Lance Question

[Simon Mason]

Reading an article in the Daily Mail about Lance Armstrong yesterday, I noticed in his photo that he
was wearing earpieces. I can't imagine that he was listening to his Walkman, so what goes on? Is
this so he can listen to team orders like F1 drivers do?

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[Simon Mason]

"Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room new build]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> Most probably yes. Unfortunately scanners are *banned* in France so it
would
> not be advisable taking one to LeTour
>
> Its possible also the comms are digital and/or encrypted these days as is common in sports,
> otherwise competitors would listen in as well.

Yes nearly everything on scanners is digital these days. Not like in the early 90s when one could
listen to hundreds of mobile phone calls. Not that I did anything of the sort of course, but in
theory you would have been able to find where all the knocking shops were by listening to the calls
between pro and punter ;-)
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[Michael Keily]

Link about the subject matter

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=toradioornottoradio

Cheers

Mike

 

[John B]

Simon Mason wrote:

> Reading an article in the Daily Mail about Lance Armstrong yesterday, I noticed in his photo that
> he was wearing earpieces. I can't imagine that he was listening to his Walkman, so what goes on?
> Is this so he can listen to team orders like F1 drivers do?

Yes. Many professional teams use radios between the manager/directeur sportif in the following car
and the riders. There is an excellent example of confusion when radios _don't_ work in 'Road to
Paris', the account of Armstrong's pre Tour training.

Radios are becoming fairly widespread. I even saw an (over)enthusiastic parent sending orders to
their 12 year old in a kids circuit race. He was muttering into his raincoat's inside pocket "the
one in blue's catching you". It was quite comical.

John Buckley

 

[Tony W]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Reading an article in the Daily Mail about Lance Armstrong yesterday, I noticed in his photo that
> he was wearing earpieces. I can't imagine that
he
> was listening to his Walkman, so what goes on? Is this so he can listen to team orders like F1
> drivers do?

Yes - and probably give a few!!

 

[David Warwick]

Lance and the rest of the US postals team all use a 2way radio system. This is used to communicate
with Johan Bruyneel back in the team car. You will often see him on the mountain stages speaking
into the mic barely breaking a sweet while the other riders are loosing time by the second on him.

It's used to check to race status, i.e, distance left or time difference on a break away
rider/group.

Also the domestiques are called upon to pick up drinks and food for the other riders from
the team car.

Lance also uses the 2way radio during time trials to check on his cadence and time splits.

It's all fully legal as the rest of the peleton also use radio systems.

David

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Reading an article in the Daily Mail about Lance Armstrong yesterday, I noticed in his photo that
> he was wearing earpieces. I can't imagine that
he
> was listening to his Walkman, so what goes on? Is this so he can listen to team orders like F1
> drivers do?
>
> --
> Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net

 

[Andymorris]

John B wrote:
> Many professional teams use radios between the manager/directeur sportif in the following car and
> the riders. There is an excellent example of confusion when radios _don't_ work in 'Road to
> Paris', the account of Armstrong's pre Tour training.
>
> Radios are becoming fairly widespread. I even saw an (over)enthusiastic parent sending orders to
> their 12 year old in a kids circuit race. He was muttering into his raincoat's inside pocket "the
> one in blue's catching you". It was quite comical.
>
> John Buckley

Does anyone else think this is destroying an essential part of road racing?

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this: Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/

 

[Graham]

"David Warwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lance and the rest of the US postals team all use a 2way radio system.
This
> is used to communicate with Johan Bruyneel back in the team car. You will often see him on the
> mountain stages speaking into the mic barely breaking
a
> sweet while the other riders are loosing time by the second on him.
>
> It's used to check to race status, i.e, distance left or time difference
on
> a break away rider/group.
>
> Also the domestiques are called upon to pick up drinks and food for the other riders from the
> team car.
>
> Lance also uses the 2way radio during time trials to check on his cadence and time splits.
>
> It's all fully legal as the rest of the peleton also use radio systems.
>
> David

It's very unimaginative though !

Graham
>
> "Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Reading an article in the Daily Mail about Lance Armstrong yesterday, I noticed in his photo
> > that he was wearing earpieces. I can't imagine that
> he
> > was listening to his Walkman, so what goes on? Is this so he can listen
to
> > team orders like F1 drivers do?
> >
> > --
> > Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W http://www.simonmason.karoo.net
> >
>

 

[Elyob]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Mr R@t (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room new build]" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > Most probably yes. Unfortunately scanners are *banned* in France so it
> would
> > not be advisable taking one to LeTour
> >
> > Its possible also the comms are digital and/or encrypted these days as
is
> > common in sports, otherwise competitors would listen in as well.
>
> Yes nearly everything on scanners is digital these days. Not like in the
> early 90s when one could listen to hundreds of mobile phone calls. Not
that
> I did anything of the sort of course, but in theory you would have been
able
> to find where all the knocking shops were by listening to the calls
between
> pro and punter ;-)
> --

Just go to www.punternet.com if you want info on that sort of stuff ...

 

[Mr R@T \ -Lsqco]

In news:[email protected], AndyMorris <[email protected]> typed:
> John B wrote:

>> Radios are becoming fairly widespread. I even saw an (over)enthusiastic parent sending orders to
>> their 12 year old in a kids circuit race. He was muttering into his raincoat's inside pocket "the
>> one in blue's catching you". It was quite comical.
>>
>> John Buckley
>
> Does anyone else think this is destroying an essential part of road racing?

I would have thought (although perhaps not at junior level!) that radio comms between cyclists in
races would have been deployed since the late
70s/early 80s (before that the sets would have been too bulky!)

Alex

 

[Tony W]

"Simon Mason" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Yes nearly everything on scanners is digital these days. Not like in the
> early 90s when one could listen to hundreds of mobile phone calls. Not
that
> I did anything of the sort of course, but in theory you would have been
able
> to find where all the knocking shops were by listening to the calls
between
> pro and punter ;-)

Several of the cycber cafes / telephone from here places I used in India (particularly in larger
cities) had suspicious back rooms with small groups of women either wired up with telephone headsets
or seriously pecking at keyboards. I suppose they could have been legitimate 'call centres' for Rip
Off Insurance or similar -- but I have my suspicions that they were engaged in a less savoury aspect
of the telecommunications revolution.

T

 

[Steve McGinty]

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 11:49:14 +0000 (UTC), "Graham" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"David Warwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Lance and the rest of the US postals team all use a 2way radio system.
>This
>> is used to communicate with Johan Bruyneel back in the team car. You will often see him on the
>> mountain stages speaking into the mic barely breaking
>a
>> sweet while the other riders are loosing time by the second on him.
>>
>> It's used to check to race status, i.e, distance left or time difference
>on
>> a break away rider/group.
>>
>> Also the domestiques are called upon to pick up drinks and food for the other riders from the
>> team car.
>>
>> Lance also uses the 2way radio during time trials to check on his cadence and time splits.
>>
>> It's all fully legal as the rest of the peleton also use radio systems.
>>
>> David
>
> It's very unimaginative though !
>
> Graham
>>

In what way? It's simply using technology to enhance what already happened. The team cars receive
race radio, the DS in the car usually has a telephone link to someone watching the race on TV, while
motor bike marshals carry info on blackboards on the time gaps.

Having direct radio contact means the team cars don't have to come through the peleton as often and
eases the burden on the domestiques. Cheers! Stephen