Tour de France 2011 talk

[blue_angel]

What a terrible bunch of crashes. I ache for Vinikourov; he was so fabulous yesterday. The media car that hit Flecha/Hoogerland (and almost Tommy) was just plain wrong. I've watched the tour since 1984 and I don't recall a car hitting a rider before (although I could have repressed it in all these years).

Tommy Voeckler is just delightful to watch, though, and I'm so glad he's in yellow. Remember in 2004 when he just couldn't believe himself. He was all smiles, just like today when he hopped with joy on the podium. He's one of my favorite riders.

Voeckler has totally won my heart. He's just an amazing cyclist--his strategy looks so well executed, he works so hard, and he just pours everything into it.

As for the car clipping those riders today, it makes me sick how cavalier those people are being with not only the outcome of the stage, but also with those riders' lives! TV France should have its filming privileges revoked for this.

[Possegal]

TV France should have its filming privileges revoked for this.

The problem with that is that then none of us get to see the Tour. They are the only ones that are filming it.

I'm sure the driver of that car is not only gone from the tour, but likely gone from their job too.

I remember watching the bike race in Philly and marveling at how the drivers were maneuvering the roads through Manayunk. It was some amazing car handling. Which makes this driver's move all the more baffling to me.

[blue_angel]

The problem with that is that then none of us get to see the Tour. They are the only ones that are filming it.

I'm sure the driver of that car is not only gone from the tour, but likely gone from their job too.

I remember watching the bike race in Philly and marveling at how the drivers were maneuvering the roads through Manayunk. It was some amazing car handling. Which makes this driver's move all the more baffling to me.

I think TV France is only one of the stations that actually films, but perhaps I am wrong. [Edited: I just read in a news item that it was a car belonging to France 2 and France 3, which are public channels. So it wasn't TV France.] Even so, there should be a major penalty--perhaps a large fine--that they should incur as a result of this. Apparently that car was chauffeuring network executives and wasn't even filming.

And where is the public apology? I haven't seen a single news item from TV France apologizing for the crash.

[Possegal]

I think TV France is only one of the stations that actually films, but perhaps I am wrong.

They are the only ones doing the filming. All the other stations that are showing the tour, are showing feeds from their filming.

I'm waiting to hear something from them. The silence is rather odd. The replays of that still make me a bit queasy. Could have been so much worse I suppose, but it still was so scary. Hope they are both doing OK after the fact.

[pll]

L'Equipe and ASO refer to the car as "No. 800 EuroMedia". Channel 2 and 3 are from France Télévisions. They posted on their Facebook that they are distressed and that they hope the riders were not too badly injured, despite their spectacular falls:

https://www.facebook.com/FrancetvSpo...34294873258020