Floyd question!

[mimitabby]

so did anyone see the end of the race? did he do a wheely? or anything cool?

we missed that part!

YAY FLOYD!

[Kalidurga]

SPOILER!! Skip this post if you don't want to know how the final stage ended!










Nah, no wheelie. There was a heck of a bunch sprint in the final k's, though. The pack was up to 47mph at one point. Then Thor SMASHED!! the heck out of Robbie. He even did a double-fisted SMASH!! gesture, which I'm sure Schmalz loved. Robbie kept the green jersey, though.

The podium presentation was cute. Everyone brings their kids up now. Robbie, Razzy and Oscar all brought their kids up, then during the Top 3 presentation Floyd's step-daughter came up and joined Floyd. It's a nice reminder that these guys are human beings, and not just cycling machines. I would have loved to have been at the Phonak party that night. I'd bet it was a blast!

[li10up]

No, the French media were at their worst again. IMO those guys were terrible. They always seemed to switch their coverage just as something was happening. Even the commentator's for OLN mentioned it. Also seems they have an eversion to showing non-French riders. They would show some French guy in the back of the peleton for 10 seconds or more yet barely even show the front of the peleton decending the mountains or someone in the lead doing something worth watching for more than 3 seconds. Again, this is just my opinion.

[Grog]

No, the French media were at their worst again. IMO those guys were terrible. They always seemed to switch their coverage just as something was happening. Even the commentator's for OLN mentioned it. Also seems they have an eversion to showing non-French riders. They would show some French guy in the back of the peleton for 10 seconds or more yet barely even show the front of the peleton decending the mountains or someone in the lead doing something worth watching for more than 3 seconds. Again, this is just my opinion.

In general, all medias are a bit chauvinistic. To me, it's not surprising. For example, during the Olympics, in Canada, we always see a lot of Canadian athletes on Canadian TV and sometimes that means missing some of the action elsewhere (especially if said Canadian athletes are not ahead). American TV does the exact same. Why would the French do any differently?

This is especially true in smaller nations. In Quebec for example everyone knows someone who knows someone who's at the Olympics. So they want to know how that someone is doing, sometimes at the expense of seeing who is actually winning the race and what they are doing. TV directors have to make choices and they can't show everything at all times, or move their equipment around swiftly.

We are dependent on American TV for the coverage of many events and everyone around here notices (and complains) when American TV shows some American Joe instead of showing whoever is actually winning in an event. Canadian TV does just the same but we don't notice as much, of course. Actually we'd complain if it did otherwise.

[miffy'sFuji]

Robbie did a wheelie:


http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races06/tdf06/tdf06st20-robbie.jpg

[Lise]

Robbie did a wheelie:


http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/races06/tdf06/tdf06st20-robbie.jpg
What a cutie! Thanks for posting that! :D

[chickwhorips]

considering its monday and my brain isn't up and running yet. who was the one that sprinted ahead a bit when the first started, got off his bike and stuck out his thumb on the side of the road?

now that i thought was good.

[KSH]

In general, all medias are a bit chauvinistic. To me, it's not surprising. For example, during the Olympics, in Canada, we always see a lot of Canadian athletes on Canadian TV and sometimes that means missing some of the action elsewhere (especially if said Canadian athletes are not ahead). American TV does the exact same. Why would the French do any differently?



Very true.

I just think this situation is different, because camera crews from other countries are not allowed to film. The French only allow French camera crews... so each country can't get the coverage they want.

I could be wrong though, but I thought I heard that last year.

[brok]

considering its monday and my brain isn't up and running yet. who was the one that sprinted ahead a bit when the first started, got off his bike and stuck out his thumb on the side of the road?

Levi did that I believe - it was pretty cute:D

[Kalidurga]

who was the one that sprinted ahead a bit when the first started, got off his bike and stuck out his thumb on the side of the road?


Levi did that I believe - it was pretty cute:D

Yeah, it was Levi. Phil Ligget's comment was that it looked like he had jumped off the bike and was applauding his fellow racers. You couldn't really see him in OLN's coverage, though. Was he trying to hitch a ride?

[KnottedYet]

I wonder if Floyd's hip would even let him do a wheelie.

Thanks for telling us why Levi pulled off to the side.

It did seem like is was an over all happy and friendly and fun end to the TdF. And I really liked that the guys brought their kids up to the podium. What an amazing experience for those kids!

I thought it was especially nice/sweet that the riders let the older guy (can't remember his name, he's in his 40's and ridden 18 TdFs or something and says he's too old to do it again) lead them onto the cobbles. Then the sprinter who'd crashed and had monster gauze wound dressings on his arm and leg was PUSHED by McEwan across the sprint line so he'd get the sprint points. (McEwan didn't need them, so someone on OLN said it was an empty gesture, but I thought it was sweet.)

[crazybikinchic]

I though Rasmussen was sweet with his baby in the polka dot outfit and looking like he was crying

[DirtDiva]

I think that was Ekimov (sp?), Knotted.

[li10up]

Very true.

I just think this situation is different, because camera crews from other countries are not allowed to film. The French only allow French camera crews... so each country can't get the coverage they want.

I could be wrong though, but I thought I heard that last year.

You're right. Only French camera crews. Just to clarify...I'm not complaining that we didn't see enough Americans...heck, there were only about 10 American's in the race...I'm saying that, IMO, their coverage was bad. It's like the camera crews or the production staff didn't have a clue as to what should be shown when...it's almost like they didn't know anything about cycling. Which is hard to believe since the French are crazy about cycling.

[Eden]

I thought it was especially nice/sweet that the riders let the older guy (can't remember his name, he's in his 40's and ridden 18 TdFs or something and says he's too old to do it again) lead them onto the cobbles. Then the sprinter who'd crashed and had monster gauze wound dressings on his arm and leg was PUSHED by McEwan across the sprint line so he'd get the sprint points. (McEwan didn't need them, so someone on OLN said it was an empty gesture, but I thought it was sweet.)

There's a lot of good natured fooling around on the last day. Usually the race doesn't really start in earnest until the guys hit the Champs Elysee and this year there was some extra goofing.

Ekimov was the guy they all let lead out onto the Champs. He's phenomenal. He is in his 40's and still racing at the hightest levels. He's completed 15 TDF's, which is quite impressive, though just shy of the record of 16. If he had been able to ride last year he would have tied it. He has announced that this will be his last.
The guy McEwan was playing around with was I believe, one of his own teammates. Since the green jersey was assured no one was contesting the sprint points (or the time bonuses for that matter), so they just went out and had a little fun with it.

We saw other little things too- there was a guy wearing a mask early in the day and another one beside him with a big fake tongue. In one of the earlier stages we though for sure we saw one of the Credit Agricole guys wearing a big red clown wig over his helmet. We were wondering what kind of bet he must have lost....