Tour de France

On 08/19/2004 01:58 AM, in article [email hidden],

chrisrange said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Because the organization wanted to have one, as the Tour was going through
Paris-Roubaix country in Northern France, and nothing represents the area
more than cobblestones?

Why in the world does the Tour have to have sections with mountains?

Why in the world does the Tour have to have sections with wind, along the
coast?

Why can't the Tour just be run on F1 circuits, so they can charge people
admission to watch the race, so you can see it go by on several occasions?

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

Because they are there.

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

To eliminate those pesky Spanish/Basque climbers who hate them and refuse to
train on them.

Actually, I heard somewhere that it was because they represent an important
part of French cycling ... being the featured feature of Paris-Roubaix and
all. Shoot, when they first started going over the mountains, the roads
weren't paved! Can you imagine some of those descents on loose gravel and
dirt?

Bob C.

"Steven L. Sheffield" <veloworks.com>...

Quoted message said:

On 08/19/2004 01:58 AM, in article [email hidden],

chrisrange said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Because the organization wanted to have one, as the Tour was going through
Paris-Roubaix country in Northern France, and nothing represents the area
more than cobblestones?

Why in the world does the Tour have to have sections with mountains?

Why in the world does the Tour have to have sections with wind, along the
coast?

Why can't the Tour just be run on F1 circuits, so they can charge people
admission to watch the race, so you can see it go by on several occasions?

I would also add

Why does the Tour contest stages when they know it will rain? Or be
extremely hot? Or on totally flat stages when you KNOW one of the top
sprinters will win not affecting the GC? Why why why?

-Ken

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Why does France have any roads with cobbles?
--------------
Alex

psycholist said:

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

To eliminate those pesky Spanish/Basque climbers who hate them and
refuse to
train on them.

Actually, I heard somewhere that it was because they represent an
important
part of French cycling ... being the featured feature of Paris-Roubaix
and
all. Shoot, when they first started going over the mountains, the roads
weren't paved! Can you imagine some of those descents on loose gravel
and
dirt?

Bob C.

In the rain? I even modify the routes I ride when it rains, as there are
hills on which I don't think I could stop.

--
Bob in CT
Remove ".x" to reply

The TdF should be run in a velodrome. All riders have the same start time
and can rest whenever they want. 1st rider to pass 3000km is the winner.

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

It doesn't. This year the tour started in Belgium and the organizers
decided to throw in a few sections or cobbles.

RWM said:

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

It doesn't. This year the tour started in Belgium and the organizers
decided to throw in a few sections or cobbles.

Although the 2 sections of pavé they rode were in France.

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

To introduce an element of randomness.

The question had been much more interesting if Lance had smashed his head
(and cracked his remaining ball) on the cobblerstones.

Then you'd hear all those varaitions about tradition, challenge and why
cobblerstones are part of cycling.

Alex Rodriguez said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Why does France have any roads with cobbles?

Because the Vikings put them there over a 1000 years ago during one of their
now famed LSD rides. Ooops I meant Drunken on Mushroom beer stages, acid
wasn't invented yet. Now this is some heavy tradition and the french will
never forget how guys looking like Magnus Bäckstedt hammered those
cobblestones down, never to be torn up.

Anything else you wanna know?
--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Actually, I heard somewhere that it was because they represent an important
part of French cycling ... being the featured feature of Paris-Roubaix and
all. Shoot, when they first started going over the mountains, the roads
weren't paved! Can you imagine some of those descents on loose gravel and
dirt?

Bob C.

Yeah, but weren't bicycle tires then like tractor tires now?

:-)

M Man

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

To eliminate those pesky Spanish/Basque climbers who hate them and refuse

to

Quoted message said:

train on them.

Actually, I heard somewhere that it was because they represent an

important

Quoted message said:

part of French cycling ... being the featured feature of Paris-Roubaix and
all. Shoot, when they first started going over the mountains, the roads
weren't paved! Can you imagine some of those descents on loose gravel and
dirt?

In 1948 heavy rainfall and melting snow had turned the descent of the
Galibier in a quagmire. Because the first cars stuck in the mud, which at
some places was 30 cm thick, the organisators stopped the rest at the top
and gave them only persmission to continue after the last rider had passed.
The motorcyclists had tom push their bikes throught the mud and most riders
descended on foot. It took many of them more time than the climb. Others
tried to use their their bicycles, but the mud was slippery and covering
sharp stones so many of them fell or got punctured. The temperature was
below zero and because their fingers were frozen, they had to use their
teeth to change a tyre. It took some of them more than ten minutes and
Geminiani who had five flats lost almost one hour. Some looked for shelter
in a mountain cabins and the lucky ones got some self-distilled alcool or
even a pair of trousers. Etc. etc.

Benjo Maso

Quoted message said:

From: [email hidden] (K. J. Papai)

Quoted message said:

Why does the Tour contest stages when they know it will rain? Or be
extremely hot? Or on totally flat stages when you KNOW one of the top
sprinters will win not affecting the GC? Why why why?

-Ken

Hey Ken I think your onto something here. Think of all the money they could
save, and how much more they could charge sponsors if they just cut the flat
stages to 30k with the declared sprinters teams starting first and non declared
teams getting ST.
You'd have all the spectators and camera's concentrated on a huge match
sprint.
Great idea.
Bill C

"benjo maso" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >

Quoted message said:

In 1948 heavy rainfall and melting snow had turned the descent of the
Galibier in a quagmire. Because the first cars stuck in the mud, which at
some places was 30 cm thick, the organisators stopped the rest at the top
and gave them only persmission to continue after the last rider had

passed.

Quoted message said:

The motorcyclists had tom push their bikes throught the mud and most

riders

Quoted message said:

descended on foot.

So Kunich's "palmares" extend farther than we thought. What a nice guy! Do
you think he told the motorcyclists as he pushed them, "You know, that
helmet won't help for [censored]."?

(MMan37x) said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

Actually, I heard somewhere that it was because they represent an important
part of French cycling ... being the featured feature of Paris-Roubaix and
all. Shoot, when they first started going over the mountains, the roads
weren't paved! Can you imagine some of those descents on loose gravel and
dirt?

Bob C.

Yeah, but weren't bicycle tires then like tractor tires now?

:-)

M Man

Maybe - and would that be back before derailuers, where the riders
themselves had to stop and turn the wheel around so they could use the
different size rear cog and the other side of the wheel to change
their gear?

Would you want to go back to that?

"chrisrange" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can someone explain to me, why in the world, the tour has to have a
section with cobblestones?

I've thought the same thing. There are legitimate obstacles that test the
skills of an athlete...and then there are 'illegitimate' tortures that have
little relevance. Rain, mountains, hills...these would be legit. But
cobblestones are like a road spread with thumbtacks; tests nothing except
maybe luck of the bike itself to endure.

Quoted message said:

From: "tooly" [email hidden]
Date: 8/20/2004 4:17 AM Eastern

Quoted message said:

I've thought the same thing. There are legitimate obstacles that test the
skills of an athlete...and then there are 'illegitimate' tortures that have
little relevance. Rain, mountains, hills...these would be legit. But
cobblestones are like a road spread with thumbtacks; tests nothing except
maybe luck of the bike itself to endure.

Except that they are a normal part of riding over there. They aren't just in a
few preserved areas or roads. They are still building new cobbled sections and
roads. At least they were in Ge. in 2000.
Bill C

TritonRider said:

Quoted message said:

From: "tooly" [email hidden]
Date: 8/20/2004 4:17 AM Eastern

Quoted message said:

I've thought the same thing. There are legitimate obstacles that test the
skills of an athlete...and then there are 'illegitimate' tortures that have
little relevance. Rain, mountains, hills...these would be legit. But
cobblestones are like a road spread with thumbtacks; tests nothing except
maybe luck of the bike itself to endure.

Except that they are a normal part of riding over there. They aren't just in a
few preserved areas or roads. They are still building new cobbled sections and
roads. At least they were in Ge. in 2000.
Bill C

1. The Champs-Elysèes is itself pavé, and was recently undergoing
repaving with new stones (or maybe a resetting of the old ones). Of course
this is not a new road... but they could always have redone it with
asphalt. Somehow, however, this wouldn't be right. Cobbles seem to be
part of the European character, probably going back at least to Roman
times. (Didn't someone recently post a link to the history of cobblestones?)

2. There is a classic pavè pattern that one sees in some streets, with
the stones arranged in arcs, rather than the boring old rectilinear
arrangement you see in brick houses in the US. Lends a certain charm,
IMHO. Again, part of the cultural milieu.

3. Part of the difference between US and Euro sports (particularly the
TdF) is that luck _is_ allowed to play a role. Not that the whole race is
a crapshoot, but it is a bit more like life, whereas in games like
baseball, everything is very tightly regulated, almost like an industrial
process. No cows wandering around in the outfield, for example. But if a
cow wanders onto the road during the Tour... c'est la vie!

-AMG