The End Is Beginning To Show

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

A French village forced the 4 Days of Dunkerque to cancel a Time Trial that
would have been within their city limits. This is what is beginning to
happen in France and surely it is a sign that bicycle racing in Europe is
now in deep trouble.

Oh Tom, are you being a reactionary. Perhaps there is more to it.
Without the facts you are being a chicken little.

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Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

Quoted message said:

A French village forced the 4 Days of Dunkerque to cancel a Time Trial
that
would have been within their city limits. This is what is beginning to
happen in France and surely it is a sign that bicycle racing in Europe
is
now in deep trouble.

Oh Tom, are you being a reactionary. Perhaps there is more to it.
Without the facts you are being a chicken little.

There's always that possibility but when I was in France during the Tour I
used to stop in sports bars to have a beer and see what was happening in the
Tour and in almost every case when I went in they didn't have a single TV
with the Tour on - almost always they had soccer finals on. When I stopped
by news stands and asked for l'Equipe they would try to sell me a special
edition that covered nothing but soccer.

I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single bicycle
in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until the day
before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes around the
Eiffel Tower area).

I talked to a really nice Frenchman from the coast who told me that most of
France don't want anything to do with bicycles anymore though his area was
still active.

Now you can see through the actions of ASO against the riders and the UCI
that this whole thing is a house of cards and it is beginning to appear
about to fall in on itself. It wouldn't take a great loss of support from
the French public to simply push bicycle racing completely off the page.

So, while I am being a bit reactionary it isn't without something to react
to.

"Tom Kunich" a écrit profondement:

| <[email hidden]> wrote in message
| news:[email hidden]...
| On Feb 24, 10:24 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
| > > A French village forced the 4 Days of Dunkerque to cancel a Time
| > Trial > that
| > > would have been within their city limits. This is what is beginning to
| > > happen in France and surely it is a sign that bicycle racing in
| > Europe > is
| > > now in deep trouble.
| >
| > Oh Tom, are you being a reactionary. Perhaps there is more to it.
| > Without the facts you are being a chicken little.
|
| There's always that possibility but when I was in France during the
| Tour I used to stop in sports bars to have a beer and see what was
| happening in the Tour and in almost every case when I went in they
| didn't have a single TV with the Tour on - almost always they had
| soccer finals on. When I stopped by news stands and asked for l'Equipe
| they would try to sell me a special edition that covered nothing but
| soccer.
|
| I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single
| bicycle in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields
| until the day before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the
| rent-a-bikes around the Eiffel Tower area).
|
| I talked to a really nice Frenchman from the coast who told me that
| most of France don't want anything to do with bicycles anymore though
| his area was still active.
|
| Now you can see through the actions of ASO against the riders and the
| UCI that this whole thing is a house of cards and it is beginning to
| appear about to fall in on itself. It wouldn't take a great loss of
| support from the French public to simply push bicycle racing
| completely off the page.
|
| So, while I am being a bit reactionary it isn't without something to
| react to.
|

You have it about right Tom

I haven't owned a TV for 20 years, but a couple of years ago I bought
one having made the round of the Antibes Bars and Found only One that
had the Tour on whereas 20 years ago the Tour at least, and most of the
Classics, would have been showing in _any_ bar

But people are not as interested in Bike Racing generally as they were
in years gone by.

Cycle racing is a dying sport as more and more people complain about
the inconvenience that road closures cause and the cpountry fills up
with immigrants who have no interest whatsoever in bikes except
perhaps to steal one.

Likewise traffic is unbelievable. 20+ years ago I could ride say to
Grasse from Antibes meeting, with the exception of local traffic
around Mougins and Mouans-Sartou, less than a dozen vehicles en
route. Now the traffic is nose to tail

--
Davey Crockett
-
Driving a Stake through the
Heart of the Politically Correct
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg146/sylviastolz/freesylvia.jpg

Davey Crockett said:

Likewise traffic is unbelievable. 20+ years ago I could ride say to
Grasse from Antibes meeting, with the exception of local traffic
around Mougins and Mouans-Sartou, less than a dozen vehicles

Do you mean the Route Napoleon; hasn't that always been busy? Or via
Valbonne; can't imagine traffic there being nose to tail any time. If
it is, that's bad.

Fifteen years ago I rode from Grasse to Cannes and somehow ended up on
the D6185, by bike. That was not good.

Ted van de Weteringe said:

Davey Crockett said:

Likewise traffic is unbelievable. 20+ years ago I could ride say to
Grasse from Antibes meeting, with the exception of local traffic
around Mougins and Mouans-Sartou, less than a dozen vehicles

Do you mean the Route Napoleon; hasn't that always been busy? Or via
Valbonne; can't imagine traffic there being nose to tail any time. If
it is, that's bad.

Fifteen years ago I rode from Grasse to Cannes and somehow ended up on
the D6185, by bike. That was not good.

maybe french pplz should like, win the tour de france sometime.

"Hunter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

maybe french pplz should like, win the tour de france sometime.

I think that's their intent - but of course the only way to do that is to
disqualify all the other nationalities......

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single bicycle
in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until the day
before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes around the
Eiffel Tower area).

I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single
bicycle
in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until the
day
before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes around
the
Eiffel Tower area).

I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

So you're saying that cycling is as popular in France as it is in Belgium or
Switzerland?

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

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Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single
bicycle
in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until the
day
before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes around
the
Eiffel Tower area).

Quoted message said:

I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

So you're saying that cycling is as popular in France as it is in Belgium or
Switzerland?

No, pay attention: I'm saying I've spent much more than two weeks in
France and I'm having a hard time remembering a day when I didn't see
a bike.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Feb 24, 8:58 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single
> bicycle
> in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until
> the
> day
> before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes
> around
> the
> Eiffel Tower area).

Quoted message said:

I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

So you're saying that cycling is as popular in France as it is in Belgium
or
Switzerland?

No, pay attention: I'm saying I've spent much more than two weeks in
France and I'm having a hard time remembering a day when I didn't see
a bike.

Racing bikes like in the USA, Switzerland and Belgium or transportation or
rental stuff around Paris?

Why are you avoiding the issue that even Davey agrees with at least
partially?

Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden].
..

Quoted message said:

On Feb 24, 8:58 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
> I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a
> single bicycle
> in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields
> until the day
> before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes
> around the
> Eiffel Tower area).

Quoted message said:

I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

So you're saying that cycling is as popular in France as it is in
Belgium or Switzerland?

No, pay attention: I'm saying I've spent much more than two weeks in
France and I'm having a hard time remembering a day when I didn't see
a bike.

This is such a typical American response when talking to foreigners. If
the guy doesn't understand you, say it again louder.

I'ld try all-caps next.

--
Bill Asher

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> On Feb 24, 8:58 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:
>> I spent two weeks in France during the Tour and didn't see a single
>> bicycle
>> in France except for a few farmers going out into their fields until
>> the
>> day
>> before the Tour finished in Paris (not counting the rent-a-bikes
>> around
>> the
>> Eiffel Tower area).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I've spent much more than two weeks in France and I'm having a hard
> time remembering a day when I didn't see a bike.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So you're saying that cycling is as popular in France as it is in Belgium
or
Switzerland?

Quoted message said:

No, pay attention: I'm saying I've spent much more than two weeks in
France and I'm having a hard time remembering a day when I didn't see
a bike.

Racing bikes like in the USA, Switzerland and Belgium or transportation or
rental stuff around Paris?

Hmmm. I don't think I've ever bothered keeping track (it would be
disquieting if I had) but my overall impression is that the number of
"racing" bikes per adult male is probably not too terribly far off
from what I see in California -- but the number of "transportation"
bikes per adult is much, much higher.

Quoted message said:

Why are you avoiding the issue that even Davey agrees with at least
partially?

Cuz Davey is a [censored]?

William Asher said:

This is such a typical American response when talking to foreigners. If
the guy doesn't understand you, say it again louder.

I'ld try all-caps next.

It sorta works that way for parents talking to little kids and other
mental defectives, too.

Quoted message said:

On Feb 25, 3:06 pm, "Tom Kunich" <cyclintom@yahoo. com> wrote:

Hmmm. I don't think I've ever bothered keeping track (it would be
disquieting if I had) ...

And it might take away from stocking Hollis.

Quoted message said:

William Asher said:

This is such a typical American response when talking to foreigners. If
the guy doesn't understand you, say it again louder.

I'ld try all-caps next.

It sorta works that way for parents talking to little kids and other
mental defectives, too.

The exception is that eventually a child gets to the point where he does
understand you the first time, he just doesn't give a [censored] and ignores you,
so you get in the habit of starting out by yelling to save time. This
might explain a lot of the interactions between Tom and the rest of
humanity, though without the maturation aspect.

--
Bill Asher

William Asher said:

Quoted message said:

It sorta works that way for parents talking to little kids and other
mental defectives, too.

The exception is that eventually a child gets to the point where he does
understand you the first time, he just doesn't give a [censored] and ignores you,
so you get in the habit of starting out by yelling to save time. This
might explain a lot of the interactions between Tom and the rest of
humanity, though without the maturation aspect.

"rest?"

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tom Kunich' cyclintom@yahoo. com said:

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

Quoted message said:

maybe french pplz should like, win the tour de france sometime.

I think that's their intent - but of course the only way to do that is to
disqualify all the other nationalities......

Or dope. They could dope!

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

Quoted message said:

William Asher said:

Quoted message said:

It sorta works that way for parents talking to little kids and
other mental defectives, too.

The exception is that eventually a child gets to the point where he
does understand you the first time, he just doesn't give a [censored] and
ignores you, so you get in the habit of starting out by yelling to
save time. This might explain a lot of the interactions between Tom
and the rest of humanity, though without the maturation aspect.

"rest?"

It's the olive branch of peace.

--
Bill Asher

William Asher said:

It's the olive branch of peace.

Surrender monkey.