watching back some old 80s tour vids

[Thee_chisa]

and i have come to the conclusion that they really need to get rid of the radios. we need tour winners who are also tacticians and aware of what is going on around them, rather than juiced up automatons who are told to chase and they do.

 

[red_flanders]

and i have come to the conclusion that they really need to get rid of the radios. we need tour winners who are also tacticians and aware of what is going on around them, rather than juiced up automatons who are told to chase and they do.

I'm with you. Humans were racing in the 80's.

 

[eleven]

I'm not trying to be obtuse, just curious: Should we also get rid of the motos that give time gap updates?

FWIW, I very tentatively support keeping the radios.

 

[Oldman]

I'm not trying to be obtuse, just curious: Should we also get rid of the motos that give time gap updates?

FWIW, I very tentatively support keeping the radios.

Keep the motos because they tell the riders what they have done, rather than what to do.

 

[red_flanders]

I'm not trying to be obtuse, just curious: Should we also get rid of the motos that give time gap updates?

FWIW, I very tentatively support keeping the radios.

It's not a slippery slope. There is a clear demarcation where tactics leave the hands of the riders and go to the team car. That development has made racing more boring.

Getting an occasional update on a gap is about 1/100th of the tactical info the DS's can provide when watching the TV from a car with a radio. Every move is covered, essentially. Positioning has completely changed as part of the race.

 

[lean mean &green]

the only strong argument for radios is safety. the riders claim that dangerous or changing conditions up the road can be relayed back to a charging peloton. a weak reason in my opinion but mostly solid logic. (i could make the argument that an entire peloton with distracting radios in there ears are a bigger danger but whatever)

solution:
radio contact from race organizers to riders alerting them to unsafe conditions if they even exist. in other words, riders can listen to "race radio". may need a couple frequencies for different languages but very cheap technology in this day and age. problem solved. no radio from rider to DS necessary.

 

[Teddy Boom]

the only strong argument for radios is safety. the riders claim that dangerous or changing conditions up the road can be relayed back to a charging peloton. a weak reason in my opinion but mostly solid logic.

We just had stage two with oil on the descent.. It doesn't seem like radios did anything to help that situation.

Aren't a lot of the safety arguments directed at rogue fans or the like, and not actually about race conditions at all?

 

[lean mean &green]

Aren't a lot of the safety arguments directed at rogue fans or the like, and not actually about race conditions at all?

radio contact from ASO or UCI could communicate any and all danger. if this change is made safety would be no excuse for having contact with team cars. say good bye to the radio-controlled robot racers.

my guess is that alot of riders wouldn't even use radios after this change revealing the farce but you've got to provide an alternative to prevent rider protest. if riders protest this solution they'll look ridiculous and might even get a negative reaction from fans. problem solved.

 

[Indurain]

On a side note, Nothing beats watching the CBS version of the 1987 Tour de France. 1990 comes close though.

Yeah no radios. That is the job of the road captain to instruct his riders.

 

[Thee_chisa]

now though, everytime someone brings it up to the riders, they all go "aggghhh it is not safe to ride without a radio" - a quote from the newly-named "big girl" voigt.

 

[riobonito92]

The only useful thing about radios is that they help answer the question - "where the F is my team car?"