George the Cyclist

Having been lazy enough to do nothing for over 12 months , i am going to make an effort to get back into Blogging monthly . It appears that people have contined to visit my blogs during the interim and so i should like to express THANKS for their persistance !

During the period that i have neglected to add to my catalogue , i hope that some of you have been following the exploits of " http://georgethecyclist.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/into-georgia.html ". i have seen the occasional reference to myself during the past 12 months .

No doubt there are many that have seen George on the road as he has Cycled the routes of " Le Tour ' if not on the roads in the USA ?  Seems like he has been in most parts of the world and in the near future , i hope he points me to some of the places visited whilst in Australia  . Local to the area i am staying in currently , is another character that i met in Monaco at the Start of that Tour de France . Vince has Cycled the Le Tour route with George on several visits to Europe . This year was after arriving in Frankfurt and Cycling to Utrecht .

Whilst i will leave you to discover George's adventures for yourselves , i will add a quote in relation toi Ralph Nader , whose exploits in 1970s regarding Chrysler Cars , brought him to my attention and encouraged me to question many attitudes of retailers towards their clients . Nobody enjoys being fobbed off with 2nd class goods and being overcharged ?  i question every attempt to dupe me by those to whom i have to tender monies for goods or services !

Here is the item mentioned :

http://georgethecyclist.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/into-georgia.html :

  "  The early podcasts were mostly Nader being interviewed by his two co-hosts.  It soon evolved into Nader interviewing one or two guests who supported his favorite causes--single-payer health care, election reform, exposing corporate crime, auto safety, Palestine, banking reform, independent farmers.  Most of his guests say it is an honor to be on Nader's show and that he has been an inspiration. He has certainly been responsible for an incredible amount of things that we take for granted--seat belts, no smoking on airplanes, constructions vehicles beeping when they go in reverse.  Nader doesn't gloat.  He says anyone with a fire in the belly can effect change. He certainly would have  shaken up the established order if he had gained the White House."

George the Cyclist

C**T* , said Brad Wiggins !

Second evening in the Maillot Jeune and Brad was quiet and amiable at the daily press conference , until , a journo from AP Int , decided to seek sensationalism ! The assembled journos  certainly got their quote of the day ! Can you imagine the feelings of those that did not attend ?

My tweet to the first item I read on this event , which did not go through , so had to send by email instead :

  “  cnbcllca2@mailmw.custhelp.com cnbcllca2@mailmw.custhelp.com “

  “ Email comment to the Brad Wiggins story since my computer link for the reply did not work ! “

  “  Your report of the News Conference at the Tour de France today , sounds like a “ Lance Armstrong “ repeat from past years !

Tweeted by C Vdv :

VandeVelde,Christian‏@ChristianVDV
Here is a link to one of them. http://bit.ly/L25Erx but I believe he didn't say "cut". It had a "N" and a "S" in it.

Johan bruyneel said on Twitter :

Johan Bruyneel‏@JohanBruyneel
Loved the response of @bradwiggins to his critics at the press conf. Get used to it, mate. It's windy at the top!


Personally I tend to agree with C VDV in that during the past few days the TDF has been sidelined whilst the Media are feeding on Conjecture , Rumour , Innuendo and leaping to conclusions !

Regrettable that Ryder has gone home , Injured BUT there is more at the TDF to occupy your personnel other than USADA’s efforts to cheat the public of proper use of Tax payers money !

Am I a fan of Lance ? Read my blogs , starting with http://t.co/Cf8B1pG8 and then check Lancing Armstrong in another Blog !  “


CNF and similar forums have been having a field day with “ SKY Team “ and the members of this team in recent times . Recovering from illness is NOT GOOD ENOUGH reason for turning in better results than previously , according to so many  “ Arm Chair critics “!

MY Tweet on this subject :

skippy mc carthy‏@skippydetour
@JohanBruyneel @bradwiggins with this event Brad & Sean will become the next targets of the " Downtrodden , lazy & unforgiving 3rd estate !



Lifted from “ http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-delivers-caustic-assessment-of-his-critics

  “ After a pause, Wiggins replied: "They are just f***ing w*****s. I cannot be doing with people like that. It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to anything in their lives. It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter rather than get off their arses in their own life and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something, and that’s ultimately it. C***s!"

WELL DONE BRAD ! Of course now you can expect to be treated in the same fashion as Lance regardless of the results from this year’s “ Le Tour “! Journos think they walk on water , BUT they generally only get paid when they produce sensationalism and you will have filled their coffers , as they wiped the slime off their faces !


Another item came to my attention yesterday written by an ABC reporter , glenn Mitchell , from Oz , funnily , this appears to be a blatant piece of plagiarism  of an earlier piece by Ed Pickering :

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4118228.html

My comment there :

Written to Jacques Rogge to call a “ Sports Moratorium “ so as to “ Clean House “! Unless he gets this job done , we WILL be watching the “ Chemical Olympics “ in years to come !

Drug companies use Athletes , to their benefit , to improve and tweak their products .  Research results could help the World population as a whole BUT the Sports Arena is not the place for Sporting Fraud !

Sporting Fraud has been rampant since before the fall of the IRON Curtain ! IT continues to grow to such an extent , that even Amateurs looking for “ bragging rights “ with their mates , think that the use of PED s are acceptable  behaviour !

As regards the moratorium , checkout   http://t.co/Cf8B1pG8  ,  see if you agree , that the time has arrived , that Sporting Fraud has to STOP !

Will IOC and/or WADA go against their vested interests ? Too many incumbents at the top of these organisations have had the finger pointed at them in recent years for them to be comfortable ! USADA appear to be ignoring those in the UCI , some of whom serve within the IOC , says a lot to many , does it not ?

Certainly I would not like to be the Athlete OR Referee taking the “ Olympic Oath “ in this Internet connected World , where you would have to live in isolation , to avoid hearing the latest news of USADA ‘s efforts or any goings on in their chosen sport !

Today “ Podium Café “ waded into the situation with this article :


http://www.podiumcafe.com/2012/7/8/3145520/the-wiggins-fiasco-what-to-make-of-it

They made plenty of valid points and the one that stayed with me was the fact that Twice Brad has put the pressure on his team by denying Cadel’s team the Maillot Jeune to defend ! Of course letting Cadel have the Millot Jeune could be the beginning of the end and I feel certain that Cadel will do all he can to distance himself from Vincenza Nibali !

Won’t be posting a comment to Podium Café since to do so , you get to visit SB Nation front page which is so full of US Sport , and totally irrelevant to my purposes !

C**T* , said Brad Wiggins !

ACCREDITATION

Easy to criticise bad driving ? You have all seen it and occasionally wondered how there was not a wreck due to the stupidity of the driver !

Case in point , having been overtaken by the Peloton a couple of km before the Pass Thaun I decided even though rain was falling to persevere and then descend to Mittersill before heading homeward by way of the Gerlos Pass . On the downward slope there are occasionally two lanes to allow overtaking and these are separated by about a kilometre of winding narrow road . Having passed through this choke point filled with delayed traffic , because of the Tour of Austria , heading upward the road runs about a kilometre before narrowing as it enters a 60kph zone due to tight corners . Well into the 60kph zone I was letting the bike run even though the road was wet and the wind was gusting . As you will know a wet road will tell you that there is following traffic and at 60+kph keeping to the centre of the lane as you approach a tight right hand turn is a sensible precaution particularly on mountain roads where there are potholes .

Hearing the following vehicle I continued in the same position and speed since no way could anyone get through the fast approaching corner at these speeds . Well whoever was following either did not know the road , or how fast they were travelling , since there was now a dark blue passenger van straddling the double white lines and overtaking regardless with the corner less than a hundred metres in front . Holding my line and still in excess of 50kph I started into the corner with no idea what was a hundred metres ahead . However by this time the van was on the other side of the double white lines and to cap it all was towing a dark blue box trailer which was being buffeted by the wind and rocking along side to side , from wheel to wheel ! Expected that a gust of wind would have blown the trailer over , but luckily for the driver this did not happen nor was there traffic heading towards them .

Most of you will realise that on tight bends a bike will get through them faster than most motorbikes and certainly vehicles but this clown was hell bent in getting down the mountain regardless of the dangers of reckless driving  . Through a series of bends passing traffic that was struggling upward this combination succeeded in getting into Mittersill . At the point of danger the local churches were sounding the midday hour and as the Tour of Austria was listed in the programme to pass through Mittersill at about that time , one wonders why this driver was in such a rush !

Of course I haven’t mentioned yet the “ Apparent Owner of the van and trailer “!  Emblazoned so that you could not fail to see , “ Tchibo “!  Yes , one of the main sponsors of the “ Tour of Austria” ! Of course the company are not responsible for their drivers are they ? Never heard of “ Corporate Manslaughter “ , have they ?  Luckily on this occasion no harm done ! Doesn’t matter what I say , BUT , the helmet camera on “ YouTube ” will tell it’s own story !

Accreditation of drivers at “ UCI Events ” still relies on the driver saying they are legal ! No other checking appears to take place . Now this incident was outside the “ Parcours “ and thus not subject to anything , other than the “ Normal Driving Regulations of Austria “! It will be interesting to see the reaction of the Polizei , when they review the positioning and movement of the trailer ?

This post of course will get to the “ Tchibo” company , doubt they will do anything and no doubt the “ Polizei ” will reject the situation for “ Lack of Credible Evidence !” . Wonder how long it takes the Info@tchibo to arrive with the CEO , and , yawn , whether a minion will use their email to reply ? Their coffee i never bought  , but they do offer  some good gadgets in their outlets .

Yesterday , Tuesday , the day started gloomy , far better than the two hour torrential downpour of Monday at the DEPART in Innsbruck ! I arrived in Kitzbuehel later than planned , but was able to congratulate Danilo Di Luca and Tommy Rohrregger for their success on Etappe 2 . Near the start I caught up with Tim Roe for the photo and then with a 10min start headed for Pass Thaun , most of the time in company with the Polizei Motor cyclists who were sidelining the traffic so the Tour Accredited Vehicles  , followed by the Peloton , could make its way along the “ Parcours “ !

Contrast this with the Tour de Suisse , which operates with the same efficiency and the “ Le Tour “ where the road is closed for several hours to ALL but snails , unless you have paid a HEFTY FEE to the “ ASO “ for the “ ACCREDITATION BANNERS “! When these smaller events have caused so little disruption to the “ Locals ” , WHY does the “ Le Tour ” insist on creating even more disruption each year ? Pass Thaun is only a Cat 3 climb with a banner and timing device but “ Le Tour “ needs to close the road for Hours !

Read a blog recently that mentioned that the French Gendarmerie and National Police are again this year , having to contend with the same “ blight” on France’s Honour , Those thieving Baskets that control the road junctions and demand money for their plastic flags . Once again they are going into shops and menacing the shopkeepers to add to their revenue ! Last year I wrote about this behaviour several times , but it appears that “ Crime” in France will continue whilst “ Le Tour” visits !

Those of you with bikes at the “ Le Tour “ , the bike stays in your hands , or stands in front of you ! Bikes behind you , are out of sight and out of mind , thus the target of the PROFESSIONAL GANGS that raid the route , the Campsites and even the Team Hotels ! Of course if you are crooked , you can take an oldy , hope it gets stolen , then report to the Police for the paperwork to relieve your Insurance Company on a claim for your clever substitution !

TOO OFTEN last year I met with people , later in the Tour and heard of “ thefts “ , regardless of these warnings . Costs of getting to the Tour these days are astronomical , so losing your bike or property can turn the “ Holiday” into a Nightmare !

ACCREDITATION

REPETITIONS

EACH Year i arrive back from the Tour de Suisse determined to lift my level of fitness . In past years having closed the winter quarters i would head to Seez , close to Bourg St Maurice in France and stay at the Auburge de Juenesse . Food there is excellent and plentiful so after a large breakfast i would take off for a day with as much as 300km before returning to load up with 2nds and 3rds . Rarely would i find that there wwas not enough to satisfy the hunger created by unremitting climbs in the area !

Could go on for pages about what is available but suffice to say that Seez at 650m and the Col d'Iseran at 2700m attacked a couple of times inb a day will improve your condition or break your spirit . Of course you could have it all go pear shape as it did one year . Several punctures in a short distance above Val d'isere really sent my internal thoughts spiralling out of control . Carrying 4 spare tubes and checking the interior of the tyre did not solve the problem that day .

Suffering from lack of funds due to once again being " cheated by Winter Employers " i am staying close to where i live in the Inntal . Certainly i will get the money due me , but once again , i have fallen victim of the " Zillertal Mafia "! That is what the locals call these people who prey on the tourist . Each of these businesses provide services to the Tourist industry , charging premium prices and then TRY to cheat their eemployees out of their " Dues "!  Fortunately there is an Organisation called the " Arbeiter Kammer " which handles cases such as this and will eventually recover the monies due . With out going into detail , it would appear i will get my monies sometime after this year's  " Le Tour " ! What do i do meanwhile , starve ?

Arriving back from the Tour de Suisse on Saturday i was up early Sunday to do what i promised myself last season . With riding around this area i have come to know where the steepest climbs are and so without too much effort i am able to get on to this 20% climb each morning . When i told my local bike shop owner , last season , that i had done this climb 6 times one afternoon , i am sure he thought i had had a touch of the sun . I went on to say that Next Season i would be doing 10 climbs each morning as a way to strengthen the muscles for the season . Whilst on the Giro d'Italia i didn't find any climbs that caused me concern , but i was also wondering how much better i could have done , had i followed my earlier plan .

This climb west of Reith in Alpbachtal is okay when the road is dry and there is light traffic . This morning due to heavy thunderstorms overnight  the road was covered with soil and gravel washed onto the road . After starting out at 6.30 i was into the fifth climb when i found that there was constant traffic in each direction . With the road little wider than a truck and having to pick a line through where the gravel had been cleared by the passing vehicles the situation became untenable and an early return for breakfast was the decision .

Sunday had been  a little easier , in that the road was clear but around 10.30 , so many cars were going up the climb to a chuch parade that i stopped at 12 ascents . Monday i repeated this with a little earlier start . Tuesday after 7 climbs , i saw a local race cyclist descending towards me , so decided to chase and finished up heading off to Stumm before making a visit to Innsbruck and Schwaz  on the way home . Wednesday with another 6.30 start i was able to get in 14 ascents before i wearied of the repetitions .

With the heavy rainfall overnight the roads have dried but there is a heavy cloudcover so will be off shortly for some flat running on the " Il Giro " using the 16 spoke Shimano wheels . These wheels do not like climbing strong climbs , but then they have done 100k in the 10 years i have used them . For the repetitions i have been using the Green bike that i took to the " Le Tour " last year with the 32 spoke wheels , but even then i am on 39 to 25 most of the climb . No doubt i will find little difficulty on the French Cols with this preparation .

Now all i need in the next week apart from training , is an infusion of funds to be able to get to Liege and survive 26 days on the road with my 15th riding of the route of the Tour de France !

REPETITIONS

Not JUST on the DAY !

“ Being the best that you can be “ , is something to which everyone should aspire  !

Too often in recent years , we have seen in the Bike Road Racing scene , some expected results and then the winner fades away . Each year there are the Men’s World Road Racing Championships in a different country each year . Great store is set by participating countries in getting their man to the line . Not always are the favourites the winner but Mark Cavendish was the overwhelming favourite last time out .

As World Champion people expect that they will continue into the next season winning other events BUT this seems to be an unrealistic expectation in recent years . Many feel that winning the World Road Race Title jinxes them for the rest of the season . Perhaps other racers pay more attention to any moves they try to make in their events and thwart their efforts for the victory ?

Mark Cavendish on the other hand has worked hard through the off season and with a victory in the Tour Down Under set the season rolling in his favour . Multiple Victories in the Giro d’Italia sees him honour the World Championship in a way that has not been achieved in the past decade .

Next Month we have the Tour de France and shortly after the Olympics and Mark intends to pursue success in both . Certainly , after missing Medals at Beijing , he will be totally focussed on remedying that missing part of his palmares .

With the demise of Team HTC his “ Train “ is now part of several other teams but his talent is such that he has continued to podium whether led home by the train or making his own way to the line . As versatile as he is , I am sure that once the Olympics are over he will be setting the next set of targets !

On a personal note , he has also become a father this year , and his wife and child were travelling with him during the giro .

GOOD LUCK MARK ! You have done a superb job of showing off the World Champ Shirt !

Not JUST on the DAY !

ARMSTRONG CASE CLOSED !

No it’s not ! Seems that USADA has decided they want some publicity and guess how they will get this ?

Do the members of US Cycling look forward to having to fund a “ Witch hunt ” ?

DOUBTFUL !

With the resources that were thrown at the Case that has just been closed , it seems to me that there would have been “ indictments ” sought IF there was ANY evidence that could be followed up in ANY JUDICIAL AREA ! Hearsay and the public utterances of aggrieved and convicted former cyclists are not the sort of thing that will bring about the results that so many of the CNF /mushroom farm were praying ! Looks like there will be a turf war breaking out between the various factions , those for Lance and those against , if the “ Moderators ” don’t act firmly to nip it in the bud !

Not really sure if all those commenting on that particular forum really believed that they had a just cause in seeking adverse findings for Lance Armstrong but we will see how they deal with the blow to their self esteem .

The following article is taken direct from CyclingNews to give some understanding of what has taken place during the course of the investigation that has just concluded :

Cyclingnews' complete coverage of Armstrong investigation


Timeline of US federal investigation from Landis to closure:

It all started with an email from Floyd Landis, accusing Lance Armstrong of doping, and it continued for nearly two years before a US federal investigation into the charges was closed.
Cyclingnews followed the story of the investigation into the charges against Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Service team with these stories:
May 20, 2010 - Landis drug Revelations?

May 20, 2010 - Landis confesses to doping, implicates Armstrong and Bruyneel

May 20, 2010 - WADA and UCI issue statements on Landis confession

May 20, 2010 - Johan Bruyneel: Floyd Landis needs ‘help’

May 20, 2010 - Armstrong rejects Landis allegations

May 20, 2010 - UCI rejects Landis' accusation of concealed doping test

May 21, 2010 - Video: Armstrong rejects Landis allegations

May 21, 2010 - Team RadioShack reveal further emails from Landis

May 22, 2010 - Two people named by Landis may co-operate with authorities

May 22, 2010 - LeMond supports Landis in fight for clean cycling

May 23, 2010 - Landis makes an appearance at the Amgen Tour of California

May 25, 2010 - McQuaid acknowledges accepting Armstrong donation a mistake

May 26, 2010 - Scope of US doping inquiry may be widened

May 26, 2010 - UCI requests investigations into Landis claims

May 27, 2010 - Biological passport expert taking Landis seriously

June 9, 2010 - McQuaid defends UCI against Landis and Bordry

July 6, 2010 - Investigation into Landis claims widens to include Interpol

July 14, 2010 - Verbruggen labels Landis a nuisance

August 2, 2010 - Ball could hold link to Armstrong probe

August 4, 2010 - Holczer accuses Leipheimer of blood manipulation

August 8, 2010 - Armstrong lawyer condemns "un-American" investigation

August 17, 2010 - McQuaid suggests US Postal investigation sparked by personal vendetta

August 26, 2010 - Former USPS doctor denies doping at team

September 15, 2010 - Lance Armstrong on defensive in federal investigation

October 14, 2010 - Howman suspects the Armstrong investigation could be as significant as the BALCO case

November 3, 2010 - Popovych to testify in Armstrong probe

November 4, 2010 - Popovych denies witnessing doping

November 17, 2010 - Armstrong investigation extends to French police

January 5, 2011 - Armstrong shrugs off FDA investigation

January 19, 2011 - Frustration for Armstrong as questions arise

January 19, 2011 - A summary of the Sports Illustrated Lance Armstrong investigation

January 23, 2011 - Armstrong era 'corrupt' says ex-mechanic

January 24, 2011 - Bruyneel dismisses Sports Illustrated accusations

January 31, 2011 - Landis: It was either cheat or get cheated

January 31, 2011 - Landis: It was either cheat or get cheated

April 15, 2011 - Armstrong, Ferrari relationship probed in Italian doping investigation

April 26, 2011 - Dr Ferrari offers to meet magistrate surrounding his links to Armstrong

May 11, 2011 - Armstrong investigation progressing, but case is 'solid'

May 20, 2011 - Hamilton says he saw Armstrong use EPO

May 20, 2011 - Tyler Hamilton's letter of confession

May 21, 2011 - Report: Hincapie tells FDA Armstrong took PEDs

May 22, 2011 - Betsy Andreu talks ahead of 60 Minutes show on Lance Armstrong

May 24, 2011 - Ekimov denies Hamilton's claims of Armstrong doping

May 24, 2011 - Verbruggen says Armstrong “never, never, never” doped

November 11, 2011 - Armstrong lawyers ready for Federal battle

February 3, 2012 - Lance Armstrong inquiry concludes with no charges filed



No doubt those that served on the Grand Jury will have voiced their opinions to their families and friends and I would hope for their sake that there will not be any “ Deep Throat ” articles since there will be those looking to benefit from any of their indiscretions !


My comment to Charles Pelkey’s explainer article : http://redkiteprayer.com/?p=7669

“ Doping is " Sporting Fraud " and requires even harsher punishment than already exists and NOBODY is above the law !
Having said that i am aware that Cancer Sufferers use medication after their treatment and one such product is EPO . That Lance had to use " Drugs " whilst Racing and these " items " were approved by UCI and WADA , does not make him a " Doper " ! So many people have come out of the " Woodwork " to try to bring him down to their level and to gain recognition for themselves .

Charles will tell you of the medication that he has to continue to use now that his treatment programme has finished , and for how much longer , and he is not a " High Performance Athlete "!
Myself , i have to use " Sinitron ", or a substitute for the rest of my life due to Embolisms as mentioned in my blogs but then am not in competition .

WADA provides an annual list of " Proscribed Items " and do a thorough job of " Policing " their regs but i doubt it is in anyone's interests for them to kick around in the same area that the Grand Jury has just finished with seems pointless ! Of course there are those in the USADA who see a chance to garner benefit in some manner AND if after they expend huge sums of money and their " witch hunt " leads them to conclude they can make a case against Lance and others do they really think that the Public will thank them ?

Doubt that any will care and as for Lance , a " Suspension " will mean what ?

Will USADA spend millions to go nowhere and antagonise their public ? ”

Back in December 2011 Charles had written another item on this “ Ongoing Saga ” and here is that link :

http://redkiteprayer.com/?p=6973

My comment then was a shot in the dark and some will Say that there was “ Political Intervention ” in this case ! But then there will be many other conspiracy theories espoused in the coming months !

ARMSTRONG CASE CLOSED !

2012 TOUR de ROMANDIE

The Tour de Romandie 2012 will for the first time in my 12 visits cross into France with the third day starting there and continuing on to finish at Moutiers which the Tour de France has passed through on occasions . Whilst I can picture in my mind’s eye the start and finish towns I am wondering which climbs are en route ? Having cycled around Moutiers in training rides I am also mindful of passing through there when those clowns dressed as “ Kelme Racers ” butted into that Tour de France as it climbed to Courcheval nearly a decade ago , that sunny Sunday I climbed to the 1km mark before the Gendarmerie turned me back and so I arrived in Seez in time to watch the whole “ Soap Opera ” on the TV .

Below is a summary of the 2012 event lifted from Cycling News :

“ The 2012 Tour de Romandie starts with a prologue in Lausanne and ends nearly 700 kilometres later with a time trial in Crans-Montana. In between, the peloton will take on 13 ranked climbs in western Switzerland.
The race opens on April 24 with a 3.34 km prologue in Lausanne. Stage 1 the next day runs 184.5 km from Morges, on the shore of Lake Geneva, to La Chaux-de-Fonds. There are two Category 2 climbs and a Category 3 climb along the way, and the stage ends with a 67.7km loop course.
Stage two features for the first time a start in Montbéliard, France, and has a tricky end with a false flat 149km later in Moutier. The stage also has three Category 2 and 3 climbs. The third stage also throws in only Category 2 and 3 ranked mountains, as it goes 157.6 km from La Neuveville to Charmey.
The queen stage comes on the fourth stage, 184 km from Bulle to Sion. After crossing three category 1 and one category 2 climbs, the peloton will again face a circuit course at the finish.
The race ends with what it calls a “very difficult” time trial of 16.24 km around Crans-Montana. It features a climb halfway through which “will probably hurt the legs and be decisive” in determining the final overall winner.
All 18 WorldTour teams will be at the race, with a wildcard invitation going to “ Europcar” . A 20th team may be invited later. ”

The “ difficult ” ITT can’t be any tougher than the one that Lance won some years back when it started in Sion and finished on the summit village of Crans Montana Resort . I recall riding on the pavement alongside Lance as he spun the cranks to victory , even the short distance that I rode at a high tempo wasn’t enough to hold his pace as he climbed that steep pitched mountain so I don’t envy the racers the task this time around . Should it be warm then those racing will be glad that it is the final day !

2012 TOUR de ROMANDIE

WHEN A COP SAYS STOP !

Spent the last three days reading a “ Bicycling Magazine ( http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/when-cop-says-stop ) ” article about an Ohio case where two cyclists were stopped and one was “ Tased “ ! Over 11 pages this article went into some detail as to the happenings on that occasion . Suffice to say that the L aw E nforcement O fficer started off by acting incorrectly and now this matter will be finally settled in a Civil Court Action which will cost the Ohio State a LOT of money !

Some interesting points were raised about the way that Ohio Law operates and the behaviour of the people involved in this case but I am sure that the story could have been told more concisely . What is clear is that a L E O can order you to stop and the best result is that YOU STOP ! The grounds they have to Order you to stop may be a “ figment of their imagination ” but you won’t know this until after the interview has concluded . Whether there was a justification for the order does not matter since they are in the uniform and as citizens we are obliged to respect the uniform and the Laws of the Land . In reading the article it is clear that this particular L E O had not ordered a stop but he thought he had and thus an unfortunate incident occurred .

Considering my own behaviour as to the Police I have always found that complying with their requirements and going along with their assessment of a situation has resulted in minimising the incident . Confronting the L E O only digs them into their corner and thus they can become self righteous and seek to add justification for their behaviour and the outcome then becomes more abrasive for all concerned . Copping a ticket/citation is never a pleasure but then there is the opportunity to contact the authorities to have the matter resolved in a straight forward way rather than having to adjourn elsewhere either voluntarily or otherwise .

When on occasion I have been injured riding the bike I have had to refuse “ Hospitalisation “ because there was no provision for transporting the bike . How can you leave your property on the side of the road somewhere and expect to recover it later ? No way Jose ! Whatever is not “ Nailed down “ will get up and walk away since there are so many charming people out there only so willing to offer a new home to ANYTHING they chance upon of value ! In the article the two bikes were abandoned by the L E O ‘s and only chance saved the day ! So there is another reason to avoid creating a situation where you could lose control of your property .

Over the years of riding the various Cycle Tour routes I have come across so many different attitudes of the L E O ‘s involved in Policing these events . Generally they behave respectfully towards those who are out to ride the route but there have been cases where Juniors have been rigidly officious and I can think of several cases where when stopped I have been told the bike will be impounded if I try to leave the point where stopped . In most cases when stopped I will walk on till out of sight but when confronted with a “ Stand Here ” order it is hard to overcome . Usually I then look to enjoy the hospitality of those on the scene since they have seen the unreasonable behaviour . One occasion on the Tour de France I was given a sumptuous lunch with wine and when the Gendarme involved approached for water ( hoping for better) he was sent away to the local shop . One of the hosts chortled about his getting one back for me but as it turned out we were delayed beyond the “ 15 min prohibition period after the passing of the “ Broom Wagon “ regulation ! A bit of “ tit for Tat threre I think .

Reading the comments attached to the article it was easy to see that this was not there first time the article had been run and there was a series of exchanges in 2010 which could well have been left out since the two parties were too busy slanging each other to contribute value to the debate . From the initial comment by “ NoMoreSlowFiveO ” on 3/09/2010 to 14/09/2010 he responded repeatedly to comments by “ BadBadLeroyBrown ” . Hopefully when this article next appears these nonsenses will have been removed .

Tour de France does the Gendarmerie no favours by having these L E O standing in the same spot for most of the day , rarely in the shade on hot days and exposed to the elements in inclement weather . As to turning Public roads into “ Private Roads ” for the passing of “ Le tour ” one wonders why they cannot follow the example of the “ Tour de Suisse ” and thus not create the problems for the community that result at present . Whilst the Policing forces are busily occupied the criminal elements are having a field day not only badgering people and enterprises to “ BUY ” their nougat and plastic Drapue but perhaps other crimes such as burgularising empty homes and stealing bikes and bike parts and breaking into unattended cars . Of course these activities take place elsewhere but then the response is so much quicker and positive investigation and not a “ incident no ” that will be the outcome when you report to the Insurance Co. your loss in an area where the “ Le Tour ” has visited .

POSTED by Posterous as Blogger continues to give problems !

WHEN A COP SAYS STOP !

Vince Carter at the Tour de France

Every year i meet people who arrive at the Tour de France for the first time and i enjoy watching their reactions to the " Circus " that the TDF has become during the 14 occasions i have ridden the routes .

One night several of us camped in a field and i got asked once again why i don't write a book , fact is the blogs are not well enough attended to justify the expense in time and monies to rave on about the places i have been and the people i have met .

Some of the experiences i have enjoyed have been right off the scale in that i find myself the guest of so many generous people both in their homes and as a guest at the side of the road . It is impossible to relate the generosity of so many people even if i could find the correct words since in many cases these people have put aside their own commitments to help me ! The spread of nationalities and countries is mind boggling as not only Europeans but Asians have treated me so kindly !

Currently i don't seem to be able to post direct to the Blogs and so am using " Posterous " as the Portal so the stories/blogs are repeated in several blogs and for that i apologise .  Hopefully i will discover the problem and solve it quickly !

TODAY i am copying an email into the blog written by Vincent who has ridden the "Routes of the TDF " these past 3 years .

""   Skippy appeared riding from behind me on my first trip to the Tour de France in Monaco 2009 on the TT course . I had camped for 5 days in my first foreign country and the sound of a friendly Australian accent was welcome and after the usual exchange of details , he proceeded on along the course and shortly after i met another Tour devotee George the cyclist , who informed me of Skippy’s long running involvement with all the grand tours .

The power of the event and the challenge to view it while riding the course as much as you can handle got into my head with some power so i returned to the 2010 edition which started in Rotterdam to meet up with George . It was world cup soccer time and Skippy , George , and a new find of George’s , David the German and i took part in the excitement of a game watching the screen at the IYH where I was staying . The dutch won ,the locals where more than pleased it was a happy time to be amongst the revellers.
Over the coming days as gGorge and i rode the course Skippy would appear always loaded up with Skippy’s Legacy which was a special cycling jersey autographed by all the riders of note in the Pro Peloton. Skippy had plans to auction the shirt with proceeds going to his primary interest “ disabled sports people “. Regularly our paths would cross as the tour stages went by.

2011 came around and again i could not resist the Tour of France atmosphere , after riding to the rider presentation and discovering that it was invitation only i settled back in the car park to watch the Team buses roll up with all the tour Champs and Personalities passing by and i felt my 500 km ride was well worth it.
Then a gentle whack from a passing cyclist revelled Skippy once again , after greetings where done Skippy arranged for me to shake the hands of some tour stars Erik Zabel , Cadel Evans , Danilo Hondo ,Chris Horner , Mark Renshaw and others . Even though i am of a mature age , 54 , just to meet these guys was a great thrill and i doubt I’ll forget it ever, this was all down to Skippy , as he is one of the personalities which add to the whole tour experience .

 

What i should like to do is INVITE others to contribute their stories relating how we have met up  , over the years .

 

People like my friends in Crest , Brussels , Redom , Montigenevre , Torino and so many more places occasionally visit the blog so i would encourage them to contribute their piece to the Blog .

Now that Vincent has set the ball rolling , who will be next ?

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Vince Carter at the Tour de France