I have mentioned previously that I am a sucker for watching the Tour de France every night. Apart from the cycling and the competition, there is also the fascination with the beautiful countryside; the views of the quaint villages and magnificent structures such as cathedrals; glimpses of ancient ruins and the displays put on by locals in the fields and paddocks. And one more thing: the massed, exuberant, sometimes daft, sometimes eccentric but always enthusiastic spectators whose dressing up and zany spectacles are an essential part of the ride.
For those wishing to look up past Bytes on the Tour de France, here are the links:
- What the various coloured stage shirts mean:
- Pelotons:
Today, some interesting pics from various Tours:
Viewers will probably have seen a man dressed as a devil at many of the Tours, both de France and Giro d’Italia. His name is Dieter “Didi” Senft (1952 - ) known more commonly as El Diablo, and he attributes the inspiration for the costume to German cycling announcer Herbert Watterot who called the last lap of local criterium races, "the Red Devil's Lap”. He is also an inventor, having created over 100 original bikes, including the world’s largest, and the world’s largest mobile guitar, also as a bike. Didi often paints his trident symbol on the road near where he will be seen. That's him above in a favourite action pose as the peloton passes. More of Didi in a future Bytes.
Naaah, I can't make that stick, that's a ring in.
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