Did any one catch that someone threw a cup or pail of water or beer at Lance during the time trial. I wonder if this jerk was arrested?
It was water and unfortunately it is fairly common in bike racing in Europe, especially on hot days. People actually think that they’re helping out. It happens to every rider, not just Lance.
I’m not sure about what was happening there. I noticed it and it could be A. someone thinking they are helping. B. Some German/French fan who hates lance. Lets face it, the Germans and French are the Lance haters (i.e. see alpe d’huez last year). I tend to think its the latter.
Did any one catch that someone threw a cup or pail of water or beer at Lance during the time trial. I wonder if this jerk was arrested?
It is also possible that it was a soigneur of the Discovery Channel team, though not likely in that case. I saw at least one instance on a climb where a guy clad in a Disco shirt poured an entire bottle of water on Armstrong’s back, and Armstrong didn’t complain.
Are you serious regarding B? I find it so disturbing that people might think that…
Oh boy, here we go again.
FYI.
Yes I’m serious. Don’t you recall alp d’huez last year when throngs of fan were cursing and spitting on lance? Why is it such a stretch to think someone was throwing stuff on him to hurt him? Its not that I hate the French…I know the MAJORITY love him, but there are always a few bad apples. Heck, it could have been an American who doesn’t like him. I hope it was just someone trying to cool him off, but that incident on alp d’huez happened, and lance himself said he was angry.
Maybe it was a Detroit Piston fan throwing the beer. No way a German would waste a beer by throwing it at a cyclist.
I think the drunk ones were the Lance haters. Period.
Put 70.000 fans in a football/soccer/whatever stadium, have them drink a few beers and you shall soon end up with not-so-mixed emotions, and scarcely love for the other team.
The Alpe d’Huez TT was like playing the soccer world cup final in a overheated stadium with free booze for all and no fence between the fans and the players.
Dumb idea. Not on the safe side.
I do not think they’ll do it again.
Edit: guess we have a downsized version of this issue with any mountain stage though.
The Alp D’Huez TT was a very bad idea. I am glad noting happened.
Funny. But It would be a Pistons fan.
If you watched the tour in the 80s and early 90s you would see people giving the riders bottles,sometimes they would share,did not matter what team they would just hand the bottle to whoever was close,ever once in a while you would see a rider take a bottle then spit it out,people would put vinegar in the bottles,now days no body would taka a bottle ( i did see one rider take a bottle this year)
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Good point. I guess in retrospect a German might throw the beer if it were a Bud Light.
I thought a lot of the really out of control people on Alpe d’Huez were Basque fans, with some Germans joining in.
( i did see one rider take a bottle this year)
They might take them, but they will pour them on themselves and never drink them.
Yes I’m serious. Don’t you recall alp d’huez last year when throngs of fan were cursing and spitting on lance? Why is it such a stretch to think someone was throwing stuff on him to hurt him? Its not that I hate the French…I know the MAJORITY love him, but there are always a few bad apples. Heck, it could have been an American who doesn’t like him. I hope it was just someone trying to cool him off, but that incident on alp d’huez happened, and lance himself said he was angry.
I believe those where German fans harassing Lance last year on ADH and not the French fans. The french like him. It looked like someone was splashing water on him on Saturday, I would appreciate the dousing on a hot day.
The last thing you want on a course with hard cornering is water on the wheels.
Cathy this guy did drink,i could not belive it it was a mountion stage/finish i remember telling my wife about it.
Check this out from last years TDF stage of the fans treating Lance with such hatred. I agree with the caption on the bottom. Even the last line which sums it up. You can add which Country is referred to.
Those aren’t French fans, they are Basque.