The French Fans????????

[don compton]

What a weak sport to have it's greatest spectacle owned by such an irreverent set of fans. Really, spitting and poring urin on the yellow jersey and this isn't the first year that this has happened. I am done.
I am going to enjoy riding my bike and watch the other sports. Besides, the truly great athletes are in other sports.
How's that for a rant?

[Black Dog]

Well, the fans come from all over Europe and beyond. Especially on the mountain sides.

[jlwdm]

Why do you say they are French? Those are fans from all over Europe and beyond. The Dutch fans are the rowdiest.

Jeff

[SoCalSteve]

What a weak sport to have it's greatest spectacle owned by such an irreverent set of fans. Really, spitting and poring urin on the yellow jersey and this isn't the first year that this has happened. I am done.
I am going to enjoy riding my bike and watch the other sports. Besides, the truly great athletes are in other sports.
How's that for a rant?

This is a joke, right? I cannot imagine any other athletes even come close to the endurance levels that pro cyclist attain. Can you?

[kramnnim]

This is a joke, right? I cannot imagine any other athletes even come close to the endurance levels that pro cyclist attain. Can you?

American Football! :hello:

[Black Dog]

American Football. You have obviously never watched professional darts. :rolleyes:

[don compton]

American Football! :hello:
Many of the wide receivers and running backs in American were also very successful track stars. And the truly super stars in Europe are Soccer ( football )
stars. Chris Froome looks like a very one dimensional athlete. His balance and handling skills have always come into question.
Eddy Merckz was a great athlete ( boxing) but today's stars, especially our American riders don't fit that profile.

[don compton]

This is a joke, right? I cannot imagine any other athletes even come close to the endurance levels that pro cyclist attain. Can you?
You're looking at endurance as the ultimate measurement of an athlete.While I believe that endurance is one important measure, quickness in change of motion. and extreme levels of eye hand coordination are also important in describing an elite athlete .

[joosttx]

You're looking at endurance as the ultimate measurement of an athlete.While I believe that endurance is one important measure, quickness in change of motion. and extreme levels of eye hand coordination are also important in describing an elite athlete .

Fascinating.

[Scuzzer]

Fascinating.

Interesting. Do you think that anyone would look at a GT tour winning cyclist at the beach and think "athlete"? Don't get me wrong, I'm completely in awe of what they are able to accomplish riding a bike but they really don't look too athletic now that they're so hyper tuned to doing only one thing really well.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you have NFL offensive lineman. Once again tuned to the specific demands of their position but in this case they can push their 6'5" 330lb body to run a 40 in under 5 seconds. Amazing.

In both cases PEDs probably are the reason they can look and perform the way they do. Heck, look back to around 1975 or so, both cyclists and offensive lineman looked relatively normal, and athletic.

[CunegoFan]

You're looking at endurance as the ultimate measurement of an athlete.While I believe that endurance is one important measure, quickness in change of motion. and extreme levels of eye hand coordination are also important in describing an elite athlete .

Ping pong players must be the most elite athletes on the planet.

Body building tournaments used to be on network TV. That stopped when the competitors began to look like deformed freaks instead of an ideal that could inspire regular people. Cycling is headed down the same path with Froome. He looks sickly,

[saab2000]

What makes the OP think that the poorly behaved fans are French? Fans are from all over the place at the Tour. People from this forum have visited the Tour. And the negativity spewed towards Froome on this forum is shameful IMHO.

He is judged on how he looks on the bike and there are all kinds of presumptions of guilt with no evidence provided other than speculation. This place has become like a witch's trial based on the comments on Froome.

Also, regarding the athletes in the sport. They are clearly the elite of the world of cycling but there are other world class athletes who, had they gotten into cycling, would be at the top of this sport. Think runners, nordic skiers, etc. Even soccer players have great aerobic skills. The great athletes will rise to the top of whichever sport they end up liking.

[jr59]

What makes the OP think that the poorly behaved fans are French? Fans are from all over the place at the Tour. People from this forum have visited the Tour. And the negativity spewed towards Froome on this forum is shameful IMHO.

He is judged on how he looks on the bike and there are all kinds of presumptions of guilt with no evidence provided other than speculation. This place has become like a witch's trial based on the comments on Froome.

Also, regarding the athletes in the sport. They are clearly the elite of the world of cycling but there are other world class athletes who, had they gotten into cycling, would be at the top of this sport. Think runners, nordic skiers, etc. Even soccer players have great aerobic skills. The great athletes will rise to the top of whichever sport they end up liking.

I think I agree with all of this. I also think that athletes in sports are all different. Like bikes. We don't ride a track bike with room for 23 tires on off road single track. There is the right tool for the job. Just like sports and athletes. At the highest level, it takes the right type of tool. Of course there can be some cross over. Runners, and swimmers normally make good bikers. Just like some elite basketball players could play football, and so forth. But mostly the right tool for the job. I myself have always been to large to be a very good bicycle rider. As @ 6'4" and well over 200 lbs with less than 6% body fat in college my frame size and skill set made me a D1 basketball player. I just ride b/c I like it.

[joosttx]

Interesting. Do you think that anyone would look at a GT tour winning cyclist at the beach and think "athlete"?

No.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

I just ride b/c I like it.

Plus about one million.

[oldpotatoe]

What a weak sport to have it's greatest spectacle owned by such an irreverent set of fans. Really, spitting and poring urin on the yellow jersey and this isn't the first year that this has happened. I am done.
I am going to enjoy riding my bike and watch the other sports. Besides, the truly great athletes are in other sports.
How's that for a rant?


Guess never been to a baseball or football game in places like Oakland or LA or Boston.

BUT, even tho the ····e-head fans may not be french, it's a french race and they 'own' things like has happened. The Italian tifosi can be pretty outrageous too but not quite so 'rude', IMHO.

BUT watch the Giro..better race anyway. In a better place. Madre Italia

[joosttx]

Guess never been to a baseball or football game in places like Oakland or LA or Boston.

BUT, even tho the ï½·ï½·ï½·ï½·e-head fans may not be french, it's a french race and they 'own' things like has happened. The Italian tifosi can be pretty outrageous too but not quite so 'rude', IMHO.

BUT watch the Giro..better race anyway. In a better place. Madre Italia

You forgot Philadelphia.

[oldpotatoe]

You forgot Philadelphia.

Lots of 'fans' in some venues in the US are really, really bad. Some limit it to verbal, or beer thrown on guys as they go to the locker room to walking to your car in the wrong jersey and getting murdered.

[rileystylee]

American fans behaviour at the Ryder cup is generally bad. "USA, USA, USA!!!"
A bit of decorum please:no:

[bikinchris]

What a weak sport to have it's greatest spectacle owned by such an irreverent set of fans. Really, spitting and poring urin on the yellow jersey and this isn't the first year that this has happened. I am done.
I am going to enjoy riding my bike and watch the other sports. Besides, the truly great athletes are in other sports.
How's that for a rant?

You are right to be disgusted by those so called fans. But I see that kind of behavior in many other sports.

[bikinchris]

You forgot Philadelphia.

You guys caught to see some college venues. Tigers stadium on a Saturday night comes to mind.

The classics don't seem to have the hateful behavior.

[sandyrs]

Hot take!

[johnmdesigner]

The ladies are racing the Champs right now with crashes galore.
Stop whining. Turn it on and cheer em on!:hello:

[bcroslin]

I love it when old guys try and troll

[bicycletricycle]

Actions of fans = quality of sport?

Hmmm,

Also, the stages of the tour I have been to have had a lot of non french people at theme or example, I was there.

As far as which athletes are the best athletes.

That just seems like a silly discussion. You can't compare, none of them could do the other sports well so they are all equal.

Except Bo Jackson.

[R3awak3n]

Let's be honest, every sport has terrible fans and they are all from different nationalities.

[Mr. Pink]

Try showing up in Yankee stadium wearing a Red Sox jersey and hat. Hell, just the hat.

[572cv]

You're looking at endurance as the ultimate measurement of an athlete.While I believe that endurance is one important measure, quickness in change of motion. and extreme levels of eye hand coordination are also important in describing an elite athlete .

Magicians !! ;)

[bicycletricycle]

Magicians !! ;)

+1

magicians do rate high on those metrics.

:hello:

[martl]

This is a joke, right? I cannot imagine any other athletes even come close to the endurance levels that pro cyclist attain. Can you?

i always thought it a bit silly weighing up different sports against each other. We got the same thing here in Europe about Football (Soccer for you) players not really being athletes.
I personally know a fella who has a job and a family who met two football (soccer) pros from Borussia Dortmund in his hotel in Mallorca, challenged them to a bike ride and they dropped out after 25km becuase they couldn't hold his pace. Bit sad for professional athletes who are paid a couple of million annually.
But thing is, anyone healthy can train up his cycling to decent amateur level racer level if investing enough effort. Same is true for many other endurance sports (XC skiing, long distance running etc.)

But no matter how hard and how long i trained, i couldn't handle the Ball like Ronaldo does, or catch balls like Manuel Neuer. And that extends to sports we smile at, too - i couldn't hit a 9-darter in front of 4000 drunken cheering fans like the fat old man Phil Taylor, or clean a snooker table like O'Sullivan (who is a decent long-distance runner btw.)

Cycling is one of the toghest sports around, no doubt. Still it requires next to no skill and only 3 muscles on each leg ;) - so no reason to be snotty.


About the fans - well there always were things like that. The public always had their favourites and their bogeymen. The French are not exactly the most resistant to a certain level of Chauvinism, too. It is easier for them to focus their aggression on a Britishman, or yelling "dopage" at Lance while still loving Virenque who was just as full of the same stuff :) But that isn'texactly a monopoly of the french fans, i could name a few other nations here.

(Though i doubt in Lances case it was his nationality, in fact throughout his career he skipped very few occasions to piss off the "cycling establishment", deliberately.)


I take it as a sign that the public, contrary to common belief, does notonly want a good show and doesn't care about the means ;)

[oldpotatoe]

Magicians !! ;)

Clowns!

Clowns are freaky.

[MadRocketSci]

why are athletes admired and revered? It's all just a circus...ooh, look at what that elephant can do....ooh, look at what that dude/lady can do....

add bread and you have the ingredients for a satiated mainstream society...

[earlfoss]

Like Luca Paolini says, "Cycling is a circus!"

http://cdn.velonews.competitor.com/files/2014/03/SPTDW201.jpg

[OldCrank]

Some Brits will be chartering a bus...
http://newsthump.com/2015/07/27/banned-football-hooligans-thinking-of-getting-into-cycling/

[I Want Sachs?]

Let me tell you, it takes a great deal of athleticism to be a rodeo clown! I can't believe you have degraded me to clown status. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDYeg8VjfEU

[bikingshearer]

You're all ignoring the obvious candidates for the best athletes: decathletes.

As to the crappy fans at the TdF, we shouldn't come down on French fans for the bad behavior of three jerks of unknown nationality. We should come down on them for the ongoing hypocrisy of their hatred for "dopage" paired with the love for Richard Virenque, who would be in the top five all-time a-hole pro racers even without his hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar cheating, lying, whining, crying and general low-class behavior in l'Affaire Festina.

[bikinchris]

Interesting. Do you think that anyone would look at a GT tour winning cyclist at the beach and think "athlete"? Don't get me wrong, I'm completely in awe of what they are able to accomplish riding a bike but they really don't look too athletic now that they're so hyper tuned to doing only one thing really well.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you have NFL offensive lineman. Once again tuned to the specific demands of their position but in this case they can push their 6'5" 330lb body to run a 40 in under 5 seconds. Amazing.

In both cases PEDs probably are the reason they can look and perform the way they do. Heck, look back to around 1975 or so, both cyclists and offensive lineman looked relatively normal, and athletic.

If you want to see cyclists that look like athletes, look toward world class track (velodrome) sprinters and Keirin racers.

[Scuzzer]

If you want to see cyclists that look like athletes, look toward world class track (velodrome) sprinters and Keirin racers.

No doubt. But when I was a youngster I could look at Lemond or Hinault and think they looked athletic. They also kicked butt in various terrains so I thought that was what a cyclist should look like. Now my 12 year old son looks at Froome and says why would he do that to himself, he has no reason to even try to be good at cycling. You'd only look like a GT winner for the cash.

[Jgrooms]

Couple of linebackers here?

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07/31/c8a50c163c742ad1d0f92d28cc6f9801.jpg

[George Ab]

I thought they were great! 15 million fans along the roadside. Lots of families with children. Lots of folks having a great time and lots of cyclists. I don't see how you can judge 15 million people based on a couple of idiots.