wrote:greasedscotsman wrote:
That lot came past us as well, but going a lot slower up the hill. Everyone with an expensive camera ran for cover.
Think "Banette" man (as posted by RichN95) has been the most entertaining. Oh, apart from the Bic girls. Hmm, Bic girls...0 -
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