Astana teammates Andreas Kloden of Germany, American Levi Leipheimer, American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, and Alberto Contador of Spain, from left to right, climb towards Col de Port , France, during the 8th stage of the Tour de France (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
In the past week the Tour de France has seen the tragic death of a female spectator, riders shot at and hurt by teenagers wielding air guns, the step back in time with the banning of race radios and the craziness and enthusiasm of the thousands of fans who line the streets within touching distance of the stars. It’s the antithesis of modern sport.
So much of sport today is sanitised.
Grounds look the same, crowds are drowned out by the silence of the suits and fans are kept at arms length.
Everything is so regimented and predictable.
Road race cycling, especially the Tour de France, counters this in every way.
The open roads allow the fans to follow the action like few other sporting codes allow.
It makes for such a unique and special event. It also adds much to the experience of following the race on television.
But the tragic death of the 61 year-old local, killed when struck by a police motorcycle preceding Stage 14, reinforces the dangers associated with such freedoms.
What is surprising is that there aren’t more problems in the chaos and cacophony of the travelling show with the racing peloton, support vehicles, motorbikes and media all trying to wind their way through a mass of people in the countryside and back alleys of France.
Incidents happen. Who can forget the cameramen, dogs, handbags and over enthusiastic fans who have unwillingly become embroiled in the drama of the race.
Having covered the Tour Down Under at the start of this year in Adelaide, I was amazed by the proximity of the crowd to the action and the endless possibility for disaster.
It’s organised chaos and some how, for the most part at least, it works.
Being so close to the riders, being able to see the anguish on their face, makes for a unique spectator experience.
It’s one of the many reasons why the Tour has stood the test of time and has become as popular as ever in its second century of racing.
As Le Tour approaches its concluding mountain stages, the intensity only rises on the climbs that will decide the race.
The scene is now set for the climactic stages and the answers that we have waited for.
Is this Alberto Contador’s race to lose? Does Lance Armstrong have the legs to push his younger teammate? What can Cadel Evans do to break Astana’s stranglehold on the race?
With the penultimate stage being, arguably, the hardest climb of the Tour, up Mont Ventoux, is there a possibility for a surprise packet to emerge on that crucial stage and steal the yellow jersey before heading to Paris and the top of the podium?
The talk that this Tour has been boring thus far isn’t necessarily true. In fact it has more to do with the heightened expectations on this year’s race with so many question marks and talking points, not to mention the early teases of drama from Armstrong, Evans and Contador.
There is much drama to be played out in this concluding week and it’ll make for spectacular viewing.
Bear
Guest
I agree with megatron. A lot of the Tour seems meaningless but every stage tests and weakens the riders. The wear and tear accumulated over a week of flat stages is then brutally exposed when the riders hit the mountains or the TT. There are lots of races that cater to Brian's request (the Dauphine Libere would be a good example) but it's the grand tours (Le Tour, the Giro and La Vuelta) that really capture the imagination. Having said that, I agree that a huge chunk of the Tour is very boring. I don't think I have ever watched a flat stage or a time trial. But the mountain stages!!! I find them as intoxicating as anything in sport. It is a battle of attrition in the truest sense of the word and there is no way to hide. I recently went on a holiday in Switzerland and drove up some of these roads. A 7% gradient sounds like nothing but the roads are very steep and twist all over the place. It's hard to get out of 2nd gear in a car. I have also heard that it is hard to appreciate just how fast the riders are going when you are watching on TV, although you can get some idea when you see fans trying to run with the riders. They can usually only keep pace for about twenty metres. Being physically present on a mountain stage is also reputedly brilliant as you hear the roar of the crowd from the bottom of the valley, a roar that gets steadily louder as the rider come to wherever you are. Alpe D'Huez routinely attracts one million people. One million!
megatron
Guest
Brain I disagree. What makes the race is its distance, the fact that the riders are backing up each day for three weeks. This is what causes the tired legs that make the final mountain stages more interesting and painful
Brian
Guest
Its good viewing but watching it you get the impression they could do away with most of it. 4 mountain stages, a time trial and a sprinters stage for the green jersey and you could have exactly the same excitement in one week instead of three. Its great the tour goes accross the countryside and I agree it makes good viewing but claiming its the opposite of modern sport goes a bit far in a competition where the main competitors are European companies and teams don't bother with names representing their origins, instead just adopting the sponsors name. Kinda like tipping Carlsberg, Samsung or AIG to win the EPL next year.
Hammo
Guest
Yes well the money and lure of Team Astana prevails once again! It's amazing that you can simply buy a win at Le Tour - but then again, that's what its all about, making money. Biggest budget, best riders, great management and impressive staff makes for an awesome team. Not to mention best chemists in the world to get that B sample ignored! Can anyone please tell me why Cadel is still with Silence Lotto? Surely his contract is up given he's been in the team for more than 5 years. No disrespect to the riders on that team, they are brilliant athletes just to be at Le Tour but why on earth is Cadel still there? If Cadel was with CSC or Credit Agricole or Caisse D'Epagne last year he would have won by minutes. Instead he is with a team who cannot support him or attack or go with him on the climbs. Cadel is showing he is the strongest domestique in Le Tour dragging his team around all over the French countryside. He is the most rounded cyclist in the Tour over the last 3 years and should have 3 vitories not 2 seconds and perhaps this year finishing outside the top ten!
Adrian Musolino
Expert
Matt, here are the details - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8156974.stm
Matt
Guest
Too bad the cricket is on. By the way, riders shot at? When did this happen?
Derryn
Guest
It is great viewing. I am suprised there aren't more incidents involving the crowd. It does make for a special atmosphere but I wouldn't be suprised to see a Peter Hoare type serial pest one day knock a top rider off his bike. Fantastic stage last night. Contador is too strong in the mountains. The only person who has a realistic chance of beating him is Brad Wiggins because of his time trialling capabilities. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen have to be up there amongst the best commentators in world sport.
megatron
Guest
Can't see Contador being beaten now although as you say that second to last stage could throw a spanner in the works. Wonder what Armstrong is thinking now? Agreed that it's a special and unique event. Congrats to SBS too for their brilliant coverage and making use of their multiple digital channels.