TdF questions

[SadieKate]

What I have trouble understanding though is why do these guys attack early, stay in front the whole race and then get back in the peloton at the end and others win? What I think I understand after 5 stages is that they collect the points and let the leaders win the stage? They attack to get others to follow and so the teams get tired and can't sprint at the end?

They also get money. If you're a domestique with no real chance of winning a stage, here's a nice opporunity to bring in money and make your sponsors really happy with all the time in front of the cameras.

Vino's cheeky-boo. Good one! Though it looked more like a cheeky-OW!

I'm thinking that I need to send a DVD of this year's race to Serena Williams. She could use some role models for dealing with injury during an event.

[maillotpois]

I think you misunderstood and it was actually a "cheeky move" as in a daring or audacious maneuver.

[SadieKate]

It was probably Phil. Who knows what he says half the time.

I like cheeky-boo much better.

[HappyAnika]

Hmmm, last year's tour coverage said peloton was French for "ball". Google translate says its French for "group". Now I will have to look this up in my French dictionary tonight. DH and I liked "ball", we started calling our lab's tennis balls "pelotons" when we didn't want to say the word "ball" (since she knows the word "ball", and then you're in trouble).

[mekira]

Hmmm, last year's tour coverage said peloton was French for "ball". Google translate says its French for "group". Now I will have to look this up in my French dictionary tonight. DH and I liked "ball", we started calling our lab's tennis balls "pelotons" when we didn't want to say the word "ball" (since she knows the word "ball", and then you're in trouble).

I'm French canadian

Peloton is a group (of riders, also a military term)

Pelote is a ball (of yarn, of thread etc)

[margo49]

There are also yellow numbers for the riders in the leading team.

Riders who are national Road Race champions wear their national jerseys (Julian Dean, Christophe Moreau, Fabian Wegmanns, Big George etc.) National TT champions wear their national jerseys in the ITT's.
And the current world champion wears the Rainbow Jersey of that.
You can also see on the sleeves stripes of past national and world champions.

[Thorn]

And, now I ask a stupid spectator question....do the towns along the route "compete" for best decoration or is this just a matter of pride and a little extra television coverage?

Today has had some cute side shows. For example, there was the group of people, dressed in yellow forming a bicycle in a field. The wheels were maypoles with yellow streamers for spokes and kids running around in the "rims". Or, the stage decorated as a television screen complete with "riders" on the screen.

Or, maybe, I've spent too much time just listening to audio.