I wonder if the Alpe D'Huez stage was on a Thurs to keep numbers down? Seems a bit sensible but wonders never cease.
on a Thurs to keep numbers down?
The ban on alcohol probably had more of an effect 🙂
They had banned alcohol from being sold locally and it said that they had not allowed camper vans on, all the local roads leading in were blocked to vehicles.
Reports saying Nibali has fractured vertebra and that his bars had caught the strap of a spectators camera as he leaned in.
The fans that run along next to them or shove flags in the riders faces (or both at the same time) do look like such tossers. Every rider to get a taser and two charges would be my preferred option to keep the fans in check.
Difficult really, it is isn't fair on the riders to be abused or physically harmed, but the spectators make the race (just watch Abu Dhabi or similar). The ASO are already reporting spectator numbers are way down and TV figures too.
You see the police motorbikes trying to usher fans away, but yesterday Froome was having to shout at them as they were holding him up.
Not sure exactly what the answer is other than barrier the whole mountain?
Over enthusiastic fans is nothing new though is it? In 1975 Eddy Merckx was punched by one "fan" https://www.bicycling.com/racing/a20041531/who-punched-eddy-merckx-the-conclusion/
There's previous on riders catching camera/handbag straps as well, about 1 minute into this video
As for numbers on the Alpe d'Huez, locals are not exactly enamoured with fans' behaviour so short of banning consumption of alcohol there's not a lot that can be done. Even then if someone turns up in a campervan with a couple of crates of beer how do you stop them drinking that inside the van?
dynamo charged tasers; the faster Froome spins his legs, the bigger the whack he can give the bloke that runs up to him.
Amazing result for G....but not the most enjoyable stage to watch.....just waiting for a spectator to get in the way.
Give me the stages in the Pyrenees with more Basque fans, who are more respectful.
You can’t write Froome off yet, especially after what he did in the Giro.
I don't think this applies in this case. The Giro was a perfect storm of events that came together that only just reduced the risk of a very risky manoeuvre to just about acceptable to have a go. And also Froome didn't do it by himself.. it drew upon every resource the team had...so in the case of this TDf they're not going to recruit in a Geraint in yellow and heading for a win to support a dramatic high risk attempt for Froome to steal it.
I think Sky will capitalise on this and whoever wins out wins out. Their competitors have two people to watch out for who can can play games and employ distraction techniques...people talk about Sky have a big decision to make as to who they back...but in reality the competition have a trickier decision about two they decide to cover and mark/attack. Are they going to bet of G or Froome? They can't cover both. Even if Froome has given up any hope of winning this year, he'll play them to create confusion and support G, and if G blows a gasket he is in a good position to go for the win. At the end of the day Dumoulin or Bardet seem to have zero effective support from their teams...they're properly on their own. Sky have the relentless Sky train and Froome and G. can team up and play games as they see fit. I think it's Sky's to loose, who out of G or Froome gets it I don't know, but it's theirs to lose.
Watching Spanish coverage. They've for a shot of the camera strap snagging the bars and also were pretty unimpressed by the behaviour of the watchers to frome and sky.
