Tour de France 2010
Jul 8, 2010 9:50:55 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2010 9:50:55 GMT
BigIain started last year's thread, so I guess it's my turn.
I've always thought that one of the most remarkable things about this event is that for the last 20 years, with new video technology and various helicopters, it has become just as much a visual travel event as a sporting event.
No château or abbey goes unmentioned, all cathedrals are circled several times, the manors and formal gardens are examined lovingly... and then there are some bicycles. At least that's the way the coverage is on French television which spends the entire afternoon showing the Tour live (it goes back and forth between France 2 and France 3 so as not to miss a scrap).
I imagine that in most other countries, the culture is cut out and it's all condensed down to sprints, the breakaway group, the peleton, and thighs ready to pop out of the shorts -- what a shame!
I have read that the Tour draws the biggest crowd of any sporting event in the world -- 15 million people go to see at least one stage in person. In cycle fanatic Netherland and Belgium the other day, the crowds were among the largest ever.
The morning news today was saying that on average, people drive 104 kilometers to come to see a stage, and they wait along the road an average of 6h15 to see 3 minutes of cyclists whizzing by.
But they have a great party while they're waiting.
I've always thought that one of the most remarkable things about this event is that for the last 20 years, with new video technology and various helicopters, it has become just as much a visual travel event as a sporting event.
No château or abbey goes unmentioned, all cathedrals are circled several times, the manors and formal gardens are examined lovingly... and then there are some bicycles. At least that's the way the coverage is on French television which spends the entire afternoon showing the Tour live (it goes back and forth between France 2 and France 3 so as not to miss a scrap).
I imagine that in most other countries, the culture is cut out and it's all condensed down to sprints, the breakaway group, the peleton, and thighs ready to pop out of the shorts -- what a shame!
I have read that the Tour draws the biggest crowd of any sporting event in the world -- 15 million people go to see at least one stage in person. In cycle fanatic Netherland and Belgium the other day, the crowds were among the largest ever.
The morning news today was saying that on average, people drive 104 kilometers to come to see a stage, and they wait along the road an average of 6h15 to see 3 minutes of cyclists whizzing by.
But they have a great party while they're waiting.
).