Contador stopped by police

[rhubroma]

Again, Evans is totally unrelated to the thread topic so please try to not derail this thread.

Thank you.

ACF

Not at all Ausycyclefan94. It's just that a pro cyclist being stopped for not having headlights on a decent the entire peleton will be racing down (without headlights) in a month, is so surreal and far-fetched as to demonstrate how those police and some on this thread such as yourself have lost all sense of the ridiculous.

Today's la Gazzetta dello Sport has summed it up perfectly in the caption above the blurb they gave to this Contador-policmen incident: "MA DAI!" ("COME ON!")

 

[No_Balls]

Ridiculous story. Which police stands at Galibier with the attempt to stop bikers riding in the tunnels? And what will happen at the Tour de France? Bring forth the lights and bells boys.

This is really an act of showing authority which the officer can says to his colleagues afterwards: "Not even Alberto is safe from the law".

Or maybe he just wanted to show authority.

 

[No_Balls]

oh my . . . . lawlz

great story

also this story is wrong. the real story is that tunnels have lower speed limits and berto was going uphill above those speed limits. so ticket for you mr contador.

Speeding in the uphill section

 

[Cimber]

Vandborg who was among the 5 SBS rider who were stopped by the policeman had this opinion about him: "what an idiot!".

He also tells that the chief of police called Sportsdirector McGee in the evening and appologized for the incident.

http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/brian_vandborg_sikke_en_klaphat/

 

[Michielveedeebee]

If French law says you must be using lights in tunnels the cop was right if not he wasn't. Pro's should also follow rules...

And racing w/o a light during a race is completely different than during a normal day where cars are allowed on the road

 

[isayic]

If his team car is behind him in the tunnels, he would be lit and thus visible by on coming traffic. The headlights of a car are considerably brighter and cast a much stronger swathe of light than a bike light an individual would use. So in that regard it is silly. Frankly it reads like a bit of harassment, but I won't read too much more into than necessary.

EDIT: BEFORE YOU RESPOND CORRECTING ME ON THE ERROR OF MY THINKING, NO NEED. IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AND I SEE THE FOLLY OF MY RESPONSE. NOT DELETING THESE PRIOR MESSAGES.

I'm almost sure that it was harassment. I was in France for several times and speak French fluently but you don't have to be Contador to be treated bad. Many people in France don't like visitors from abroad. Otherwise it doesn't seem to be a problem when a whole peloton ride through a tunnel without light at the bikes. It's much easier to give enough light for a single rider than for a lot of them.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I'm almost sure that it was harassment. I was in France for several times and speak French fluently but you don't have to be Contador to be treated bad. Many people in France don't like visitors from abroad.

Define "many''

I've never had problems in France and I visit every year... several times.

 

[dolophonic]

Not at all Ausycyclefan94. It's just that a pro cyclist being stopped for not having headlights on a decent the entire peleton will be racing down (without headlights) in a month, is so surreal and far-fetched as to demonstrate how those police and some on this thread such as yourself have lost all sense of the ridiculous.

Today's la Gazzetta dello Sport has summed it up perfectly in the caption above the blurb they gave to this Contador-policmen incident: "MA DAI!" ("COME ON!")

Exacto.. this story and the people who are seriously trying to justify these actions have lost the plot.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Define "many''

I've never had problems in France and I visit every year... several times.

Mostly I've no problems whatsoever in France but last year, we went on skiing holiday with our university.

A friend had bought skiing goggles because he'd forgot his at home. The day after the 2nd lens had come out for no reason, so he went to the shop to explain and asked for a refund/other goggles(under warranty). The madam said there was no way he'd get a new one for there were scratches on the lens and as such he deliberitely destroyed it. (1 very minor scratch in the top right corner)

So he started to argue- in a polite manner- whilst we were waiting for him outside of the shop. Suddenly 4 cops came to 'arrest' him.(Shopkeeper lady called them). They took him to the police station whilst calling him sale belge and other names. He also got slapped in the face a couple of times and when they released him after 2 hours because there were no charges, he left without his condoms and lollipops he had in his pockets

They were very agressive and racist.
it was in Avoriaz btw

It depends of were you go probably...

 

[Publicus]

Vandborg who was among the 5 SBS rider who were stopped by the policeman had this opinion about him: "what an idiot!".

He also tells that the chief of police called Sportsdirector McGee in the evening and appologized for the incident.

http://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/brian_vandborg_sikke_en_klaphat/

Reading the Google translated version of this story, apparently the cop was set up near a local store that sold lights and reflectors to folks that he had stopped. SMH.

 

[El Pistolero]

Mostly I've no problems whatsoever in France but last year, we went on skiing holiday with our university.

A friend had bought skiing goggles because he'd forgot his at home. The day after the 2nd lens had come out for no reason, so he went to the shop to explain and asked for a refund/other goggles(under warranty). The madam said there was no way he'd get a new one for there were scratches on the lens and as such he deliberitely destroyed it. (1 very minor scratch in the top right corner)

So he started to argue- in a polite manner- whilst we were waiting for him outside of the shop. Suddenly 4 cops came to 'arrest' him.(Shopkeeper lady called them). They took him to the police station whilst calling him sale belge and other names. He also got slapped in the face a couple of times and when they released him after 2 hours because there were no charges, he left without his condoms and lollipops he had in his pockets

They were very agressive and racist.
it was in Avoriaz btw

It depends of were you go probably...

A lot of Frenchies like to denigrate Belgians. It's why we should **** them off by calling them Franskiljons

 

[theswordsman]

I didn't save the link, but a Norwegian site added a bit to the story saying that while police had the Saxo riders stopped at the side of the road, a group of riders went by (without lights). There's a ton of negativity coming out of France aimed at Contador these days. One guy I never heard of decided that Contador rode fast at the Giro, and he'd heard there were bike changes, so he must have used mechanical help. In real life, Contador's bike & a few others were inspected at the end of the Grossglockner climb.People are doing polls saying he shouldn't come, and people from French teams are speaking up. If you consider that the decision is a done deal, then people are either venting, or trying to encourage other along the race to feel the same way. I guess they saw the Giro, with Contador being blamed for the Crostis even though he was willing to ride it, and Nibali telling everyone in sight that Contador had disrespected him (by riding alongside him up a climb when the path was wide enough instead of pulling him up). I don't know that it would trickle down to local police, but it was in the French media in advance that Contador would be there.

 

[katkotom]

great comments here

 

[davidg]

The disappearing in headlights is a major problem with HID headlights. And more so in rain when they reflect off a wet road and basically blind you.

Damn, it was raining in the tunnel as well? That is just reckless!

 

[pedaling squares]

I didn't save the link, but a Norwegian site added a bit to the story saying that while police had the Saxo riders stopped at the side of the road, a group of riders went by (without lights). There's a ton of negativity coming out of France aimed at Contador these days. One guy I never heard of decided that Contador rode fast at the Giro, and he'd heard there were bike changes, so he must have used mechanical help. In real life, Contador's bike & a few others were inspected at the end of the Grossglockner climb.People are doing polls saying he shouldn't come, and people from French teams are speaking up. If you consider that the decision is a done deal, then people are either venting, or trying to encourage other along the race to feel the same way. I guess they saw the Giro, with Contador being blamed for the Crostis even though he was willing to ride it, and Nibali telling everyone in sight that Contador had disrespected him (by riding alongside him up a climb when the path was wide enough instead of pulling him up). I don't know that it would trickle down to local police, but it was in the French media in advance that Contador would be there.

If other members of the SBS team were also stopped, why are we only discussing Alberto Contador? Sounds to me like the officer was being equally diligent/strict/fair/harsh/abusive to the other members of the team.

And why are some members comparing a descent of the Galibier in the dark on open roads to the descent the peloton will make in July? Unless Prudhomme is trying to out-Zomegan Zomegan by including these hazards, I don't see how that's a relevant comparison.

I love a good conspiracy but it looks like there's nothing here beyond a police officer who stopped a group of cyclists for violations of traffic law. Maybe he's an arrogant twit who wanted to stamp his authority on some famous visitors. Maybe he's just a guy doing his job who wanted to prevent someone from getting hurt. I'm picking whichever one better fits my conspiracy. And, some of the French public is being negative towards a foreign champion embroiled in a doping scandal? First time that's happened I'm sure. If Bertie gets a flat this July I'm searching the crowd for a traffic cop holding a blow gun disguised as a baguette.

 

[plooton]

For riding without lights, LOL.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/06/15/sports/s093132D93.DTL#ixzz1PMdHzKRo

The rule is the rule!!! And where the hell are the mudgards!

 

[icefire]

I didn't save the link, but a Norwegian site added a bit to the story saying that while police had the Saxo riders stopped at the side of the road, a group of riders went by (without lights).

If other members of the SBS team were also stopped, why are we only discussing Alberto Contador? Sounds to me like the officer was being equally diligent/strict/fair/harsh/abusive to the other members of the team.

Because he is the only one to make the headlines. That's why he is singled out by posters here and his group was singled out by the police.

 

[hrotha]

I didn't save the link, but a Norwegian site added a bit to the story saying that while police had the Saxo riders stopped at the side of the road, a group of riders went by (without lights). There's a ton of negativity coming out of France aimed at Contador these days. One guy I never heard of decided that Contador rode fast at the Giro, and he'd heard there were bike changes, so he must have used mechanical help.

Yeah, Cyrille Guimard, a total nobody.

 

[Je ne sais quoi]

It's a funny story, but a bit sad and a black mark tor the Tour.

The better story would have been, Famous Rider stopped and warned for not having lights or bells or handlebar streamers, and then given a police escort leading the riders to the bottom of the pass - two weeks before the Tour.

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah, Cyrille Guimard, a total nobody.

Cyrille Guimard, discoverer of Andy Schleck.

Says it all.

 

[hrotha]

Cyrille Guimard, discoverer of Andy Schleck.

Says it all.

I wasn't saying Guimard is right or isn't biased. I'm saying theswordsman's statement that it was a guy he'd never heard of is funny.

 

[killswitch]

Cyrille Guimard, discoverer of Andy Schleck.

Says it all.

DS of Hinault, Van Impe, Mottet, Lemond and Fignon. His teams have won only seven TDFs.

 

[El Pistolero]

I wasn't saying Guimard is right or isn't biased. I'm saying theswordsman's statement that it was a guy he'd never heard of is funny.

I find that funny as well

But I find Guimard's comment even funnier Especially since it isn't even correct(they did test Contador's bike for a motor)
But he's not super famous or anything outside the cycling world(Guimard). Most die hard fans will know him of course.

 

[El Pistolero]

DS of Hinault, Van Impe, Mottet, Lemond and Fignon. His teams have won only seven TDFs.

That was not the point of my post. I know who Guimard is.

 

[theswordsman]

I've never heard of the guy because while some of you were involved in pro cycling, I was watching pro tennis and playing amateur, watching high school and college basketball and playing playground, working full time with two hour commutes and classical fencing at night, or working full time, two hour commutes and full time night school. There are a lot of cycling names I don't know from the past. It doesn't mean that people should let him make stuff up and repeat it when the climbing bike was controlled on Grossglockner. If some of you think of him as an expert, then making crap up is more dangerous.

I actually just popped by because there's a video of the police encounter and I didn't know if it had been posted.

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/110619_contador_exclusief#