What happened to the devil?
 

Years past in the mountain stages of the TDF there was a guy dressed like the devil who carried a pitchfork. I didn't see him this year. Does anybody know what happened to him? Did he die?

I heard Phil Ligget mention him the other day - said he was recovering from surgery or some such. He's been a mainstay on the tour for 20 years now. This is the first he's missed in that time.

Here he is on his giant (not Giant) bicycle in 2009: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7962291.stm

No saddle and 10-sided wheels. That man really is the devil.

I want to see him ride a century on that bike.:lol:

He saw the course and stayed home.

Wiggle caught a cold with him this year. He is recovering from an operation but "Apparently" Wiggle sponsored him for this year in a new suit in the Brown and Orange of wiggle with the sponsors name plastered all over the front.


He appears at 17 seconds into the advert

What a cool touch.

Saw that ad watching the Euro Sport feed, many times. He was at the Grio and I think one of the races in Spain, Tour of the Basque Country, it seems. Guy is bonkers but he has an international following.

Bill

BTW his name is Didi Senft - there's a wikipedia page and a ton of videos, images, articles, etc., about him online. He's famous, LOL.

There is a saddle on the devil's bicycle. Just hard to see in proportion to the frame.

He's in Georgia......looking for a soul to steal.

Banned for doping? I hope he recovers and is back

Funny, even my 15 yo daughter who only likes to watch TDF mountain stages because of all the crazies running around asked where he was this year. Best wishes to his recovery and return.

He was in a bind, way behind and willing to make a deal...

When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot...

So the Devil is German after all, who would've guessed?

I did not miss him. I know the race itself is a spectacle, but would much rather all the fan based, roadside nonsense stop. I can only imagine how much more exciting the racing would be if one weren’t distracted by all of the fan antics.

Didi is recovering from brain surgery- had blood clots removed.

How about we get rid of the tack-throwers and let Didi come back?

+1

I think B. Obama gave him a Czar position in the cabinet and he has been having a devil of a time.

Recovering from surgery. Here's a link to some really great photos from The Atlantic. The Devil is is photo 17.
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2...2-of-2/100341/

I'd be happy if they were both absent. Think of the non-tack throwers who have injured riders over the years because the wanted to be part of the spectacle. I think the race would be better without the fans being allowed to be so close and sometimes out of control. It might not be as entertaining to some, but I watch it for the riders, not the circus around them. To me Didi is like the person who feels they need to run onto the field during a baseball game. But each to his own.

I like it that the crowd can be so close.One thing i don't like is people running beside the riders.I have never really heard any negative comments from the riders.It kinda looks like it pumps them up.It must be one heck of a party up there in the mountains.