CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Have you considered riding the Tour de France?

(10 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Wilmington's Cow
  • Latest reply from gembo

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  1. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    Chatting with a(n admittedly odd) colleague today about cycling. She's seen me in 'all the gear' (bear in mind I don't commute in lycra, nor a helmet) and look very 'continental', and then asks, "Have you ever considered riding in the Tour de France?"

    I've just recently got round to reading BikeSnobNYC's book (not bad, some nice little moments) and he mentions people asking this in all seriousness. I was incredulous as to anyone being daft enough to have missed the fact this is a major professional sporting event. But. No.

    So I'm now wondering if I can get the three weeks off work to go and compete...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    "So I'm now wondering if I can get the three weeks off work to go and compete..."

    Might be a vacancy in Sky team soon -

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22347741

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. PS
    Member

    A guy at work's just back from doing Paris-Roubaix last weekend. Given that the actual race was three weeks previous, he obviously just rode the route rather than competed with the pros. Which in itself is worth a doffed chapeau.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Not such a strange question it seems. I was once asked the same question by a colleague who was also a cyclist herself.

    She looked rather bemused as I actually laughed in response.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. DaveC
    Member

    Top Tip, WC. I'd wait until thje new wheels arrive. Doing the TdF on the Cotic would be foolish, the Kaff is much more suited to the longer rides!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. fimm
    Member

    @PS, like the Etape du Tour, there's an amateur Paris-Roubaix sportive-type event: someone I know through the triathlon club did it one year.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. PS
    Member

    @fimm Yeah, but this guy had just done it separately with a bunch of mates and a van. Sounded great fun. They even got let onto the Roubaix velodrome for a few laps. :)

    I don't think I'd fancy doing the sportive - the risk of carnage from someone else crashing or even just pinging sideways across the pave must be pretty high.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. fimm
    Member

    @PS, that does also sound fun. I take your point about the sportive!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Focus
    Member

    In a similarly bizzare vein, a former boss of mine who knew I both cycled to work and played ice hockey (in Livingston at the time) put 2 and 2 together and came up with 5 when I turned up to work with my hockey kitbag and sticks...

    "Do you cycle to Livingston with your kit then?"

    Totally serious question on his part!!! Anyone who's seen the size of hockey kit (let alone the weight) would know that was a preposterous idea (unless you happen to have a large trailer, which I don't, and even that would be a very tiring slog, cycling 16 miles).

    But then this is the same person who couldn't understand why I refused to drink alcohol at after-work meetings when I had my bike with me!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. gembo
    Member

    The subtext of the IT Crowd series written by graham linehen delivers funny critique of business. My teenage daughter had us watchnthenepisode where the businessmen looking for amgoodmtime end up playing dungeons and dragons, not the funniest episode but biting deconstruction of capitalism , or a funny sitcom about IT geeks?

    Posted 12 years ago #

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