Professional Cycling For the Fans - Possibly the most trivial TdF question ever...

Has anyone else noticed that the riders aren't carrying Coca-Cola water bottles this year? Has Coke withdrawn its sponsorship?

I noticed that too. The water motorcycle now just has plain blue water bottles.

I liked the Coca Cola bottles.

Are you a '99er

Can't. Hold. Back. Any. Longer .....

NO! I'm a '69er ... :o

Can't. Hold. Back. Any. Longer .....

NO! I'm a '69er ... :o

;) ;) ;)

I noticed no offical car, like last few years Fiats. This year, everyone is using their own cars.

I thought Skoda had the contract...? but I aint seen nothing on TV about the TdF

I saw some riders passing a Coke can during today's stage

I saw the Coke can thing too and had to do a double take. I thought that's not a water bottle. One rider was taking a few sips then offered it to another who waved and passed on it.
Tony

Coca Cola's quite popular in the pro peloton.

It seems aquarel is the big drink sponsor. I have noticed all the stage winners are getting little trophies that have a silver water bottle on them, and aquarel is all over the board behind the winners presentation podium.

Has anyone else noticed that the riders aren't carrying Coca-Cola water bottles this year? Has Coke withdrawn its sponsorship?

Coca Cola is not listed as an official supplier to the tour this year which seems to confirm your observations, i.e., the Coca Cola motorcycle and ever-present red Coca Cola water bottles are visibly missing from the tour this year.

Regarding FIAT and Skoda, it would appear as though Skoda's partnership with the tour is limited to prize money and providing cars only for use by the official's vehicles. Personally, if I was a Director Sportif or team car driver or mechanic I'd be much happier operating out of the car I'd been using all season vs. trying to adjust to a new vehicle and roof rack systems. In that light, maybe it's not such a bad change.

I wanted to buy the Coke water bottles on Nashbar but they were ALL SOLD OUT.

I wanted to buy the Coke water bottles on Nashbar but they were ALL SOLD OUT.You... wanted to pay them to advertise for them?

I saw the coke can to. Why would they drink coke as opposed to water or energy drinks like e-load?

I saw the coke can to. Why would they drink coke as opposed to water or energy drinks like e-load?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=2004/letters06-28#Coke

I've got one offical TdF Coke water bottle, given to me as a gift. My wife collects Coca-Cola stuff, and she bought one off eBay said to have come straight from the roadside of Col la Tourmulet from last year's TdF.

It seems aquarel is the big drink sponsor. I have noticed all the stage winners are getting little trophies that have a silver water bottle on them, and aquarel is all over the board behind the winners presentation podium.

And all the KM markers overhead on the routes have the Aquarel advertising/logo on them.

I was at the Tour for the first few stages and saw a small 'Powerbar' sponsored motorbike handing out 'Powerbar' bottles amongest the peloton.

I was also the lucky receipient of a US Postal bottle thrown away by one of their riders. I caught it one handed before it even bounced. WADA can relax, it contained only some plain luke-warm water...

The Skoda's while better looking (maybe) than last years Fiats are no match for the Alfa Romeo's (a subsidery of Fiat) that were supplied to the Tour in previous years.

ps new helicopters too!

I was at the Tour for the first few stages and saw a small 'Powerbar' sponsored motorbike handing out 'Powerbar' bottles amongest the peloton.

I was also the lucky receipient of a US Postal bottle thrown away by one of their riders. I caught it one handed before it even bounced. WADA can relax, it contained only some plain luke-warm water...

The Skoda's while better looking (maybe) than last years Fiats are no match for the Alfa Romeo's (a subsidery of Fiat) that were supplied to the Tour in previous years.

ps new helicopters too!

Any of you guys checking the cycling?

Any of you guys checking the cycling?

With the peloton passing in seconds, the hundreds of tour related cars and numerous helicopters and areoplanes help pad-out the spectacle!

Actually the amount of stuff up in the air following the race is amazing. Apart from the helicopters looking like they are recreating a scene from Apocalypse Now, there are areoplanes high up in the clouds relaying the TV footage. It all adds up to a logistical miracle.

sorry, i'll leave the geek stuff there.....

I saw the coke can to. Why would they drink coke as opposed to water or energy drinks like e-load?

Try it some time. It's rocket fuel.

Try it some time. It's rocket fuel.

that's no lie ...

-mark

With the peloton passing in seconds, the hundreds of tour related cars and numerous helicopters and areoplanes help pad-out the spectacle!

Actually the amount of stuff up in the air following the race is amazing. Apart from the helicopters looking like they are recreating a scene from Apocalypse Now, there are areoplanes high up in the clouds relaying the TV footage. It all adds up to a logistical miracle.

sorry, i'll leave the geek stuff there.....
Of course I recognise it is an incredible feat of organisation, and truely the greatest sporting event on the planet (unless anybody knows differently)!

... truely the greatest sporting event on the planet (unless anybody knows differently)!

The World Cup

The World Cup
No way, a bunch of over paid premadonna's, not even logistically challenging!
Of course I am glued to my TV the whole time it is on, but I move heaven and earth to watch Le Tour, I can't see David (yawn) Beckham enduring what a tour cyclist must!

No way, a bunch of over paid premadonna's, not even logistically challenging!
Of course I am glued to my TV the whole time it is on, but I move heaven and earth to watch Le Tour, I can't see David (yawn) Beckham enduring what a tour cyclist must!

I was speaking more on terms of the couple billion people that watch it, the 32 countries that participate and 700+ athletes that compete.

And Becks not enduring what a tour cyclists does? Maybe not physicially - but did you see what he did at Euro 2004? Now that's suffering.

I was speaking more on terms of the couple billion people that watch it, the 32 countries that participate and 700+ athletes that compete.

And Becks not enduring what a tour cyclists does? Maybe not physicially - but did you see what he did at Euro 2004? Not that's suffering.

Marrying that insufferable tart was instant purgatory. He must like pain.

That too.

Marrying that insufferable tart was instant purgatory. He must like pain.
Knew we were all on the same wavelength!