Ras and Le army of the ground

specialgueststar
specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
edited May 2017 in Pro race
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
plages_2012_5bis.jpg

sadly now gone
260px-Aniche_-_Quatre_jours_de_Dunkerque%2C_%C3%A9tape_2%2C_5_mai_2016%2C_d%C3%A9part_et_arriv%C3%A9e_%28A49%29.JPG

Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,147
    Delete.

    Edit: When you wrote this
    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
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Yannis very much alive and takes stage 6. Good lad
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    edited May 2017
    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.
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,316
    plages_2012_5bis.jpg

    That guy in the middle really needs to get his hair sorted out.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    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.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    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.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • ben@31
    ben@31 Posts: 2,327
    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
    "The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    ben@31 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.
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    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.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy