alpes d'huez crowd

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up a
freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race at Indy which drew 325,000
paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years ago but that was over four
days of playing plus two practice days.

This illuminates the falsity of the claims of the races in Phila., NYC, and SF that purport to
have as many as on the Alpe...yet photos show in many places along those routes the crowds are
not one deep.

Richard

Quoted message said:

5-600,000 people according to various estimates (mind-boggling). does this make it the most
attended sport event ever?

The Times had a slightly smaller number, but still 400K. The mind-boggling thing is that the
population of the town itself is just 1,700. But I guess by now L'Alpe is used to crowds associated
with the Tour.

At any rate it is definitely a big, big event, especially this year.

-- AMG

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up
a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race at Indy which drew
325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years ago but that was
over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

This illuminates the falsity of the claims of the races in Phila., NYC, and SF that purport to
have as many as on the Alpe...yet photos show in many places along those routes the crowds are not
one deep.

I can't see how anyone would claim more than 20,000 or so at the NYC race. I was there and the
course is not that long, and the crowds were not that deep, for there to be more than that. We'll
see if the crowds are bigger this year.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

Bob said:

5-600,000 people according to various estimates (mind-boggling). does this make it the most
attended sport event ever?

The subject of crowd estimates has come up before, they invariably inflate the numbers. Consider,
the climb of Alpe d'Huez is 14.1k long. That gives 28.2 k of roadside. If each person takes 1m of
linear roadside space, that means 28,200 people can stand along both sides of the road and cover it
all from top to bottom, one deep.

If there was 500,000 people there, then that means the average crowd depth was almost 18 deep, on
both sides of the road, from top to bottom.

When you consider that this is a mountain road with many stretches where it is not possible to fit
that many people, then these estimates get even more outlandish.

Bob Schwartz [email hidden]

"Marlene Blanshay" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but

most

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

people just step out their door to watch the lead runners go by and then

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR

race at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Indy which drew 325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

625,000 a few years ago but that was over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

The last stage of the Tour usually more than 1.000.000. The number of spectators for the whole Tour
is estimated at 15 millions. Interestingly, fifty years ago there were as many spectators as there
are now, although the population of France was about 30 % smaller.

Benjo Maso

In article said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike
up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race at Indy which drew
325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years ago but that was
over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

If you really believe that then let me tell you about the time share vacation homes I'm selling on
the moon. I'll give you a great rate as one of the first 500 customers 🙂

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Alex Rodriguez
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

This illuminates the falsity of the claims of the races in Phila., NYC, and SF that purport to
have as many as on the Alpe...yet photos show in many places along those routes the crowds are not
one deep.

I can't see how anyone would claim more than 20,000 or so at the NYC race. I was there and the
course is not that long, and the crowds were not that deep, for there to be more than that. We'll
see if the crowds are bigger this year.
-----------------
Alex __O _-\<,_ (_)/ (_)

Crowd estimates for the 2002 San Francisco GP were 400,000 along a ten mile circuit which gives 12.5 people per linear meter on each side of the street. Somehow the 400,000 number didn't sound unrealistic until just now.

benjo maso said:

"Marlene Blanshay" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but

most

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

people just step out their door to watch the lead runners go by and then

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR

race at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Indy which drew 325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

625,000 a few years ago but that was over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

The last stage of the Tour usually more than 1.000.000. The number of spectators for the whole
Tour is estimated at 15 millions. Interestingly, fifty years ago there were as many spectators as
there are now, although the population of France was about 30 % smaller.

Benjo Maso

The birth rate is near zero and the Muslim immigrants are too busy building bombs for the
coming jihad.

No way were 400k people there. You must work for Threshold Sports. Nice try. I'd be willing to
settle on 85k.

[email hidden] (Marlene Blanshay) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike
up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race at Indy which drew
325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years ago but that was
over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

NExt you'll be saying the Million Man March wasn't. . .

----------

In article said:

No way were 400k people there. You must work for Threshold Sports. Nice try. I'd be willing to
settle on 85k.

[email hidden] (Marlene Blanshay) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike
up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Indy which drew 325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years
ago but that was over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

I ran the NYC Marathon last year. They regularly get 2 Million spectators along the course. I can
believe it. The 6+ miles in Manahatan the crowds are 5+ deep shoulder to shoulder the entire way.
And most stay the entire time. Brooklyn (10 miles) had large crowds too.

Daniel

jc6239 said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but most people just step out
their door to watch the lead runners go by and then go watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up
a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR race at Indy which drew
325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew over 625,000 a few years ago but that was
over four days of playing plus two practice days.

DiabloScott <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Alex Rodriguez said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

This illuminates the falsity of the claims of the races in Phila., NYC, and SF that purport
to have as many as on the Alpe...yet photos show in many places along those routes the crowds
are not one deep.

I can't see how anyone would claim more than 20,000 or so at the NYC race. I was there and the
course is not that long, and the crowds were not that deep, for there to be more than that.
We'll see if the crowds are bigger this year.
-----------------

Crowd estimates for the 2002 San Francisco GP were 400,000 along a ten mile circuit which gives
12.5 people per linear meter on each side of the street. Somehow the 400,000 number didn't sound
unrealistic until just now.

Actually 11.3 people per linear meter since the outer loop of the course is closer to 11
miles than 10.

I would accept 130,000 spectators in total as fairly accurate though at SFGP I and II.

-Ken

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Bob Schwartz

BBob said:

5-600,000 people according to various estimates (mind-boggling). does this make it the most
attended sport event ever?

The subject of crowd estimates has come up before, they invariably inflate the numbers. Consider,
the climb of Alpe d'Huez is 14.1k long. That gives 28.2 k of roadside. If each person takes 1m of
linear roadside space, that means 28,200 people can stand along both sides of the road and cover it
all from top to bottom, one deep.

If there was 500,000 people there, then that means the average crowd depth was almost 18 deep, on
both sides of the road, from top to bottom.

When you consider that this is a mountain road with many stretches where it is not possible to fit
that many people, then these estimates get even more outlandish.

Bob Schwartz [email hidden] [/B]

First were these estimates just for the finishing climb or for the entire root. There may have also been a real mass of people at the top... I went to the tour in 99 all be it the final tourist stage, but i will tell you that it would be a dream to get a meter of space. Half a meter is far more realistic.

benjo maso said:

"Marlene Blanshay" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

I'd guess the Boston Marathon gets about that many in a good year but

most

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

people just step out their door to watch the lead runners go by and then

go

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

watch the finish on TV. They don't hike up a freaking mountain!

Highest paid attendance for a sporting event in the US is the NASCAR

race at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Indy which drew 325,000 paying fans. The US Open golf tournament drew

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

625,000 a few years ago but that was over four days of playing plus two practice days.

I remember that New York cycling race last august drew about 300,000 along the route.

The last stage of the Tour usually more than 1.000.000. The number of spectators for the whole
Tour is estimated at 15 millions. Interestingly, fifty years ago there were as many spectators as
there are now, although the population of France was about 30 % smaller.

Benjo Maso

The French weren't staying inside watching TV then.

GK