Giro d'Italia / Tour de France

[Paddingtonwolf]

Grimpeur - climber
Poncheur - not a climber but good at shooting off the front on short climbs near the end of stages and pinching wins

 

[Kenny]

Back in the day there used to be a wagon with a broom mounted on it that would drive at the pace to arrive at the cut off point and if it overtook a rider they were swept up and had to abandon. I don’t think they do that any more.

I would so watch the race if they had someone in a car chasing them and attempting to whack them with a broom.

 

[Mel Evo]

Soigneur - Ice block manager in charge of the cool box in the boot...

 

[Johnny75]

From memory the team leading wears yellow numbers.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yellow background numbers for sure, but with the change of most combative rider to gold I haven’t checked out if that has changed this year. Will look out for it tonight.

 

[1986]

Domestique......isn't that the workhorse in the team who helps the team leader to scale the mountains acting as a pacemaker almost . They sacrifice themselves during those days in the mountains , dropping off the front with 10/15km to go or so and tailing in well behind . Their job is to help the team leader in the mountain stages and their own overall finishing place becomes irrelevant .

 

[Johnny75]

Domestique......isn't that the workhorse in the team who helps the team leader to scale the mountains acting as a pacemaker almost . They sacrifice themselves during those days in the mountains , dropping off the front with 10/15km to go or so and tailing in well behind . Their job is to help the team leader in the mountain stages and their own overall finishing place becomes irrelevant .

Nearly right, domestiques go and get water bottles, food and protect team leaders from attacks, pace changes and elements (mainly wind).

They work on all stages and some domestiques will be in the sprint train, some on flat stages to control pace and some to aid the mountain goats.

 

[machin05]

I know the role well....

 

[Doctor Doog]

Lantern rouge is the rider in last place overall.

Gruppetto is the pack formed by the sprinters on mountain stages to try and ensure they get in to the finish before the time limit (usually between 5 and 10% extra on top of the winners time for the day.

Back in the day there used to be a wagon with a broom mounted on it that would drive at the pace to arrive at the cut off point and if it overtook a rider they were swept up and had to abandon. I don’t think they do that any more.

Look out each day for a rider with his number in gold. This used to be white numbers on a red background but the sponsor has changed this year so the colours are different. This means the rider was awarded the most combative rider award the day before.

Anything else I can think of over the race I will let you know.

Didn’t the sweeper wagon have a red lamp, hence “lanterne rouge”?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Lanterne rouge is the rear of the field in overall time in the race not on a stage, but it may have derived from that in the past. The only picture I have of the broom wagon sweeping a rider is from the late fifties and is obviously black and white so I can’t tell!

 

[machin05]

I thought I saw the actual broom wagon in the episode of the Netflix series about the tour. The one where Jackobson only just made it within the cut off time of the penultimate stage.

 

[machin05]

Wasn't the penultimate stage, but I believe this is the broom wagon in the background of this photo

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

There should be a broom pointing up from the back, at least that’s how it was in the fifties shot. They have probably dropped that eccentricity in the modern race. Shame as it was an ace picture.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Your shot is the broom wagon though - voiture balai. Would love to see the back of it for the broom!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Mountain stage time. The Soudet is a complete swine but far too far from the finish for GC action. The fun should come on the Marie Blanque. With a descent into the finish Pidcock might be one to watch but I think it it will be Poj, Vingegaard, both Yates right up the front, maybe with Gaudu.

 

[Sniffer]

Cavendish just short of being able to hang on to win the stage today.

 

[Mel Evo]

He did really well there, for a second I thought he was going to push on. He's got a chance of doing it one day this Tour.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think that was his best chance unless he can make Paris. Cracking sprint but beaten by the faster man today.

 

[Mel Evo]

Gutted for Cav.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Such a nothing crash. What a shit way to end.