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They do say never meet your hero's....
Just stood for 45minutes outside the Sky bus. Probably 200 - 300 people including loads of kids. The riders sat on the bus for all of that time, then got off, grabbed their bikes and rolled off. A couple managed one or two autographs and Bernie Eisal actually smiled.
Lovely sunny day, loads of kids waiting to meet their hero's, would it have killed them to spend more than one minute with the crowd, chatting to them and, perhaps, inspiring them even more?
They really did look like they didn't want to be there.
A shame when this happens, on one side they are at work and are focused on the job in hand, on the other yeah part of the job is the fans esp Kids.
That's what made the recent Sreve Peat post so good really, a big star being so approachable.
Did they have their race faces on?
[/hugh porter]
It does seem crappy, but to be honest if I was a top sportsman I am not sure I could handle the crowds, autograph hunters and adulation, and can imagine I would blank it all out most of the time, especially before the race starts.
But you would think a few of them would revel in that kind of thing. Maybe cycling just frequently attracts more "lone wolf" personalities. I don't think its a sport most get into expecting fame and fortune.
Mixing with public = catching a cold = race buggered.
it is a bit crappy, but i bet, coming to the end of the season there's some tired people on that bus...
They don't need to revel in it, just be polite. People waited for ages to see them.
Makes me wonder if cycling as a sport, and the pro's themselves, need to catch up with the speed of growth and interest in the sport.
Makes you wonder if there had been some 'atmosphere' on the bus. Cav crashing out on Day 1, losing the sprint yesterday, potentially leaving the team, wanting to take Bernie with him.......
Give them a break, they are only highly paid sportsmen who really on public support for their job. Have seen Sky riders like this before when things are not happy in the team. Perhaps there is something going on.
🙄
Mixing with public = catching a cold = race buggered.
Yeah, it's not like they are advertising things, being an ambassador or inspiration for some wee mite.
Thankfully, not all sports people are up their own arses.
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7865734576_e42c79f7e1.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/7865734576/ ]Danny MacAskill[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
I don't think the average team member in a cycling team makes much money at all, probably just around the average wage. Although I think its tradition for the TdF winner to give his winnings to the team for the race, so those in that race will have had a nice bonus.
Those Wallace and Gromit hands still make me LOL.
If I was psyching myself up for a stage I'm not sure I'd be that sociable.
Were the other teams?
I was at the Kendal-Blackpool stage last year and the contrast was remarkable. Spent 20 mins chatting with Geraint and Swifty, cracking lads.
But, that was the day the race was cancelled.
I have to say though, prior to a race, you just want to get in the zone and focus, listen to your ipod and go through the salient points of the race manual...
In fairness, lost the GC yesterday after a judges decision, not had the normal plan work out, twice. Quite possibly reviewing/altering tactics. There's a fair amount of general public pressure and expectation on them to take this one easily, and its not been the perfect start. Given their attention to detail may well be a fair bit of focus... Yeah sounds like they could ahve chirpier getting off the bus, but may just have their 'head in the game'. We shall see today I suppose.
I saw wiggins on the tv talking talking about contracts at £50k, that's less than wayne rooney's daily rate, according to here:
http://www.paywizard.co.uk/main/pay/vip-celebrity-salary/football-players-salary
and wiggins is a world class athlete!
matt_outandabout - Member
Thankfully, not all sports people are up their own arses.
Bit of leap - not signing autographs at one specific time = up their own arses?
That's not Wiggo at 50k - that's the lowest pro-tour salary (there's an actual minimum, but I can't remember what it is).
Wiggo is on 1m
Edit: here's a nice article http://inrng.com/2011/07/how-much-does-a-rider-earn/
In fact the whole site is worth subscribing to.
They really did look like they didn't want to [s]be there.[/s] wear Rapha in 2013.
Seen Cav spend a lot of time with members of the public before stages, particularly with kids. Mind you he is on £2m a year, not that it matters. Would suggest that even a lower paid rider at SKY it better paid than many on here. Perhaps they'd just had a bollocking of the DS for arguing about whose fault Cav's stage 1 crash was.
What happened to him yesterday?
What happened to him yesterday?
Not sure, i meant to go back and watch again, but as the last guy was about to give him the lead out, he suddenly dropped back and everyone else seized on the opportunity, came stonking back with everything he had and it was close, but not enough.
Not sure, i meant to go back and watch again, but as the last guy was about to give him the lead out, he suddenly dropped back and everyone else seized on the opportunity, came stonking back with everything he had and it was close, but not enough.
yeah I spotted that too - he just stopped pedalling. What was that about?
Maybe they should go and work in tesco for a few months on minimum wage, then put them back on the tour
Think some of these primadonnas fret what real life is all about
Can't stop and talk to fans because they are in the zone, what a load of crap
Easygirl, would you prefer that Wayne, on checkout 23, was the lead out man for Cav as he came on to the final lap of the Champs Elysee stage?
😉
Perhaps Angela (Beers, Wines and Spirits) fancies a break on the Hautacam. I reckon she could make it stick.
Meanwhile, Dave, you know, that spotty one, from Accounts, is lined up in the front row against Adam Jones. Looking like a good match up that one...
"Can't stop and talk to fans because they are in the zone, what a load of crap"
Agreed. It's tour of britain for goods sake.
If the OP had said this had happened after the stage I could understand, that's the time to meet the public sign autographs etc. But you can't expect professional athletes to do this sort of stuff just before they perform!
From my limited sporting experience, I know the last thing I want just before I start an event is to have my focus and preparations interrupted.
mt - Member
"Can't stop and talk to fans because they are in the zone, what a load of crap"Agreed. It's tour of britain for goods sake.
They're still being paid to ride to win, not for writing their names on bits of paper for strangers.
AndrewJ - Member
If the OP had said this had happened after the stage I could understand, that's the time to meet the public sign autographs etc. But you can't expect professional athletes to do this sort of stuff just before they perform!
Agree
A lot of speculation on here. Maybe there was a delay in the schedule, maybe things come up in the team meeting that had to be addressed.
I'd like to add that every time I've met a pro rider from sky it's been a great experience and they've had time for the fans.
I'd add that there departure from the bus would have been scheduled as well. It's not like they just wander off whenever they feel like it.
Bernie Eisal actually smiled
He's officially my man crush!!! Top bloke as well!
Its a bike race. The bike racers were probably concentrating on the bike race.
Several years ago in Morzine, I waited two hours outside the sky bus. The PR girl gave us postcards of the entire team and Brailsford gave a ten minute interview to some mates that I was with (he even let them film it). The riders came out, said hello and signed our postcards. Wiggo was the last rider out, seemed quite relaxed for the stage ahead, chatted and autographed the postcards. Awesome day, couldn't praise the teamteam (riders and support staff) enough!
"They're still being paid to ride to win, not for writing their names on bits of paper for strangers"
You are right of course about winning, not sure that the company paying the bills would be happy having it's customers ignored.
Blanking the fans when leaving the team bus before a stage is not normally what happens.
A couple of years ago the minimum wage for a pro tour domestique was £37k. Teams like sky pay more, but a lot of Italian and Spanish teams pay the minimum.
Maybe they should go and work in tesco for a few months on minimum wage, then put them back on the tour
Think some of these primadonnas fret what real life is all about
If was earning 40 grand a year, but I knew it would end when I turned 35 or so, I'm pretty sure I'd know what real life was like.
Personally I don't get why they should have to stand around signing stuff for fans?
Sure it's nice but I don't think it should be expected. I hate getting interrupted when I'm working.
They'd probably just got a bollocking eh?
I took part in the Aberfoyle SXC race last year and Megaskill was one of the riders! I was dead last... why I stayed out for the 4th lap is still beyond me.
To be fair, a lot of people turn up at my work and most of them I can't be bothered with, they are all customers of course so they get a smile and a nod and maybe a thanks!
"Personally I don't get why they should have to stand around signing stuff for fans? Sure it's nice but I don't think it should be expected." In some industries it's known as customer service in others it's about building the companies brand image. Given who own Sky, brand image is probably important right now.
"I hate getting interrupted when I'm working." I know what you mean but I can't get away from this forum. 🙂
"chakaping - Member
They'd probably just got a bollocking eh?"
I'd say thats was pretty close to the truth. Having watch Le Tour, currently watching the documentary do you think Dave's happy with the performance of the team? They don't look like the domineering professional Sky outfit that left france, and a lot of the Superstars of world cyclic are not present.
Perhaps they've become complacent.
At the Tour de Luxembourg, Sky were probably the least approachable of the big teams. Teams like Europcar and Vacansoleil were very friendly but are a level below Sky I suppose. That said, Lotto, Cofidis and Radioshack were all a lot more chatty but there could be a language element to that. Overall though, I was surprised how happy all the teams were to have people sticking their heads into the trucks etc.
There is a [url= http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NjQzOQ&MenuId=MTY5Mw&LangId=1&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuId%3DMTY5Mw%26LangId%3D1 ]2009 salary report[/url] from the UCI which suggests that the average 2009 salary is 190k euros but 15% of the ProTour riders earned under 40k. I guess though, if you;re racing or at camps for a lot of the year, maybe your expenses aren't that high.
What channel is the tour of Britain on this year?
ITV4, both live and highlights @ 7pm I think.
Just for some balance, at the TdF Time Trial in Chartres, the team, with the exception of Bradley, were available for the fans, chatted and Cav signed both my sons' jerseys after talking with them. Eisel and Porte signed the yellow caps, Higgs Boson was of course swamped by Norwegians, and David Brailsford chatted for ages.
"In the Zone"!
They tootle around chatting for the 1st hour of each stage!
ITV 4 and shown live on their website.
Who will win today?