Ras and Le army of the ground

specialgueststar

Ras is under way . Noticed the French 'army' (cough national CT) team are there - not noticed that before

Yannis Yssaad having a go - still noted has having the one of the best barnets in the peloton

Tour of Brittany and 4 (6) days of Dunkirk - good prep - quite different from them trying on a few E 1,2 s


sadly now gone

RichN95.

Delete.

Edit: When you wrote this

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

sadly now gone

I thought you meant that the rider has died - so I deleted my comment out of respect.

Now that I realise that you meant the hair I will in reinstate by comment about how nice it is to see Sideshow Bob winning a race

specialgueststar

Yannis very much alive and takes stage 6. Good lad

ben@31

Is the armée de terre team basically full time professional cyclists who are excused other military duties, rather than guys who joined as a regular soldier first then decided to join the cycling team.
Like those who row for Oxford / Cambridge, or play American Football for US colleges, the athletes only got in on a "sports scholarship"
I suppose it's a win-win.... the guys get to race all year in a well funded team and the armed de terre get the publicity.

pinno

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

That guy in the middle really needs to get his hair sorted out.

Matthewfalle

ben@31 wrote:

Is the armée de terre team basically full time professional cyclists who are excused other military duties?
Like those who row for Oxford / Cambridge, or play American Football for US colleges, the athletes only got in on a "sports scholarship"
I suppose it's a win-win.... the guys get to race all year in a well funded team and the armed de terre get the publicity.

If it's anything like La LE, they are in the Army and they are just very good cyclists so they get supported by the Army to train, race, etc.

It's what the Forces tend to do.

Same as with Army rugby players who play for Bath, etc.

Matthewfalle

SpecialGuestStar wrote:

Ras is under way . Noticed the French 'army' (cough national CT) team are there - not noticed that before ]

That's because they are dressed in camouflage - you're not meant to notice them. That's the whole point.

ben@31

Matthewfalle wrote:

ben@31 wrote:

Is the armée de terre team basically full time professional cyclists who are excused other military duties?
Like those who row for Oxford / Cambridge, or play American Football for US colleges, the athletes only got in on a "sports scholarship"
I suppose it's a win-win.... the guys get to race all year in a well funded team and the armed de terre get the publicity.

If it's anything like La LE, they are in the Army and they are just very good cyclists so they get supported by the Army to train, race, etc.

It's what the Forces tend to do.

Same as with Army rugby players who play for Bath, etc.

What I meant is, would they have ever been in the Army anyway if it wasn't for the cycling. Like the kids who play college football in the USA, everyone knows the star running back didn't go to Miami Univetsity for a love of 6th century history. But because the college gets the best football team in the US and he gets to keep playing his faveourite sport at high level (and his only way to become a pro in the NFL).
From what I know those who are the best at boxing or rugby in the Army are excused normal duties, they train like pros for half the year

Matthewfalle

ben@31 wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

ben@31 wrote:

Is the armée de terre team basically full time professional cyclists who are excused other military duties?
Like those who row for Oxford / Cambridge, or play American Football for US colleges, the athletes only got in on a "sports scholarship"
I suppose it's a win-win.... the guys get to race all year in a well funded team and the armed de terre get the publicity.

If it's anything like La LE, they are in the Army and they are just very good cyclists so they get supported by the Army to train, race, etc.

It's what the Forces tend to do.

Same as with Army rugby players who play for Bath, etc.

What I meant is, would they have ever been in the Army anyway if it wasn't for the cycling. Like the kids who play college football in the USA, everyone knows the star running back didn't go to Miami Univetsity for a love of 6th century history. But because the college gets the best football team in the US and he gets to keep playing his faveourite sport at high level (and his only way to become a pro in the NFL).
From what I know those who are the best at boxing or rugby in the Army are excused normal duties, they train like pros for half the year

Yes, they would be in the Army (or Navy or the Air Force. Even, God forbid and they lost all self esteem, the RAF Regiment).

It's a darn sight better career than 80% out there and if you are sporty it's - apart from being pro - the best way to get the best fully supported training in the world: equipment paid for, travel paid for, full wages paid when training competing, injured, on leave, working with the most motivated people in the country.

About 10,000 times better than being some bloke on a second hand 'Dale and "racing" on Zwift.

The_Boy

Though see the recency discussions on another thread (possibly shit, small races?).

Damien gaudin* rides for them and I'm not certain he's joined the army in any capacity other than a cyclist, so there may be a bit of denouement as far as these things go - at least since they stepped up to continental.

*Also Poulhies and Kevin Sireau.