Tour de France 2014

I don't even watch the Tour. I just post random shit in here that I see appear on my twitter feed. I'm actually a massive netball fan.

Yep, for me it was the Channel 4 30 minute highlights show. We went camping in France for the first time in August 1985, so I think my obsession started in 86.

I can remember watching coverage on ITV's World of Sport in the late 70s and early 80s but only really started following it properly when Channel 4 started showing daily highlights in, I think, 1984. I liked Fignon, Millar and Kelly.

This will be memorable for those of a certain age.

tour de france intro channel 4 UK - YouTube

This was when I started tuning in, and then when I got a bit older and I stopped and when I started again I was confused because I thought the Green jersey was given to the winner of the previous day's stage. Because of that to this day I still think the stage winner should a special jersey the next day.

What is your oldest TdF memory?

#askandyp

First memory I can pinpoint is probably 2004, hearing about Lance going for his 6th win. For some reason it really bugged me. I think I thought that no one else had gone for 6 out of some sort of respect for the race, and then some American was of course going to do it.

However, I'd "watched" it before, but more akin to how one watches golf - sometimes it's just on. I had no clue what was going on, though. Still had little sense in 2004. In fact, still have little sense today.

Real memories start much more recently - as a grad student who was awarded the free time to sit on my ass for three weeks "working" with the Tour on. So probably 2007.

Learning to say Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. Not learning to spell it.

Not the earliest memory, but one which stands out is venturing to the sports bar on City Rd to watch a stage with the lfgss lot. I didn't know much about the tour and didn't know any of the people there, but had a great day. It must have been 2008.

I remember that place. It was green.

I think you may have been there? May have been the Alpe d'Huez stage. Memory is very fuzzy.

I think it happened two years on the trot at that place didn't it? OG drinkin' and shit talkin'

City Road near Central St. That was the one that Jonny organised. I think pj(pj) showed up, pajamas too, dogsballs, stompy, and quite a few others. It was unbelievably hot.

City Road near Central St. That was the one that Jonny organised. I think pj(pj) showed up, pajamas too, dogsballs, stompy, and quite a few others. It was unbelievably hot.

How was the weather?

I was working in the City back then. Walk down, stagger back, sorted.

whos that coming up to the line, it looks like Roache, ITS STEPHEN ROACHE ITS STEPHEN ROACHE.

Even Andy likes that Liggett comentary, Surely!

Started my obsession.

I think you may have been there? May have been the Alpe d'Huez stage. Memory is very fuzzy.

It was the day Carlos Sastre won the stage to Alpe d'Huez, took the yellow jersey and consigned Cadel Evans to second place.

You and hippy were there, as were loads of others.

Happy days.

I remember desperately wanting to be there but was unable to get out of work. How times change.

Yes! I remember being in awe of the collective cycling wisdom on show. And the hilarious heckles. Was a great stage!

I'd always assumed it was '86 when I started following the Tour - coinciding with the start of the Channel 4 coverage - but I remember my brother and I getting a Peugeot jersey because of Robert Millar which might mean it was a year earlier as he joined Panasonic in '86 and that was Peugeot's last year anyway. He is my earliest memory certainly.

I lost a bit of interest in the last years of Armstrong but picked up again in 2006.

Ahh, this thread has turned out like a big collective hug over our memories of the TdF, one of the great things about the event.

Hugs not drugs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04yQ2QaR8r4

It was the day Carlos Sastre won the stage to Alpe d'Huez, took the yellow jersey and consigned Cadel Evans to second place.

You and hippy were there, as were loads of others.

Happy days.

I got into pro-cycling quite late and that stage was my first TdF memory. Really liked that tour and the TT following that stage.

Hugs not drugs

You'd force ChainBreaker to choose?

ouch

nostalgia.

#keepcyclingweird

Heading east for bagels after the pub.