UKC

Struck by the amount of booing when I watched the highlights last night.

Was it because the locals thought that he was:

British?
Team Sky too rich/boring/robotic?
Benefitting from unfair comissaire's judgment?
Thought to be doping?

It seems really unfair. Have I missed something?

In reply to HP:

French hate Sky because they are consistently winning "Their" cycle race

In reply to Graham Booth:

And yet they loved Merckx and Armstrong, yes really.

In reply to HP:

Because he's on mega drugs and has a rocket bike and ran for a bit and he's not French.

In reply to HP:

I imagine most of those in crowd had no idea what had happened, but may have heard he'd crashed, lost time and been given it back. It was a national holiday so many would have been drinking. And whilst I don't think there has been much this year, the french media were pretty suspicious of Froome last year, and whipped up a lot of animosity towards him with unfounded accusations. Maybe Brexit played a part as well - even though Froome was born in Kenya and lives in Monaco !

In reply to Mike Highbury:


They weren't even that keen on Anquetil !

In reply to HP:

It's because he's unpopular. People were celebrating when he'd lost time so they were annoyed when he was given it back.

In reply to Chris the Tall:


Many years ago when I could still ride a bit I was touring Brittany with a mate. We watched the final Paris time trial of that year's Tour, when Greg Lemond beat Laurent Fignon to the GC by a handful of seconds, in a local bar. All the Bretons were cheering for the American Lemond, apparently on the grounds that Fignon was Parisian! Got to love French cycling fans with their impressive capacity to despise anyone who wasn't born in their own village.

In reply to Andy Clarke:

Fignion though had been unpopular with the French media for a while (for whatever reason) It must have been heart breaking to lose by 8 seconds. I remember that day like it was yesterday (and I was only 10 properly watching Le tour for the first time with my old man)

In reply to Chris the Tall:


I agree with your other points, but not with this; as a Brit living in France I've experienced no animosity whatsoever since the referendum result. The commentators on French TV also regularly mention that Froome wasn't born in the UK.

In reply to HP:

I thought it was because he ran for a few hundred metres without a bicyclette which is against the rules in a cycle race. Plus any of your guesses.

In reply to James FR:

What are we supposed to understand by that? That they are glad to see the back of us and, of the second, in commentary, an athlete with a passport of convenience is often a point to mention.

In reply to HP:

People at the finish would not have seen the same footage we had, I guess, so had probably drawn a different conclusion.

Why not to boo a looser who managed to butt hit a motorcycle?

In reply to HP:

The truth is out there!

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/chris-froome-abandons-b...

In reply to nutme:


And again in English?

In reply to HP:

Looks like his popularity is increasing, then - last year, they were throwing urine at him.

I was spectating last year on the Col du Glandon when another spectator ran along side the peloton shouting "F**k you, Sky", although I think he was carrying an Italian flag, so not just the French that hate him.

In reply to HP:

I'm not sure why he's unpopular? He always gives his best, is courteous, gives good interviews....he's a class rider. There's always been a fringe element to cycling fans and as someone else said they've been drinking all day usually!

In reply to HP:

apparently that has to do because yesterday, when some of his teammates were involved in a crash, he 'neutralized' the peloton, meaning that as the leader of the race, he slowed down, so no attacks from others etc... . That's usually only done when a team leader is involved in a crash or has a mechanical problem, but it's considered bad style to do that in order not to be separated from your team mates. well, I didn't watch the race on thuersday, but that's what I heard from an expert. if all the spectators booing did it because of that, no idea...
That neutralizing of the race by a main protagonist happened when Jan Ullrich fell in a the descent from a col, Armstrong slowed down to allow Ullrich to catch up. Once that done, the attacks started again.
An other famous exemple, but bad style, is, when Contador attacked A. Schleck on a col just in the moment he noticed that Schleck had troubles with the chain/gear

In reply to HP:

I don't think it's that complex.... it's just a case of the dominating rider of his age is done down as he's dominating everything again.... there is a bit of "hate" for team sky mixed in as well, but generally I just think it's a case of excitement dashed.... a relative nobody had got into yellow, and the race was suddenly looking like it wasn't a foregone conclusion and then the organisers reversed it....

If they'd let the results yesterday stand then it wouldn't look today like it's froome's race to lose.

Whilst I think it was fair, a little bit of me wishes the times had not been tampered with as it would have given us more ofa show down in the Alps with Froome trying to win time back

In reply to balmybaldwin:

I think I'm right in saying (bit of a spoiler, but the highlights have just finished) that if the times had not been changed today's results would have put Froome back in yellow.

In reply to The New NickB:


Yep, but by 90 secs or so less.

In reply to alpinist63:

I'd be very doubtful if anyone stood near the finish line was aware of the Gerrans crash and all the arm waving that apparently followed - as I said yesterday you can't blame Froome for asking other teams to ride piano for a bit, but it's up to his rivals to call BS on him and they seem to lack the balls.

I think it simply comes down to Sky dominance and some similarities with Lance/USP

In reply to andy:

Froome's lead would be down to 17 seconds over Mollema, without the 'time bonus' as BM rather pathetically called it. Not getting you bike crushed by a moto is not a question of skill.

I agree it would have made the race more interesting, but the time gaps are still well within the 'one bad day' range

In reply to Chris the Tall: is that what Mollema called it? Tosser.

In reply to Andy Clarke:

Hi Andy, i have the exact same story to tell, just it was in a camp site bar near Briancon. They didnt like anyone from Paris!

In reply to baldie:
My (French) partner insisted our car has a N° plate associated with Haute Alpes rather than Ile de France even though we live in the later