More than 90% of these people are not fans, they dont even know nothing about cycling. They just go to see the race as part of an entertainment. They drink, shout and bother cyclists. They dont matter the race or cycling, for them its just another entertainment. The most of the times, when I watch them on TV, I feel killing instincts.
-
The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to
In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.
Thanks!
Re:
That's the reality for all sports, not just cycling. It is also true of protests, for that matter.
Fernandez said:
That's the reality for all sports, not just cycling. It is also true of protests, for that matter.
Re: Re:
Through immediate roads yes, but there are climbs where you don't have roads nearby (except the one being ridden obv), but a forest. People can get to the climb through the woods quite easily without being caught in a road block.
Ramira said:
Through immediate roads yes, but there are climbs where you don't have roads nearby (except the one being ridden obv), but a forest. People can get to the climb through the woods quite easily without being caught in a road block.
Re:
Totally agree.
There is nothing like watching hordes of spectators part like the Red Sea when riders are approaching.
I think it is the best spectacle in sports. Nothing compares.
Alas, I didn't see today's stage, but I wonder if the crowd interference had something to do with the modified stage--i.e. cramming a ton of people who were waiting near the top into a relatively small space.
Dazed and Confused said:
Totally agree.
There is nothing like watching hordes of spectators part like the Red Sea when riders are approaching.
I think it is the best spectacle in sports. Nothing compares.
Alas, I didn't see today's stage, but I wonder if the crowd interference had something to do with the modified stage--i.e. cramming a ton of people who were waiting near the top into a relatively small space.
Hit them!
Honestly, what's up with people being more interested in getting on TV than, you know, what's cycling? Just take that idiot with the sign today! What the *** was he doing?
One thing that might help a tiny bit would be to instruct the camera-motos that whenever Someone acts like that they should simply lower the camera, so the idiot gets a minimum amount of TV time.
As for the barriers/lack of same: Sure, they can't put barriers everywhere, but you'd think they'd be able to put some up with 500 m to go.
In most sports people need to actually buy tickets to get close to the action.
Yeah. It's when people fail to part we have a problem.
Honestly, what's up with people being more interested in getting on TV than, you know, what's cycling? Just take that idiot with the sign today! What the *** was he doing?
One thing that might help a tiny bit would be to instruct the camera-motos that whenever Someone acts like that they should simply lower the camera, so the idiot gets a minimum amount of TV time.
As for the barriers/lack of same: Sure, they can't put barriers everywhere, but you'd think they'd be able to put some up with 500 m to go.
SeriousSam said:
In most sports people need to actually buy tickets to get close to the action.
the delgados said:
Yeah. It's when people fail to part we have a problem.
Another thing I was thinking about where some sort of advertisement around the race to keep each other in line, or something like that. Being able to get so close to the riders is one of the greatest things of the sport, so using barriers too much won't be a good thing I think.
Also, I couldn't help but think about a certain South Park reference, but that seems like a thing I shouldn't do
If the English can clean up their football hooligans of the 80s then cleaning up idiots getting drunk, taking selfies while running next to riders and causing mayhem on mountain top finishes should be easy. All it takes is planning and willpower.
The race organisers have been caught out by ill prepared unintended consequences of shortening the stage due to the winds. No way you get crowds like that in the final 3km of the summit of Ventoux. But the ridiculous number of motos is also a factor. It just adds to the congestion ahead of the riders.
The Tour de France is being damaged by its own popularity.
The race organisers have been caught out by ill prepared unintended consequences of shortening the stage due to the winds. No way you get crowds like that in the final 3km of the summit of Ventoux. But the ridiculous number of motos is also a factor. It just adds to the congestion ahead of the riders.
The Tour de France is being damaged by its own popularity.
The crowd seems to increase closer to the line so barriers from further out say 2/3km? More police patrolling the route
yespatterns said:
No I am not.
A joke.
The serious side of this is simple. I gave you a very harsh and definite way to stop people. Force them. Europeans seem good at starting world wars...why not do it to the French again?
Sarcasm aside, something needs to be done.
An obvious police presence is needed LIKE what the Guardia Civil started to implement in the Vuelta. That stopped many of the men running alongside the riders in the high mountains at crucial points in the mountain finishes. That is what the Tour needs.
You missed me joking about Australia - it's quite common in the press and on social media for car drivers to DEMAND bike riders pay for registration. They are quite violent and passive aggressive. Many actually drive to intimidate bike riders, unlike European nations, where they are given right of way. However what is the result in pro cycling mountain stages with fans? The exact type of idiocy Australian car drivers show...zero respect for people riding bikes, or in this case, the riders racing in the mountains.
So how do you address what is a bizarre but obvious culturaly issue. Educate them. No, you don't beat them, but admitting behaviour has gotten too out of hand needs to be addressed, hence my sarcasm about Prudhomme and the French President doing something. Why go that far? Because it looks ugly and it makes France look like a joke.
Best race in the world is how the Tour is advertised, but far too often riders cannot actually race unhindered. They're just too polite to tell the fans to *** off. That might change if another incident occurs. It's the same with increasing incidents with motor bikes...a few strategic changes should be made.
Take the motor bike Porte hit. It was third or 4th in a convoy of bikes. Completely ridiculous and worse, it could allow motor pacing. Did anyone think of that? I did when the crash occurred. It should have been 20-30m minimum in front. Probably 40. But that is how bad the fans are getting...do you see that?
Prudhomme and ASO must act. The gendermerie should be making arrests. And yes, cut the alcohol allowance down. In Australia at Bathurst for the Bathurst 1000, up Mt Panorama they instituted a one cartoon of beer per person allowance. It helped curb drunken idiocy...people were taking 3-4 cartoons each up. That's 24 bottles of beer per cartoon.
I was also joking about the nationalistic vitriol some people have mentioned across social media. Is it too far fetched to believe some people may hate a rider and do something to them? A disgruntled fan of a rider from a particular nation who hates a rival? I don't think it's too far fetched...soccer/football fans go nuts over loses, why would cycling fans in an unregulated and open field of sporting competition be afraid of not doing something dodgy? They quite clearly could, should they be nasty and vindictive enough in mind to do so...it's a heart issue.
On a serious note, this is something I see a pattern to in France...it's getting worse, but has improved in Italy and Spain. It's simple...more barriers and rules for fans...police them. Not hard to fix and most people will follow suite. The issue with crowds is people follow the mob mentality and copy those around them. If half the climb are in your face, more will follow...and that's the pattern that has gotten out of control the last 2-3 years in the Tour.
Edit: that's one carton per person per DAY. Yep, they drink a lot for half a week of madness on the mountain. So I've seen it before, and it should be restricted because drunk people lack self control and decency.
What's wrong with using camera images to find idiots, like in football/soccer? similarly why can Italy and Spain get the assistance of 100s of policemen / guardia civil while I never see any in the Tour?
When you cancel out the six KMs at the stage finish the night before, what do you expect? It's the Tour. They pushed probably over 100k people into an already overcrowded mountain. Ventoux is not Alpe d'huez, which is more suited for the crazy drunk spectators. Those people had been up there waiting for a week to get their spot, and then were forced six KM down the mountain.
It doesn't excuse the drunken debauchey but you can't plan a stage finish on Ventoux like you do on the alpe, especially in today's windy conditions. Prudhomme needs to realize that.
It doesn't excuse the drunken debauchey but you can't plan a stage finish on Ventoux like you do on the alpe, especially in today's windy conditions. Prudhomme needs to realize that.
I don't think there is a lot they can do. Idiots with drink in them are not reasonable and put them together with other idiots it gets out of hand. Same with people that dress up and cannot see where they are going. You arrest 10 and there are 50 more that should have been arrested. They could use the publicity caravan to try and control people with public announcements but all of these things will only work on reasonable people not fools who I don't think are even watching the race, they just want to be seen on TV or taking photos of themselves.
Just ban people from the mountains. Simple.
I'd rather watch them race on an empty road with all the space in the world to attack than watch them go up 1 by 1 in a corridor.
I'd rather watch them race on an empty road with all the space in the world to attack than watch them go up 1 by 1 in a corridor.
Re:
Straight up hooligans, no excuse, and embarrassment, to humanity.
That is truth, those spectators....no right to endanger, the tour racers and participants.AICA ribonucleotide said:
Straight up hooligans, no excuse, and embarrassment, to humanity.
Re:
I'd say the exact opposite. I'd rather the strongest rider lose a tour unjustly because of idiot fans, than watch a tour run on empty roads. The chemistry between mountain, riders and crazy fans is what makes the tour special.
AICA ribonucleotide said:
I'd say the exact opposite. I'd rather the strongest rider lose a tour unjustly because of idiot fans, than watch a tour run on empty roads. The chemistry between mountain, riders and crazy fans is what makes the tour special.
Re:
That would be a shame and weird for the riders but they have played football matches without spectators and once again it was because of the fans themselves and their behavior. Some spoiling it for everyone.
AICA ribonucleotide said:
That would be a shame and weird for the riders but they have played football matches without spectators and once again it was because of the fans themselves and their behavior. Some spoiling it for everyone.
CheckMyPecs said:
I'm seriously fine with option 2. And if they manage to get through that, wrap them with barb wire and leave them on the side of the road.
Is there any other sport where spectators are allowed to touch the athletes, or enter the field of play, during the competition? Why does bike racing have to be different? You want to watch close, fine, but stay off the road and don't touch, and since some people are incapable of doing that, make sure that no one can.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Teams & Riders The Remco Evenepoel is the next Eddy Merckx thread- Started by DNP-Old
- Replies: 29K
-
Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers, Extensions, and Rumours Thread
- Started by RedheadDane
- Replies: 11K
-
Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread- Started by LaFlorecita
- Replies: 51K
-
Teams & Riders Tadej Pogačar discussion thread- Started by Lequack
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Teams & Riders Everybody needs a little bit of Roglstomp in their lives- Started by johnymax
- Replies: 19K
-
Teams & Riders Chris Froome Discussion Thread.- Started by Miburo
- Replies: 21K
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram