When did you FIRST start following the Tour de France?

[palmerq]

When me and my brothers were young lads, I remember we would watch the tdf on the gogglebox and then play around on the bikes doing pretend races, although come to think of it the length of these were atround 200 meters, but when you are very young it i big enough :S..... anyway I´m not sure of exact dates or anything like that would have been the 90s sometime, but we would pretend to be indurain, rominger and abdujaparov, so whenever those guys were racing... If i remember correct I think rominger won the king of the mountains :S

Although I have vague memories of the tour back then I think i didnt really take a serious intrest in it untill around 2001/2002 when jan was world time trial champion and kept losing :S

 

[eric_vv]

I don't know when I started watching exactly, but 1990 was the year I really started following the tour (I was 10).

Erik Breukink finished 3th that year and I remember the day before the final TT he was in a breakaway trying to gain time on Delgado who was in third at that point, he only won a couple of seconds that day and everyone thought the effort of that day would hurt his chances in the TT. Instead Breukink moved up to 3th in the TT and reduced the gap to Chiapucci to 13 seconds. All from memory, so it probably happened differently but I’m hooked ever since. Being unfamiliar with cycling at the time, I remember being really disappointed the next (and final) day when Breuking didn't attack Chiapucci for 2nd on the champs.

Breukink never reached the same level again (PDM affair in 1991 effectually ended his GT-ambitions), but he was my favourite rider for a long time.

I’ve been watching more and more cycling ever since, especially from the moment I discovered Belgian coverage so I could actually watch most races throughout the season.

 

[il_fiammingo]

1988 was the year. Delgado in yellow.

1988 was also the year i first felt hatred as Bauer drove criquielion into barriers at the 1988 WC in Ronse. Man, although i was only 7, i would have taken a ladder to punch Bauer in the face. Or without a ladder, right in the nuts. It still hurts.

 

[thehog]

For me it was when I was travelling through America as an 18 year old. I was hitchhiking and met older women named Susan. It was my first time but I’ll never forget it.

 

[pedaling squares]

Interest began in 1986 when Lemond's victory made the Tour headline news in North America. And my interest was strengthened in 1988 when Steve Bauer put the Tour on the front pages of the sports section. First time I had access to TV coverage was 2003. So much drama in that race, it was hard not to get hooked.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I'm either going to give everyone an idea of my age or convince you all that I'm a Lance "fanboy."

It was 1999, and the US had a cancer survivor riding some bike race in France. Being a sports fan, I couldn't help but follow it via ESPN, just to see how this Lance guy did. After that I paid more attention each year. I was living in Italy in 2005, and some of us tried to visit Paris one weekend to watch the final laps on the Champs Elysees. It proved prohibitively expensive, but we all still watched from our apartment.

Basically, my interest in cycling has slowly grown and evolved from July 1999 to the borderline obsession it is today.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

Growing up, I lived across the street from a couple of kids who were born in Germany and had a fascination with soccer and cycling, they introduced me to the TdF and world cup in the 1970s when we were teens.

My first memory watching the TdF was a climb with Hinault, and a Columbian (I think) rider fighting it out. I think it was 1978 but it may have been later. I also remember hoping that perhaps Hampsten would become "The Guy" then realizing that he probably would not since he did not seem to have the ability to continue when the suffering started. I continued to watch through the LeMond, Fignon, Indurain, years. I have a memory of the Riis win followed by Ulrich when he powered by. Of course the Armstrong years and our recent TdFs. But it was that climb that caught my interest and hooked me on the sport.

 

[CentralCaliBike]

Where did you watch? I thought you were american.

I remember 30 minute recap on Sundays for the most part until LeMond.

 

[DavidVilla7]

My first time watching the tour was.. I dont know!
But I started watching the tour for 100% ( cycling) after Contadors first tour win.

therefor, I never watched cyling ( only the tour results sometimes).
I was a fan of soccer, tennis and motorsports, but cycling never got me.
But after that tour, I discovered how exciting it can be.
And yes contador played a big part in that too.

 

[Cogombre]

The first time I watched le Tour was in 1997. I've some images of Big Mig still in my memory, though, but I was way too young then. I barely remember the 97's TdF (I was eight), but it was the 98 TdF which definitely addicted me. Watching Pantani doing all those "drug-powered" attacks was spectacular. I still relatively new to one day races, though, as I started to watch them much later.

 

[hfer07]

I started getting interested in cycling in 79 when a young rider from Brittani by the name of Bernard Hinault was beginning to conquer every race he was participating in. Back then I was told about "The Cannibal" but couldn't get any tapes or images to see with my eyes or relate to the glory of Merxx that the everybody was speaking of. luckily some friends introduced to the "bible of cycling" during weekends where we'd spend hours digging info about him at the School Library
the Tour itself was broadcasted on the Radio during the morning while I was at School so I couldn't follow up on the races & we didn't get live TV broadcasting until 1984 when my compatriot Luis Herrera became the youngest rider ever to win a stage. I feel privileged to have witnessed one of the greatest decades in cycling ever-Specially the Tour in all its splendor.

 

[Marva32]

I was already riding a lot starting in 1983, and think I saw it back then (16yo) and possibly before then, but it was surely in 1984 that I caught the cycling bug, and have been a USCF licensed rider and official ever since. Of course, I was always better at officiating. As a side note, I remember when one of my teammates was on the cover of Winning for destroying the field in a 24hr race in Souther Illinois, even after his rear derailleur broke on a fairly hilly circuit, and he only the use of a 42x13 and 52x13. Those were the days. (sigh)

 

[Echoes]

First time 1990 on my 7th birthday (Breukink won the time trial).
Last time 2006 and not even every stage. And I don't intend to watch it again next year. Thank you.

 

[Polish]

bump

So, any Forum Members going to be watching their first TdF this Year?
Or any of your kids?

 

[redtreviso]

1982... I was racing motocross at the time and the shop I rode from worked on bicycles..The owner's kids were into bicycles to help their motocross fitness and they went to colorado to train..I read cycling magazines and made fun of the polka dot jersey looking silly and was set straight instantly.. I didn't much pay attention until 84 when I saw some tdf on tv..Watched and taped everything after that until 92.. After Andy Hampsten won at Alp d"huez I didn't see anything worth cheering for. I did tune in in 96 to see the ridiculous Riis and then swore off caring anymore.

 

[hrotha]

I don't remember anything of the 1991 Tour, but I have vague memories of the 1991 Vuelta (and possibly of the 1990 Vuelta and 1991 Giro) so I imagine I followed it. The first Tour I'm absolutely sure I watched was in 1992, although I only remember things like the Luxembourg TT.

 

[ladyvader]

Back in the 80's. Not exactly sure which year. I know I was very stoked when LeMond won.

 

[red_flanders]

I spent a lot of summers in Belgium as a kid. I don't recall the first years exactly, but I remember a lot of groaning by my uncle about "no Belgians being able to climb anymore". That probably puts any real interest in it at about 1977 the year after Van Impe IIRC. Watched a whole lotta Hinault and Fignon in the following years.

Merckx was still a huge figure. Every bit of cycling gear, including my hat from the Blankenberge velodrome was covered in Merckx's name.

 

[Bike Boy]

1995

As I was only 9 years old, I had to rely on my dad as an expert.

However I do remember the rivalry between Berzin and Riis. I HATED Berzin, No offence (keep in mind I was only 9 years old). Oh boy this really takes me back, It feels like it was yesterday we sat in the livingroom watching the first ITT. Riis actually looked like beating Indurain (an impossibility I was told).
I didn't understand until later Why Riis was so ****ed, after crossing the finish line. It turned out His DS favoured Berzin a little too much and as a result he didn't bring Riis the very motivating news, that he was actually better than Indurain on the last split time!

I can also remember being very thrilled with Riis beating Jalabert in the hunt for the last spot on the final podium.

From 95 I was hooked and I have watched it ever since. 96 of course blew my mind, any kid in denmark was helpless from this point.

Of course I was too young to realise that these phenomenal perfomances, were due to artificial techniques.

 

[Escarabajo]

I'm either going to give everyone an idea of my age or convince you all that I'm a Lance "fanboy."

It was 1999, and the US had a cancer survivor riding some bike race in France. Being a sports fan, I couldn't help but follow it via ESPN, just to see how this Lance guy did. After that I paid more attention each year. I was living in Italy in 2005, and some of us tried to visit Paris one weekend to watch the final laps on the Champs Elysees. It proved prohibitively expensive, but we all still watched from our apartment.

Basically, my interest in cycling has slowly grown and evolved from July 1999 to the borderline obsession it is today.

Where is ImmaculateKadence these days? Did he change Forum names? anyone knows?

 

[Dedelou]

Following the Tour and loving cycling

Like all little kids born in France I loved the Tour de France of my youth. I remember the Tour arriving in my home town. The racers in the many hotels. Gino Bartali , Copi, later on Bobet and of course, Anquetil winning the stage in right there in my street. It was an enchanted time and all that. I didn't have a bike growing up, so i wasn't among the kids who took up cycling. I lost feelings for it as a teen. Traveled the world , got involved in others things. Then i came to America.. Like many emigrants I made Football (soccer ) my things at first. But when i had my kids i saw a movie that came around it was called: ( Breaking away) and I found the love again. I had missed Merckx years , Thevenet and Ocana but soon Hinault was riviving my love. From 1976 on, I was racing locally in NY and to teach my kids the appreciation of cycling we started following the Tour for one week each year. Mostly going to the Pyrenees , of course but also in others places. We could get VIP passes and stay where the riders stayed we would get to speak to the riders , to the people who helped them, the mechanics , the press guys , the technical support . It was like having this forum but sort of with life people . Lots of great moments , lots of emotions. Like when we found ourselves at the right spot t0 see strategic moments . We were at Luz Ardidens , standing by Greg at the finish , watching how john Tesh worked hard to make a "thing" out of what had happened on the climb. Hinault had his broken noze face and he was fuming near. quite a stage. That night we had dinner where Van Impe was . Each years we loved our time at the Tour. In 89 we not only did the Tour but we came back for the Worlds in Chamberry. We got to practice where the teams did .. suffering on the climbs , loving to match their speed on the descend. We were there , in the rain when Greg whom we love so much, won the title.. we were dancing. Little by little we tried to see more and more. Sometimes we had passes sometimes we didn't but we always got close. The worlds at Colorado spring.. my little boy and I doing a fund raising ride with the like of Eddy Merckxs, we watche closely Charly Mottet loose by very little.
We saw the growth of american cycling. Andy Hemsteen and the bunch.. my kids riding junior at Kissena when Georgie was twice everybody size and we knew he would be great. Each year the Tour getting bigger but not always better. At one point we start bringing friends to ride some stages and watching the race. we saw lance TT at the Alpe. we had climbed it the day before with a bunch of fellows americans. As i said somewhere else , i keep hoping it will get better . In my heart I ache that the Tour got so commercial and although i loved Lance i could never burn with the fever for him because he was too much of a 'big business rider who did great for himself but not so much for cycling. As a french man I loved when jalabert was around, as a cycling i was in owe of indurain. saw him in action.. Loved how the ladies got crazies about ciappuci and some of the italian stars. I have great hope Contador will bring some new glory to cycling all season long but i don't hold my breath about it . what else can I say or do.. I know i am rambling but we love this damned bike racing.

 

[Race Radio]

1981

I wish they had one of these handy guides when I started

 

[codrutc]

I really started following Le Tour since the last couple of years of Miguel Indurain's dominance. I am Romanian and I regret that my country men are virtually absent from this beautiful sport.

 

[valentius borealis]

I remember watching a roundup in the early 90s when Rominger abandoned from second place. I started following the results in 1996, mainly focussing on Bjarne Riis (because my sister had just returned from student exchange in Denmark) and Patrick Jonker (who finished in the top 20 that year). We got pay TV the next year (which meant that our terrible SBS reception was a thing of the past) and I started watching the 30 minute highlights package when I remembered. I remember a rider getting in trouble from his DS after not obeying his orders (which were to stick with Riis) after the field was split due to a crash (Stage 1 1997?) and he ended up in the front group when Riis was held up. I remember seeing Andorra that year as well.

The first stage I saw as it happened was the Mont Ventoux stage in 2002 when Armstrong was booed at the top as he tried in vain to catch the last 2 riders from the breakaway.

When SBS started showing stages live on a regular basis in 2005, I was finally hooked.

As for other events, I was hooked on Paris-Roubaix when I watched it in 2008, and followed the text commentary of the Tour of Flanders and the Giro d'Italia in the same year. Now that I have Eurosport, the Tour of Flanders is my favourite race.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'd have to say 2003... (the bit I watched back in the mid 90es doesn't count)
But must admit I often doesn't really watch the first week... more of a mountain-type (watching, not riding mind you) can't see the fun in a flat stage... (And... well... I kinda like to see people suffer...) And there have been times where I didn't see bits...

(A bit off-topic... but does anyone know if any german broadcaster shows it...)