DAW Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I'm just curious, do any of you watch the Tour de France, and if so, how many years have you watched it and have you ever gotten up at 5 a.m. to watch a live stage race? DAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 At the time, I don't think it had the coverage it now has in the US, but I kept up every day with the results when Eddie Merx was the reigning champion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete280z Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 The tour is an addiction. I've followed the television coverage since 2000 when I discovered OLN. In 1999 I followed as much as I could online. letour.com streams the audio portion of the OLN coverage live. I follow along with that at work, and turn on the TV here to catch the end some stages. After work I go home and watch all of the coverage TiVo'd from the morning. By far my favorite sporting event, followed closely by the Giro . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Tour de Ass, in this case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 being from austin, lance is a local hero around here. it would almost be unpatriotic to miss it. LIVESTRONG! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAW Posted July 24, 2004 Author Share Posted July 24, 2004 I started watching cycling races when I lived in Boulder, CO where we had the Celestial Seasonings "Red Zinger" Classic. It was like a miniature tour because it had a couple of road stages, a criterium, some mountain stages, etc., and most of the finishes were in front of the Boulderado Hotel with all late 1800s era architecture all around (not old France, but old USA). Eric Heiden and his sister (Becky?), Connie Carpenter, Davis Phinney...this race grew to evolve into the Coors Classic which became one of the largest cycling events in the US. I look forward to July each year for the Tour de France and I like to watch the stages live (get up at 5 or so PT = live action in Europe). When I lived in Italy from '90-'92 it was really cool because cycling is a bigger sport over there, and watching a stage on TV live made it feel even more current and closer. I think I'm going to have to go over there within the next couple of years. Bike around some and see some of the Tour. One reason I asked about it was because I think it has some stong links to the essence of the mindset of members here. In the tour, the greatest possible power is generated by individuals who tune their bodies and their bikes using the most current technology and innovations (including aerodynamics, state-of-the-art materials (carbon fiber, etc.,) with the goal of creating the lightest, fastest, and most durable vehicle using a motor and computer made of meat. It's like Formula 1 engineering and competition level, with the world's best drivers and a risk of crashing, etc. Americans on French teams, Australians on Italian teams, Russians and Italians on US teams, etc. Politics can't dictate whether a team from a particular country will win, or if the top rider will even be from the same country as his team is. Performance wins the race. No points for best looking bike, just for the bike and rider who cross the line in the least amount of time. I'm hoping we're all the type who give wide berth to keep cyclists safe and recognize that their power-to-weight/fossil fuel consumption ratio compared to a car's is infinitely greater, and garner some respect for that. Although, when an 18-wheeler goes by and doesn't change lanes, the suction from its slipsteam is significant, it's like little shots of nitro boost when you're riding out in the middle of nowhere and want to go as fast as you can. DAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaparral2f Posted July 24, 2004 Share Posted July 24, 2004 Hey Aux. Photographic proof of the old saying, "If you ain't the lead dog, the view never changes." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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