I thought I read somewhere that the USPS car got a penalty on the stage 16 TT because the car interfered with a motorcycle cameraman. Someone in the car allegedly grabbed the arm of someone on the motorcycle when the motorcycle tried to pass the USPS car. (My spouse bets that it was Robin Williams in the back seat of the USPS car.) I guess the USPS car got relegated to the back of the team car line for stage 17.
Any details?
Yes I heard Phil Liggett say that this morning during today’s stage but he made no mention of an “arm” holding back a cameraman. He just said that they blocked another vechicle and received the penalty.
Just some stuff I heard from Sean Kelly on Eurosport - the Posties car was following LA and preventing the camera motorcyclist from assuming their customary position. Saw footage of the camera man flipping them the bird and taking note of the car number to file a complaint. There was some suggestion that the Posties had a special arrangement with the Tour organisation. Despite this, a fine (undisclosed) was mentioned. Don’t know if it was paid though.
Would be interesting if they had negotiated a special arrangement for LA and no other teams had the (debatable) advantage of having a car in such close proximity to perhaps make the spectators back off slightly.
There was an arrangement for safety reasons to have the team car directly behind Armstrong until the barriers, and Bruyneel forced the issue when the camera bike got in the way. Jean-Marie Leblanc cleared it up - he had made the arrangment, but apparently didn’t let everyone know. The USPS car had been relegated to the back today, but the penalty was revoked. Don’t know about a monetary penalty.
cyclingnews.com reported that USPS claimed to have a special arrangement for yesterday that allowed their car to be directly behind Lance for security purposes. The motorcycle apparently wasn’t aware of that and a complaint was filed. The penalty was cancelled after USPS appealed.
I thought I read on the cyclingnews coverage that the penalty was rescinded because they had some kind of approval from the race director…didn’t get to watch the stage today to see where the car was.
The issue of security for Armstrong in particular, and all the riders in general, was an impossible one.
Whomever may have been tasked with the safeguarding of Armstrong had an undoable task. It must have been utterly maddening for them.
It is a matter of luck and chance that he was not assaulted or worse.
I’m really impressed with Jean-Marie Leblanc. He’s already admitted it was a mistake to have a TT up D’Huez. How many race directors would admit that so quickly? Most people dig into a defensive position and refuse to admit something so big, and so heralded really wasn’t such a good idea after all. I feel sorry for whoever has to fill his shoes when he retires.
I feel sorry for whoever has to fill his shoes when he retires.<<
From www.cyclingnews.com
Leblanc phases himself out
Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc will begin to step down from the highest step of the Tour ladder next year, part of a planned transition of power to Christian Prudhomme. Leblanc has fixed 2007 as his retirement date, however Prudhomme will begin to take over the reins in 2005.
“Next year I won’t be in the lead director’s car, and Christian will give the start of each stage,” Leblanc commented in l’Equipe. “I’ll be in a different car, moving throughout the race. We’ll do the same in 2006. It was always planned that Christian wold take his time to settle in at the head of the Tour, and that I’d be there to help him.”
And who is Prudhomme?
Leblanc eyes 2006 departure
While in Liège, Belgium to discuss the city’s preparations for the 2004 Tour de France start, Jean-Marie Leblanc quietly mentioned his likely retirement date as head of the world’s most important bike race. Initially planning to retire after the centenary Tour in 2003, or within a year after, Leblanc was offered an open-ended extension as head of the Tour by Amaury Sport Organisation president Patrice Clerc shortly before the 2003 Tour.
This year, Leblanc welcomes a new second in command, Christian Prudhomme, a lifelong cycling devotee who joins ASO from France Télévisions. Prudhomme replaces Daniel Baal, who announced his retirement from the Tour, which stemmed largely from Leblanc’s decision to stay on longer than planned. Although it was an amicable divorce, Baal’s frustration at not knowing if and when he might move into Leblanc’s position was evident.
“We came to realise that Daniel, whose experience and competence are well known, did not come completely to terms with our way of working, which sometimes veers towards the reactionary and irrational,” Baal explained in La Dernière Heure. “Being the organised and methodical man that he is, it no longer seemed possible for him to stay on this course.”
Although not set in stone, Leblanc did hint at his new planned retirement, when Prudhomme will almost certainly assume the position of director of the Tour de France.
“My objective is to continue until the end of 2006, to allow to get up to speed,” Leblanc said, “and for me to begin to taste a retirement which I believe I have earned.”