"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - When fans interfere

Let's get some stories of fans interfering with a race. Spitting, pushing, helping, etc. Post stories, pictures, video clips. Can be deliberate, or accidental. Can be personal, or professional.

I'll start. 2003 Tour, Lance falls when handlebar get caught on a woman's bag.

Tour de France 1904. Fans spread tacks on road and beat crap out of riders they don't support.

Tour de France 1904. Fans spread tacks on road and beat crap out of riders they don't support.


Don't forget the poisioning of Frenchman Paul Duboc in 1911... After this the tour organizers created rules forbading riders from taking anything from fans.

Perhaps most significant example is Merckx getting punched on the Puy de Dome in 1975. Arguably costing him a sixth TDF victory.

and 2003 wasn't fans interfering, it was an unfortunate accident caused by a moment's carelessness by Armstrong. The kid was doing what fans shoud do, waving and cheering. The mussette bag the kid was waving was given out at the race.

Skip Cutting pushing his rider in the women's finals at the Athens Ohio Street Sprints.

Oh wait, that's considered cheating. Sorry. Different thread.

Let's get some stories of fans interfering with a race. Spitting, pushing, helping, etc. Post stories, pictures, video clips. Can be deliberate, or accidental. Can be personal, or professional.

I'll start. 2003 Tour, Lance falls when handlebar get caught on a woman's bag.

that was no woman, that was a man! babay.. LeBlanc in drag.

and 2003 wasn't fans interfering, it was an unfortunate accident caused by a moment's carelessness by Armstrong. The kid was doing what fans shoud do, waving and cheering. The mussette bag the kid was waving was given out at the race.

You're correct - riders hate it when the schwag wagon goes ahead of the race. For years, the sprinters complained about the big green thumbs-up "Gan" things given out around the finish line. It narrowed the road for them - anybody who got too close to the barriers was likely to get a face full of cardboard.

What year was it that Guiseppe Guerini slammed into the kid with a camera on the way up L' Alpe D'Huez? 1999? I think that was the same year that somebody set off a teargas cannister at the finish in Bordeaux.

What year was it that Guiseppe Guerini slammed into the kid with a camera on the way up L' Alpe D'Huez? 1999? I think that was the same year that somebody set off a teargas cannister at the finish in Bordeaux.[/QUOTE]

Don't remember the route, but it was 1999.

Don't recall exactly which mountain stage of the 2005 TdF, but when that guy running along the leading group got run over by the motorcycle. If that didn't interfere with the race officials or riders, I'd think that would be an appropriate penalty for the asshats who run alongside the riders in the mountain.

Such little things (cept for the one with Eddy).

How about 1950. With Fiorenzo Magni leading the Tour de France race favorite Gino Bartoli is attacked by fans and threatened with a knife. Gino escapes to win the stage but that evening both Italian teams withdraw fearing for their lives.

But it didn't work! A Swiss won.

BTW Magni was a pretty good rider in his own right. His 3 wins in a row in the Tour of Flanders is not olny the most by any rider (tie) but it is also the longest stretch without a Belgian winner.

What year was it that Guiseppe Guerini slammed into the kid with a camera on the way up L' Alpe D'Huez? 1999? I think that was the same year that somebody set off a teargas cannister at the finish in Bordeaux.

Don't remember the route, but it was 1999.[/QUOTE]

Sestrières to L’Alpe d’Huez stage 10 1999. That was no kid. It was a professional photographer who just got caught up in the moment and misjudged his jump out of the way. Guerini got up and won the stage. The photog aplogized and all was good in the world.

Don't recall exactly which mountain stage of the 2005 TdF, but when that guy running along the leading group got run over by the motorcycle. If that didn't interfere with the race officials or riders, I'd think that would be an appropriate penalty for the asshats who run alongside the riders in the mountain.


Best part of that was when the guy on the back of the motorcycle dope slaps him.

Don't recall exactly which mountain stage of the 2005 TdF, but when that guy running along the leading group got run over by the motorcycle. If that didn't interfere with the race officials or riders, I'd think that would be an appropriate penalty for the asshats who run alongside the riders in the mountain.

Please tell me there is a video of this floating around somewhere. (Preferably a free video.:o)

Don't recall exactly which mountain stage of the 2005 TdF, but when that guy running along the leading group got run over by the motorcycle. If that didn't interfere with the race officials or riders, I'd think that would be an appropriate penalty for the asshats who run alongside the riders in the mountain.

You mean this one?
http://blogs.active.com/dugard/TDF_motorcycle.jpg

There was the end of one TdF stage when a few fans in duds got on their bikes and rode along with the pros coming 'round a bend in the final few hundred meters, fooling Phil Liggett on the call for a moment. Does anyone recall the year?

Don't remember the route, but it was 1999.

Sestrières to L’Alpe d’Huez stage 10 1999. That was no kid. It was a professional photographer who just got caught up in the moment and misjudged his jump out of the way. Guerini got up and won the stage. The photog aplogized and all was good in the world.[/QUOTE]

I wonder if he was getting this case confused the the kid who gave his camera to a gendarme at the finish and Abdu hit the cop at over 40MPH.

I've heard of Tifosi (Italian fans?) having squirt bottles filled with vinegar for use on riders they did not like. Urban ledgend? or not!

Don't remember the route, but it was 1999.

Sestrières to L’Alpe d’Huez stage 10 1999. That was no kid. It was a professional photographer who just got caught up in the moment and misjudged his jump out of the way. Guerini got up and won the stage. The photog aplogized and all was good in the world.[/QUOTE]

You sure? This was the famous Erik the Photographer incident. Just some dorky fan with a camera and no sense to move in time.

I wonder if he was getting this case confused the the kid who gave his camera to a gendarme at the finish and Abdu hit the cop at over 40MPH.

Maybe, though Abdujaparov certainly did not get up and win THAT stage... :)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a pro photographer on Alpe D'Huez. He had a tiny little point and shoot camera, and he gave the film to Guerini that night at his hotel so that the pictures he took wouldn't get in the papers the next day.

Maybe, though Abdujaparov certainly did not get up and win THAT stage... :)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a pro photographer on Alpe D'Huez. He had a tiny little point and shoot camera, and he gave the film to Guerini that night at his hotel so that the pictures he took wouldn't get in the papers the next day.

If I recall correctly he did get up to finish however. And later collected his Green Jersey.

Don't remember the race, or even the year, but it was the early 1970's. I sure remember the photo, though: it was in a friend's International Cycle Sport, just about the only English-language reportage one could get of Euro doings then.

The pro peloton was coming into the finish line of some race or other (definitely not the TdF) - you could see the finish line itself on the road in the shot. The photo is a head-on shot of them in them in the final sprint, riders gutter to gutter, elbows flying, heads down, everyone going all-out, guys trying to shoot gaps about 6 inches wide - absolute craziness, everyone oblivious to the rest of the world, no tactics anymore, just speed and guile.

Except for a certain Roger de Vlaeminck, who was no slouch and certainly no coward in the sprints. He was about a third of the way from the right edge of the sprinting madmen (my right, his left) and had his head up, looking straight at me, with a rather surprised look on his face, clearly distracted from the task at hand. I remember wondering what the heck he was doing for a few moments until it dawned on me - the clod taking the picture was standing not very far beyond the finish line in the middle of the road, and Roger's front wheel was aimed . . . right . . . for . . . the . . . camera . . . lens.:eek: I'm guessing The Gypsy didn't win that day, and likely had a thing or two to say to, or at least about, the photog. Great photo, though. Wish I had a copy of it.

If I recall correctly he did get up to finish however. And later collected his Green Jersey.

Yep, in a daze he managed to walk across the finish line.

One of the worst crashes I've ever seen.

And, of course, there's the horrendous crash in one of Indurain's TdF victory years when a cop in the finishing stretch was taking a picture instead of staying out of the way, causing Laurent Jalabert, Jelle Nijdam (I think - could be wrong) and another guy go down - really, really hard, and pretty much right now. What a mess. It was at Armentierre (sp?) and was the 1st or 2nd stage of the race. That crash helped convince Jaja that there was more to this bike racing business than being a roadman sprinter, and he remains one of the few to ever win both a green jersey and a polka-dot jersey.

No, not in the same year. I think Eddy Merckx is the only one to do that. Of course, he also threw in the yellow jersey the same year, just for giggles. That was 1969. I don't think we will ever see a show of dominace like that again. Attacking up the Tourmalet in a 52x17 when he was already in yellow, and putting something like 15 or 20 minutes into everyone? That is simply not a normal human being.

see: http://www.grahamwatson.com/2002/jalabert/image5.html


http://www.grahamwatson.com/2002/jalabert/jalabert/5b.jpg

Sestrières to L’Alpe d’Huez stage 10 1999. That was no kid. It was a professional photographer who just got caught up in the moment and misjudged his jump out of the way. Guerini got up and won the stage. The photog aplogized and all was good in the world.

You sure? This was the famous Erik the Photographer incident. Just some dorky fan with a camera and no sense to move in time.[/QUOTE]
Your question got me to searching for the correct answer. The perp is variously referred to as "a german photograhper", "a fan", "a photographer", and by cyclingnews.com in their 1999 report of stage 10, "some stupid photographer." They also have a shot of the incident. Not to clear but it is apparent that the person causing the crash is not a kid. So who knows. Wait, Guerini and the perp both know.:)

And, of course, there's the horrendous crash in one of Indurain's TdF victory years when a cop in the finishing stretch was taking a picture instead of staying out of the way, causing Laurent Jalabert, Jelle Nijdam (I think - could be wrong) and another guy go down - really, really hard, and pretty much right now. What a mess. It was at Armentierre (sp?) and was the 1st or 2nd stage of the race. That crash helped convince Jaja that there was more to this bike racing business than being a roadman sprinter, and he remains one of the few to ever win both a green jersey and a polka-dot jersey.

No, not in the same year. I think Eddy Merckx is the only one to do that. Of course, he also threw in the yellow jersey the same year, just for giggles. That was 1969. I don't think we will ever see a show of dominace like that again. Attacking up the Tourmalet in a 52x17 when he was already in yellow, and putting something like 15 or 20 minutes into everyone? That is simply not a normal human being.

Eddy only added about 6:30 on the elite group that day. But it did up his total margin of victory to over 17 minutes. Best since Coppi in 52 and not matched since.

Hinault is the only person besides Eddy and JaJa to have the green and polka dot. But one should point out Coppi amd Bahamontes had no green to go for.

On the stranger combos. How about both greens? In the Giro Green is KOM and at least two riders did win at least one of each.