Tour de France 2012

[moonfleet]

Why should I care about this exactly?

Can anybody give a coherent answer?

Because you're not the "sporting type" Graeme, don't look further !!

[Marky B]

I am not a sporting type either,but when someone from this country does something to be proud of,I will happily give them recognition. However,saying that,as much as I applaud his achievement and I will no way deprive him of the adulation awarded to him,I am afraid I am not getting on the bandwagon of people thinking he should be knighted. Such accolation should be given to people for long time service,or doing something out of the ordinary (eg Edmund Hilary for being the first man to conquer Everest). Long may Bradley continue in his success and I wish him good luck - and all our athletes - in the forthcoming Olympics.
Ta Ta
Marky B

[dremble wedge]

Why should I care about this exactly?

Can anybody give a coherent answer?

There's absolutely no reason why you should, but sporting success/excellence of the kind demonstrated in the TdF makes people happy.

[Harbottle]

Absolutely marvellous I've watched the coverage for years with barely a British rider getting a look in, until recently with the Manx Missile Mark Cavendish and now Wiggo and Chris Froome! Tremendous job by the Sky team and how ironic that the Tour was shown on ITV4 rather than SKY

[CaptainWaggett]

There is talk of Wiggins being chosen to light the Olympic Flame on Friday' it would be very fitting me thinks...

The road race is the next day though so presumably he won't want to hang around for hours

[Moor Larkin]

Presumably the Murdochs will now be feted across the UK sky............
and so the wheels of history turn

[Mr Sloane]

Why should I care about this exactly?

Can anybody give a coherent answer?

Are you auditioning for the role of forum curmudgeon ?

[GRAEME]

Are you auditioning for the role of forum curmudgeon ?

Good idea!

I just can't see why this individual's success in an utterly pointless pursuit is something worthy of all the air-time and column inches and babble. Good for him if that's his thing - but what has it got to do with anybody else?

In what way, exactly, does he represent me or anybody else? Nobody voted for him - or especially asked him to do it. He wasn't doing it for us - like Jesus cycling-ified on a mountain-bike-afix!

[CaptainWaggett]

Good idea!

I just can't see why this individual's success in an utterly pointless pursuit is something worthy of all the air-time and column inches and babble. Good for him if that's his thing - but what has it got to do with anybody else?

In what way, exactly, does he represent me or anybody else? Nobody voted for him - or especially asked him to do it. He wasn't doing it for us - like Jesus cycling-ified on a mountain-bike-afix!

I can't speak for how anyone feels about Wiggo, because cycling isn't my thing, but as I've mentioned on another thread, a friend swam the Channel at the weekend which I'm sure everyone will agree is an extraordinary achievement (far more people have climbed Everest). As for what it has to do with everyone else - well, there was her support team on the day, dozens of people who trained alongside her, friends who followed her training and and asked her about it and who gave useful advice, friends like me who couldn't offer anything on the swimming side but who helped organise a fete for her favourite charity and who were inspired by her actions. The enthusiasm and excitement at the lido as we realised she was on her way and then that she'd succeeded, was tangible with dozens of people (out of just one section of her friends) feeling happier for her achievement. And that's someone who isn't famous at all and who had a relatively small team of helpers. Wiggins must have touched many more lives as will any Olympic medallists, wherever they come from. And just a few may even feel inspired to take on challenges of their own

[Moor Larkin]

I suppose the celebration of Wiggins as a great British cyclist is no moor incoherent than the celebration of Kate Winslett as being a great British actress - not to pick on Ms. Winslett any more than any other British actor who happens to have made it big in international celebrity. I was reading that Bradley will likely make a £20M fortune now. I wonder if Herne Hill Velodrome will get a Trust Fund set up by him. Wouldn't it be nice if successful British people began to avoid tax in a positive way. Maybe Brad can start a new trend.


Herne Hill Velodrome by sarflondondunc, on Flickr

[GRAEME]

I suppose the celebration of Wiggins as a great British cyclist is no moor incoherent than the celebration of Kate Winslett as being a great British actress - not to pick on Ms. Winslett any more than any other British actor who happens to have made it big in international celebrity.

What Ms Winslett does is entertaining and interesting whilst she is doing it. It is intended to be appreciated by an audience.

Riding a bike is not.

The adulation appears to come from his winning. Not from the enjoyment of the "spectacle". That's what I don't get.

[Heinrich]

It is good for most people that this victory was in bicycle racing. Had it been in a sport pursued by the middle class such as tennis we would not hear the end of the nationalistic jingoism.

[GRAEME]

It is good for most people that this victory was in bicycle racing. Had it been in a sport pursued by the middle class such as tennis we would not hear the end of the nationalistic jingoism.

Jingoism is exactly what it must be! How an individual's achievement (especially in something as pointless as sport) can make a whole country proud, defeats me.

It was his "triumph" - not ours!

[CaptainWaggett]

It is good for most people that this victory was in bicycle racing. Had it been in a sport pursued by the middle class such as tennis we would not hear the end of the nationalistic jingoism.

Yes of course. I was browsing through Wikipedia the other day and was amazed to find that when I was in nursery school, England won the football World Cup. You'd think this is the sort of thing an educated person would have heard about but I guess as a nation we're very modest about our successes and just don't like to boast...

[Freddy]

What Ms Winslett does is entertaining and interesting whilst she is doing it. It is intended to be appreciated by an audience.

Riding a bike is not.

The adulation appears to come from his winning. Not from the enjoyment of the "spectacle". That's what I don't get.

People do enjoy the spectacle.

[GRAEME]

People do enjoy the spectacle.

That would be even more inexplicable. I've seen it - nothing happens. People riding through countryside and stuff.

I think you could make a race exciting - actually trying to get to the front and so on...

It's like cricket - it is the paint drying tedious being there long drawn outness and look at the exciting statisticsness of it that people like. Or the scenery.

In any case, it is inane.

[Steve Crook]

Yes of course. I was browsing through Wikipedia the other day and was amazed to find that when I was in nursery school, England won the football World Cup. You'd think this is the sort of thing an educated person would have heard about but I guess as a nation we're very modest about our successes and just don't like to boast...

What were you doing visiting a nursery school when you were that old?

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

What were you doing visiting a nursery school when you were that old?

Steve

I was fast-tracked through nursery school as an infant prodigy

[Steve Crook]

That would be even more inexplicable. I've seen it - nothing happens. People riding through countryside and stuff.

That applies to things like F1 and superbikes as well. You get a better view on TV. If you're there you see the cars/bikes go zoom and then nothing for 5 minutes and then they go zoom again. Most of the action takes place where you don't happen to be

It's like cricket - it is the paint drying tedious being there long drawn outness and look at the exciting statisticsness of it that people like. Or the scenery.

The only way to enjoy cricket is on a nice summer's day, relaxing on a deckchair with a steady supply of cooling drinks, with interesting people to talk to - and hope that the people knocking a ball around in the middle of the pitch don't interrupt you

Steve

[Freddy]

That would be even more inexplicable. I've seen it - nothing happens. People riding through countryside and stuff.

I think you could make a race exciting - actually trying to get to the front and so on...

It's like cricket - it is the paint drying tedious being there long drawn outness and look at the exciting statisticsness of it that people like. Or the scenery.

In any case, it is inane.

I feel the same way about motor racing as you do about the TdeF, but for me and many others there is a point to the Tour as there is to anything in which you compete against others and that is to give your best whether in sport, academia or anything else where you have to work hard to achieve something.

What helps when you're the viewer is knowing the tactics and the mind games which go on, and my adulation for all the bike riders of the tour is simply that riding a bike fast for a hundred miles or so and climbing gradients which push you to the limit of endurance does and always will require exceptionally hard work, dedication and training.