Time trials
Comments
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How about a super long ITT with mechanicals to be repaired by the rider.
(preferably with a forge) 0 -
3 favourite pro races as a spectator this year: 1st long Tour TT to Besancon, Planche DBF Tour stage and Olympic TT.
At the Tour TT we were about 15km from finish in a town in full-on fete mode. The local bar had a list of the riders and their start times pinned outside: as the international mix of folk went in for drinks, they'd cast an eye on the sheet to see who was next. For nearly 2 hours we watched the World's best, and Valverde, ride past.
If you love cycling, being a road-side spectator at a TT can be a great way to soak up (close up) elite performances.
We bagged a spot at the top of the rise/hillock which meant we could observe cadence (brutal mashing or stylish flow?), position (in or out of saddle?), gearing (big/little ring?), their line in the road (shortest route through corners or avoid edge/middle of road where most chippings are?), state of riders (gasping with bubbling saliva or steady with gritted teeth?), etc for a full 10-20 secs for each rider (or 25 secs for Basso). This is the stuff that it's nigh on impossible to take in during the road stages except, perhaps, on certain mountain stages.
There was time to look into the eyes of each rider, wonder what was going through their minds...time to try and assess if they were on for a good time or not (some riders seemed to be going faster, yet still did a sh!te time: others looked a right state and were right up there at the finish...)
Clearly, most riders a weren't riding at their maximum, but, after a cursory glance at the GC, I'd say the top 30 or so were giving their all.
To see the dominant TTer this year, in the form of his life, in yellow... in full flight - just 2 ft away from you? Magic.
This is the expression of all that dedication, altitude training and sacrifices etc we all hear about.
Right there, an arm's length (in this case) in a beautiful French village, in the sun, with a beer in hand and (my girlfriend's fav bit)... near some glum looking Aussies.
Even the partisan (mostly) French crowd shouted, jumped up and down... and then did that shaky open hand geture and ooh-la-la'ed to one another once he'd gone - in mutual respect and reverence. He'd already put the boot into Cancellara, T. Martin's, etc, times... and looked like he was about to catch Evans.
We could hear the roar for each rider start at the bottom of the hill at the other end of town, with the wave of noise rising towards us - the biggest that we heard were for Pinot, Chavanel and Wiggins - it was electric.
At the Olympic TT - another amazing experience - we happened to be at the roundabout in Kingston (with about 10km to go) that Wiggins said was where it all really hit home the level of passionate support there was on the road (I put much of that down to my mate Dave who's got a particularly loud bellow - it's a full body experience like when a donkey hee-haws).
Everyone then piled into the pub to watch the closing stages. With a few km to go for Wiggins, and still with no on screen time reference, somebody up the back pierced the tension with a perfect timed comedy "er, would anyone mind if we put the rowing on?"
TT's on the telly, can be a bit dull - granted. But part of the problem there is that the camera bikes aren't allowed to be in front of the riders, so except for the occasional side-on or fixed position shots, it's quite difficult to feel involved with a rider's performance. Perhaps, with clean cycling back on the agenda, they might start reintroducing on-screen rider heart-rates, power outputs, cadences, etc?0 -
OCDuPalais wrote:There was time to look into the eyes of each rider...
Hmm...
Although in fairness, you were at the Besancon TT where he did ditch the visor. And he did look pretty much on the limit when he came past me!
Anyway, I thought the Le Belle Filles stage was better from the roadside. 0 -
Seeing one of your favourite riders catch as disdainfully pass his two minute man is one of the best sights in cycling.0
