Unfortunately, you get a lot of fans who don’t follow cycling but when the opportunity presents it self to see a professional race, take it… no problem with that. However, they often don’t appreciate or understand how fast they move and at times, what seems random directions.
I was shooting a few stages of the Tour of Britain a couple of years back and after getting into position with other photographers, we had to ask some spectators to step back on several occasions as we could see they were stepping out to far into the path the cyclists would take. We just got snide comments and they ignored us. Until they found themselves trying to dive for cover as the front motorcyclists came hurtling by within inches of them at the edge of the road… closely followed by the cyclists.
No one was hurt on this occasion but it was amusing to see the panic on their faces as they realised they couldn’t move back quick enough because of a stack of other people behind them. As with that lady at the tour, some just have to learn the hard way… it’s a shame it has also ruined the TDF for some riders after a year or more of hard work to get there.
I think suing them and turning them into a high profile example may help bring some spectators sense of perspective back into line. It’s about the racing and not just their 15 minutes of fame. I love seeing the antics at the side of the road during the tour but not when they get right in front of the cyclists.
Yes most people on the side of the road are not cycling fans, they are just out on a fun day with family or friends, with a possible chance to get on tv.
It’s difficult to appreciate how dangerous a peleton is if you don’t know the sport well, it is really a train of steel ploughing forward that can’t just stop. And it goes a lot faster than most people anticipate.
Yellow jersey: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step
Green jersey: Michael Matthews (Aus) Team BikeExchange
Pokerdot jersey: Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
White Jersey: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
Alaphilippe holds both Yellow and Green jerseys but the Green is on loan to 2nd place points scorer Matthews.
Ide Schelling was also awarded the prize for the most combative rider in yesterday’s stage.
Have to say that was one of the best stage finishes I have ever seen - an absolute battlefield on the final climb with one rider getting the timing near perfect, clearing away from the peleton to celebrate an emotional victory with his late grandfather. What a spectacle!
Stage 2 Results: PERROS-GUIREC TO MÛR-DE-BRETAGNE (183.5KM)
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix, in 4-18-30
Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 6 seconds
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at same time
Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 8s
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-Quick-Step
Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma
Sergio Higuita (Col) EF Education First-Nippo
Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies
Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, all at same time
Other favourites:
12. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers, at 8s
13. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar
14. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
15. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa-Samsic
25. Rigoberto Uràn (Col) EF Education First-Nippo, all at same time
28. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 23s
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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE TWO
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix, in 8-57-25
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-Quick-Step, at 8 seconds
Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 13s
Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 24s
Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious, at 26s
Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
Sergio Higuita (Col) EF Education First-Nippo
Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma
David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, all at same time
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After the astonishing stage two finish win Mathieu van der Poel gains the Yellow jersey, and the Polkadot jersey, tomorrow he will wear yellow.
Alaphilippe loses the Yellow jersey but puts on the Green.
Schelling will continue wearing the Polkadot jersey as 2nd in the mountain classification.
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Yellow jersey: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
Polkadot Jersey: Ide Schelling (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
Green Jersey: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step
White Jersey: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
Results after STAGE 3: LORIENT TO PONTIVY (182.9KM)
Tim Merlier (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix, in 4-01-28
Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic
Davide Ballerini (Ita) Deceuninck-Quick-Step
Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-Quick-Step
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix
Cees Bol (Ned) Team DSM
Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
Max Walscheid (Ger) Qhubeka-NextHash, all at same time
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE THREE
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix, in 12-58-53
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-Quick-Step, at 8 seconds
Richard Carapaz (Ecu) Ineos Grenadiers, at 31s
Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma, at same time
Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 38s
Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 39s
Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar Team, at 40s
Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkéa-Samsic, at same time
Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies, at 45s
Sergio Higuita (Col) EF Education First-Nippo, at 52s
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Miraculously there are no changes to the four jersey wearers!
However Ide Schelling gained another point and now leads the mountain classification so the Polkadot jersey he wears is no longer ‘borrowed’ from MvdP.
Due to team Jumbo-Visma’s ongoing run of bad luck they been knocked off the top of the Team Classification.
Such a contrast - one of the best highlights I’ve ever seen yesterday to one of the worst series of accidents throughout the ‘lowlights’ today. Such a shame.
After catching up with yesterday’s stage, one is reminded of the admiration I have for these sportsmen (and sportswomen) who put themselves through this feat of endurance for several weeks. When football commentators talk about tired players, playing for 90 or 120 minutes a game, or having more than one match in a week to cope with, it really puts it in perspective to see the riders cycle the long distances in such difficult conditions for hours at a time, and then face it all again the very next day.
