What on Earth is this?

Secteur
Secteur Posts: 1,971
edited March 2012 in Pro race
Just saw this photo on a website article about Graham Watson.

Can anyone explain what the shower thingy is all about - have never seen that before.

Graham%20Watson%20Images%20for%20BHInsights%20%284%20of%207%29.jpg

Comments

  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,392
    It's Global cycling Promotions plan to make long flat stages more interesting. They soak the road in water before tricky corners in an attempt to create more crashes happen. Bernie Eccleston considered the idea for Formula 1 remember?
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Secteur
    Secteur Posts: 1,971
    Why are the cyclists on the left going through it when they could clearly avoid it (as per the riders on the right)
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Trying to cool down?
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I think they had that in Beijing as a way to cool down on the race.

    Not uncommon in marathon's / ultra distance in hot places.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,789
    iainf72 wrote:
    I think they had that in Beijing as a way to cool down on the race.

    Not uncommon in marathon's / ultra distance in hot places.

    Yup.
    _
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,652
    It's the 2008 Olympic road race, Freire is the Spanish rider on the right of the two in the picture.

    The water thing was to cool down
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,158
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    It's the 2008 Olympic road race, Freire is the Spanish rider on the right of the two in the picture.

    The water thing was to cool down

    I was there. The heat and humidity was the worst I can remember experiencing. They needed that shower.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Did the marmotte in 2010 and it was 35 degrees in the valley. Something similar had been rigged up in the first village on Alpe d'huez. Very much appreciated it was :)
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,641
    iainf72 wrote:
    I think they had that in Beijing as a way to cool down on the race.

    Not uncommon in marathon's / ultra distance in hot places.

    Aren't they usually more of a mist than full on torrential downpour though? Also, I thought I'd read somewhere that pouring water over yourself cools you briefly but then your body temperature rises further (could have imagined that though!).
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,652
    Pross wrote:
    ... pouring water over yourself cools you briefly but then your body temperature rises further (could have imagined that though!).

    It's like drinking a tot of whiskey to warm up actually only warms you for a while and eventually makes you colder.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    It's like drinking a tot of whiskey to warm up actually only warms you for a while and eventually makes you colder.
    Drinking a tot of whiskey doesn't warm you at all. It dilates your blood vessels, increasing the blood supply to your extremities/skin. This makes you feel warmer temporarily, but allows more heat to be lost, and lowers your core body temperature.

    Not sure whether that would apply to putting cold water on your skin when you're hot. I suppose potentially your blood vessels could react to the cold, and constrict, reducing the blood supply to your skin, which would reduce the amount of heat you're getting rid of? :?

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