The Tour de France

I like watching it on TV. I really don't understand all of it, I love those crowds, those nuts who run alongside the bikers, the scenery, beautiful, all those campers parked alongside the road. I understand it is the largest sporting event in the world.

Definition of PELOTON. : the main body of riders in a bicycle race.

I am used to some people lining up on a track, the gun goes off, they run, and the first one across the finish line wins.

I don't know how they do it in a bike race. There are White Jerseys, Red Jerseys, Gold and a few other colors, and each has some specific meaning. There are teams, station wagons, motorcycles, many different colors, a lot going on. They know what they are doing, no need for me to know. 

Some of the people living along the race site, design elaborate artwork in their fields and on their homes, all for a few seconds of fame when the helicopter fly's overhead. The whole things probably passes you by in a minute or so and it's all over till next year. Makes we want to tour some of those lovely countries though, not on a bike, in one of those little campers

They had had some hellasious pileups this year, easy to figure. All those bikers, one has trouble, and a whole line of of them behind you pile into you, and, not much padding for protection. 

This one, the EVENT is the big thing, you don't have to understand what is going on, just enjoy it. But, riding a bicycle up a steep mountain, and the speeds coming down, a special breed.

Why isn't there a female Tour De France? The miracle is: there is one, there has been one, and you just don't hear about it. Pictured here is Liz Hatch. But, there are no women in this Tour De France, wonder why? Sexism?

Some facts on the Tour ............

I am not a big bike fan, but have been watching the Tour De France. Here are some facts that were compiled at the 2005 Tour ............... I am sure it is bigger this year. I  just wondered how many water bottles they went through .......... 42,000 .... now I have to wonder where do they get the water from, and how do they store all of that in those crammed cars ........................

Specific 2005 Tour de France facts


•One jaunt into foreign territory (Stage Seven in Karlsruhe, Germany)
•Two rest days (July 11 and 18)
•Three summit finishes (Courchevel, Ax-3 Domaines, Pla d'Adet in Saint-Lary Soulan)
•Five classic climbs to hors categorie 'unclassified' summits (Col de la Madeleine, Col de Galibier, Port de Pailheres, Pla d'Adet, Col d'Aubisque)
•Nine riders in each team and number of flat stages
•15,000,000 spectators set to line the route
•21 stages
•22 teams
•36 French victories on the Tour since debut in 1903
•67.5 kilometers to ride on team time trial
•74 km - the combined distance of the two individual time trials
•131 - times Paris has hosted a start or finish of the Tour
•19 km - the shortest flat stage of the race (Stage One from Fromentine to Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile)
•198 riders at the start
•239.5 km - longest stage in the Tour (Stage 17 from Pau to Revel)
•381 euros prize money for riders finishing race after 120th position
•1200 hotel rooms reserved for teams and staff, press, and Tour personnel
•1904 - the year of the first documented case of cheating in the Tour
•2400 hours of TV coverage
•2004 meters - the altitude of the Courchevel (Stage Ten), the highest climb on the 2005 Tour
•7620 euros prize money for the winner of a stage
•8400 food bags distributed at feeding stations throughout race
•20,000 euros in prize money to most combative rider in race
•25,055 security personnel
•42,000 water bottles used by teams
•353,430 km - approximate distance of all previous 90 Tours de France
•400,000 euros prize money for race winner
•2,877,705 euros total prize money for the entire race
•217 miles of barricades erected and torn down for the race
•250 gendarmes on stage routes per day

Totally Trivial 2005 Tour de France Stats
•4500 accompanying people
•1500 vehicles
•60 permanent staff
•200 temporary staff
•180 service providers
•14 medical staff
•13,000 gendarmes
•45 “gardes républicains”
•9000 police staff
•3000 government officials from the Ministère de l'Équipement
•15,000,000 spectators (men: 68% - women: 32%)
•96% in France, 90% in Europe - Tour name recognition
•11 million gifts distributed
•2300 accredited journalists
•1200 photographer, cameramen & TV directors
•1100 technicians or chauffeurs
•528 various media
•78 television channels showing the Tour in 170 countries
•2,000,000,000 television viewers

Tour de France observations

Why would anyone want to do it, first question, or ride up a mountain on a bike. Physically they all look alike, from the shoulders down they all look the same.

And, what is it with those people who run along beside them. They carry flags, they dress up in costumes, they gesture, they act nuts. I wonder how many accidents there are due to spectators, they are right there, in arms length of the riders.

And all those cars and motorcycles, there have to be a number off accidents.

And there, at the top of a mountain, hundreds of campers, thousands of people, standing close to drop offs of thousands of feet,, there has to be a lot going on.

But the scenery, beautiful, the shots from the helicopters are something else. I have, I thought, done enough traveling, but when I hit the lottery I think I am going to get a passport, and follow the route off the Tour de France, sans bikes, to check out that scenery for myself. Not on a bike, but in a nice limo or maybe a camper.

How are they able to close all those roads for so long?

More on the Tour

When I hit the lottery I may move to France, or wherever they were televising today, that is such beautiful countryside, and quaint towns, and it all looks so clean, well, except for the countryside.

About 200 bikers, they drink at least 3 waters an hour, that's 600 water bottles that are thrown out on the roads and country side. What do they ride, 5 or 6 hours, that could be 3000 or so water bottles. Where do they keep them all in those little station wagons, and where do they get all that water. I saw a few kids chasing after thrown bottles, but a lot were just thrown out into fields. I'll bet the farmers love picking up all those bottles.

I wonder if the cows eat them, there are a lot of cows. Gotta do some more research.

On another subject ...

I watch the Tour de France, I don't understand it, I don't know WHY anyone would want to subject themselves to such torture, unless they just enjoy the scenery like I do. They don't have the advantage of that helicopter though. The shots they take are marvelous. I can see why Hitler wanted to own all of that.

Their crowd control leaves something to be desired. Some riders actually have had to try to beat people off, and I don't understand why, someone wants to run along with the bikers for a few yards or so. The crowds are almost hysterical, and they only get a few seconds view of the riders.

It has to be one of the largest sporting events in the world, when you add it all up. I learned what the peloton was, they could just as easily said the "group." I have heard three different pronunciations of the word.

I am sure the educated know what is happening, I don't, but I love that scenery. I think in a previous life I was Bavarian. Those alps are beautiful, the architecture is extraordinary, as is the scenery.

I wonder, also, some of those roads are quite old, they don't seem to deteriorate like our highways do, wonder why that is. I don't think I have seen one orange barrel. Wonder if they build their roads to last. The Autobahn was build in the twenties, wonder how much maintanance they have had to do.

In Columbus, Ohio, I think they build their highways to last for five years, then resurrface.

Well, I was wondering, so I got the answer ............

How do Tour de France riders go to the toilet?

Generally, they pull over to the side of the road, stop, and shed liquid ballast in the usual way.

Sometime in the first couple of hours of the race, a senior rider (a team leader) will organize a comfort break and the whole peloton will slow down enough that riders can stop for a break and easily catch up afterwards.

A rider should not attack while a large-scale comfort break is in progress, and you certainly don't attack the yellow jersey when he's taking a break. If the stage is short, fast or very hot it may simply not be necessary, but on a cold morning at the beginning of a long day's trek will almost certainly happen.

If a rider needs to go outside of an organized stop, that's another situation where team-work comes into play.

Along with a couple of team-mates, the rider will drop back in the peloton, and move to the side of the road. While his team-mates push him along at the back of the bunch, he'll take a mobile comfort break.

It's considered extremely rude if photographers and TV shoot this whole process which is why we never see it on TV or in pictures.

It seems also, that on a not day, perspiration takes care of the whole process.

The Tour de France ...... I think that's it

I never had a TV channel before, that I know of, where I could watch the TDF live, but it is an interesting sporting event to watch.

A long day of riding, and it comes down to an exciting finish.

The scenery is outstanding as they go through those little towns and the mountains. The route is lined with people, cars, campers. With so many people on those narrow roads and streets it amazes me that some bikers and spectators don't collide.

I don't really understand the race, different ones finish first, but the aren't necessarily winning the race, but, nevertheless, it is fun to watch.

I now would like to hit the lottery and take that same route, in a nice camper, and see all those sites.

The bikers and the cars and motorcycles seem to be in such close proximity to each other, maybe the camera causes that. One biker will be next to a car, loaded with bikes, riding at high speeds, taking water bottles, and loading them in a back vest. Seems like one little slip, and disaster.

I will be back watching in on Tuesday AM, early, I guess they give them a day off today.

I would need a lot more than that if I was in it ..........