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TdF Spectator Interference

Old 07-11-16, 07:01 AM
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TdF Spectator Interference

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like this year the fans have been impacting the race much more than in prior years. The examples I can think of are a spectator unplugging the inflatable arch at the 1k mark, Froome needing to punch a spectator in the face to get him out of his way in stage 8, and the spectator who ended up in the road on a blind curve and got knocked over in stage 9.


These have all been dangerous incidents that could have impacted the outcome of the race or severely injured the riders or spectators. Is this new this year or has this always happened and I just didn't pick up on it? At what point do race organizers need to do something to protect the riders?
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Old 07-11-16, 07:08 AM
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It has always happened.

Who Punched Eddy Merckx? | Bicycling

I don't think the organizers should do much/anything.
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Old 07-11-16, 07:13 AM
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Happens every year. I've seen many riders lash out at stupid fans who are in the way. And fans have taken many riders down. Guys have gotten their handlebars caught in purses. One sprinter was slashed on the arm by a woman holding a sign years ago. A rider tacoed his wheel on a dog that crossed in front of him.

Search YouTube for the clip of Nibali, I think it was, knocking a woman over taking a selfie last year or the year before. No one felt badly for her!
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Old 07-11-16, 07:44 AM
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Chris Froome got piss thrown over him last year - I think this year has been pretty tame so far
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Old 07-11-16, 07:56 AM
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just our annual reminder that humans aren't nearly as intelligent as we'd like to believe.

fans standing / running on an active race course and getting hit isn't new, but it is depressing to know there's people that are dumb enough to not know better.

a couple of years ago, some jackass in costume was being a complete nuisance by running next to the riders and another spectator intentionally tripped him. serious face-plant ensued.

loved that...
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Old 07-11-16, 07:59 AM
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Originally Posted by FullGas
just our annual reminder that humans aren't nearly as intelligent as we'd like to believe.

fans standing / running on an active race course and getting hit isn't new, but it is depressing to know there's people that are dumb enough to not know better.

a couple of years ago, some jackass in costume was being a complete nuisance by running next to the riders and another spectator intentionally tripped him. serious face-plant ensued.

loved that...
Omg I remember that face-plant!

What year was it that someone threw tacks onto the road at the top of a mountain?
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Old 07-11-16, 08:15 AM
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i am surprised that more fans do not get punched.
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Old 07-11-16, 08:37 AM
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It's a strange sport, isn't it? There's no other sport to my knowledge where fans get so close to the contestants and routinely become an issue for contest (race) conditions. I kind of hate it when there are crowds of buffoons on the course, making things difficult and unsafe for the riders. But there are moments when the riders move through the crowds like they are parting the waves, and it's kind of, I dunno, lyrical.
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Old 07-11-16, 08:44 AM
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It always scares me. I've been watching for ten or twelve years I think, maybe more, and I never am comfortable watching those drucken idiots run next to the riders or touch them.
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Old 07-11-16, 08:45 AM
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I have been working so I just caught some of the highlights when the guy got punched, but on stage 9 in the rain and hail some woman in a bikini was running in the way. She didn't get punched. It amazes me how the fans just get out there in the way.
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Old 07-11-16, 10:34 AM
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You liked the guy unplugging the inflation fan on the 1km to go arch?
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Old 07-11-16, 10:49 AM
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Froome connected rather well with that guy, and at first I thought it was a little over the top-no pun intended!-but a bit later they went back and showed from a better angle how the flag the spectator had had nearly gotten caught in Froome's front wheel, and it did catch a bit on his left hood and pulled him off course for a moment. Could have been bad if he went down. Nicely done, Froomey.

Edit: The other thing about Froome punching the spectator is that if he had pushed the guy it seems far more likely that he could have gone down, even though it looked extreme to some, by punching him he stays safer.

As for the fan who stepped in front of George Bennett, wow he really got clobbered-went down hard and didn't move much after that. In the same way that it's hard to gauge speed when watching on TV, it was obvious Bennett was going much faster than it appeared, until he hit the guy.
Here's the clip in case you missed it:


Last edited by dcsix; 07-11-16 at 12:00 PM.
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Old 07-11-16, 11:02 AM
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Originally Posted by FullGas
a couple of years ago, some jackass in costume was being a complete nuisance by running next to the riders and another spectator intentionally tripped him. serious face-plant ensued.

loved that...
Yeah, if I'd been waiting for 4 hours to see the Tour come by and some numbnutz in a monkey costume blocked my view with his running... I'd be PO'ed enough to stick my foot out.
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Old 07-11-16, 11:16 AM
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happens more on longer stages because the hoolagan's have more time to get wasted before the boys come flying by. The chick yesterday on stage 9 running along side in a bikini was interesting, a little "thick" for my tastes though.

viva le tour

steppy
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Old 07-11-16, 12:03 PM
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Originally Posted by StepDown
happens more on longer stages because the hoolagan's have more time to get wasted before the boys come flying by. The chick yesterday on stage 9 running along side in a bikini was interesting, a little "thick" for my tastes though.

viva le tour

steppy
I don't ever remember seeing them run right into the middle of a race like she did. There wasn't the crush of people in that section and the road was wider so the fools had a lot of room to move around. It was almost worse than when the riders are closed in on.
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Old 07-11-16, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by dcsix
As for the fan who stepped in front of George Bennett, wow he really got clobbered-went down hard and didn't move much after that. In the same way that it's hard to gauge speed when watching on TV, it was obvious Bennett was going much faster than it appeared, until he hit the guy.
Here's the clip in case you missed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qplqqnVVEOs

Must have been a soccer player for him to stay down for so long...
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Old 07-11-16, 01:21 PM
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It's kind of a double edged sword. I think most of the riders will tell you they get exhilarated by the cheers of the crowds as they roll by. The problem is when the spectators cross the line and want to become "participants" in the race. It seemed like on stage 9 people where all over the road, which can be pretty bad in a rain/hailstorm. However, I'd hate to see them put restrictions on the roadways. I'm not sure how practical it is anyways and you would lose something special about cycling.

Did anyone catch an Astana rider take a swing and a miss at a spectator? It was an overhead shot. I couldn't tell which rider it was.
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Old 07-11-16, 01:23 PM
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getting hit by a racing cyclist is no joke. I was watching yesterday when fans were running towards the riders from the side of the road, looked even more scary than I expected.
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Old 07-11-16, 01:47 PM
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It's probably good thing there's knucklehead fans like that out there otherwise it'd be pretty damn boring if not unwatchable. And I have to give credit to anyone that spends an entire day setting up position somewhere along a route to see 30 seconds of group of riders go through (the end). Probably takes them a good part of the day getting buzzed and getting their costumes together in prep for 15 seconds of fame. How the TDF manages to secure sponsor moneys and how MBCSN affords to broadcast the event is amazing to me.
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Old 07-11-16, 02:01 PM
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The green guy should have been clobbered yesterday, if not by the riders then by the ref's car! He probably realized the mistake he made but still...
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Old 07-11-16, 02:04 PM
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for your enjoyment...

Top ten cycling fan fails - Cycling Weekly
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Old 07-12-16, 07:22 AM
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[QUOTE=dcsix;18904106]Froome connected rather well with that guy, and at first I thought it was a little over the top-no pun intended!-but a bit later they went back and showed from a better angle how the flag the spectator had had nearly gotten caught in Froome's front wheel, and it did catch a bit on his left hood and pulled him off course for a moment. Could have been bad if he went down. Nicely done, Froomey.

Edit: The other thing about Froome punching the spectator is that if he had pushed the guy it seems far more likely that he could have gone down, even though it looked extreme to some, by punching him he stays safer.

As for the fan who stepped in front of George Bennett, wow he really got clobbered-went down hard and didn't move much after that. In the same way that it's hard to gauge speed when watching on TV, it was obvious Bennett was going much faster than it appeared, until he hit the guy.
Here's the clip in case you missed it:


Shows it wasn't a punch, but an open hand "push".
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Old 07-12-16, 09:45 AM
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[QUOTE=Steve C;18906284]
Originally Posted by dcsix
Froome connected rather well with that guy, and at first I thought it was a little over the top-no pun intended!-but a bit later they went back and showed from a better angle how the flag the spectator had had nearly gotten caught in Froome's front wheel, and it did catch a bit on his left hood and pulled him off course for a moment. Could have been bad if he went down. Nicely done, Froomey.

Edit: The other thing about Froome punching the spectator is that if he had pushed the guy it seems far more likely that he could have gone down, even though it looked extreme to some, by punching him he stays safer.

As for the fan who stepped in front of George Bennett, wow he really got clobbered-went down hard and didn't move much after that. In the same way that it's hard to gauge speed when watching on TV, it was obvious Bennett was going much faster than it appeared, until he hit the guy.
Here's the clip in case you missed it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZxyv1Cd-8

Shows it wasn't a punch, but an open hand "push".
Not.
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Old 07-12-16, 01:05 PM
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[QUOTE=dcsix;18906660]
Originally Posted by Steve C

Not.
You can see he back of his hand and his fingers.
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Old 07-12-16, 01:18 PM
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This reminds me of the famous Bernard Hinault fighting photo:



Although not in the Tdf. That looks like a young Phil Anderson right behind him.
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