The Right Place, The Right Time - DPChallenge Forums

07/14/2003 10:45:55 PM · #1

There has recently been a lot of discussion about whether it is the photographer or the camera that helps to make a good picture. My husband (nards656) came across this picture today while reading an update on the Tour de France. Maybe sometimes its not your eye, or your camera, but being in "the" place you need to be. (Of course to catch this action the eye and camera certainly helped)

(Disclaimor -- If you are not following the Tour, or have no interest in things cycled, this picture may not interest you at all)

"Excuse me, sir."

(I wanted to say, "Pardon me, do you have any grey poupon?" but I really didn't want to confuse anyone not familiar with that ad campaign.)

Message edited by author 2003-07-14 22:46:53.

07/14/2003 11:01:12 PM · #2

From what I saw of that crash and the ensuing cross country trip by Armstrong, that photo hardly does it justice! Shame Berloki is out though and sounds like he broke quite a few bones in that tumble.

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

07/14/2003 11:06:59 PM · #3

Yea, I heard he broke an elbow and had multiple contusions on his hips. Ouch. Nothing like hitting grass on a road bike at 30 mph going down hill! These guys are just amazing.

07/14/2003 11:09:30 PM · #4

Originally posted by karmat:

Yea, I heard he broke an elbow and had multiple contusions on his hips. Ouch. Nothing like hitting grass on a road bike at 30 mph going down hill! These guys are just amazing.

Yeah, but he hit the tarmac and was doing closer to 60mph. Those guys travel at 30mph on the flat...

karmat

Apple iPhone 7

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

07/14/2003 11:28:13 PM · #5

Sorry about that -- I knew he didn't crash in the grass. I realized what it sounded like as I reread the thread just now. Actually, I was referring to Lance's moves. And you are right that it was probably a great deal faster than 30 (which is still pretty darn fast to have nothing between you and pavement or grass either one)._

nards656

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

07/15/2003 07:48:01 AM · #6

Just to make sure Karmat doesn't look like an idiot...

Somewhere in all the accounts I read that Lance was on Biloki's wheel at about 45 kph when the crash occurred. I know they do 60 KPH and more (not sure about 60 MILES per hour) when they hit those downhills, but this was a curvy section (the curve was why Biloki locked up his rear brake, popped his tire, and crashed) so I think the 45 kph may not be too far off.

All that said, Gordon is probably blessed with the opportunity of watching the Tour on OLN instead of monitoring it on //www.cyclingnews.com, so his information may be more accurate than mine.

Anyway, if there was any mistake about speed in what Karmat said, it was because I told her 30 MPH, not because she's a moron or anything :-)

Also, not to stray from this being a photography discussion, but Tyler Hamilton is absolutely inhuman, in case that's not public knowledge.

Message edited by author 2003-07-15 08:22:44.

07/15/2003 09:43:40 AM · #7

I've been lucky and watching OLN every day - only about 5 hours of coverage :) Its excellent. Not sure what speed they were doing on that particular downhill but they were flying, trying to catch the leader, with Armstrong and Beloki working together on the really steep downhill. I know in the past they have reached about 100kph (60mph) on some of the downhill sections which is frankly insane.

And Hamilton is still holding on in there at the front of the race with a double fracture in his collarbone - inhuman I agree - he seems to be going all the way.

Edit:
Found on cyclingnews.com that the crash was at about 60kph
As a complete aside, I've done over 45mph on my road bike going downhill, so I can easily believe more insane professional cyclists can reach 60mph. Though the OLN coverage is struggling with the idea of metric speed and distance measurements :)

Message edited by author 2003-07-15 11:41:36.

Tamron SP AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical IF for Canon

07/15/2003 10:23:01 AM · #8

More random facts, today's stage (Gap to Marseille) is mostly flat/ slightly downhill and the average speed for the first 3 hours for the peleton was 44kph

nards656

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

07/15/2003 12:13:30 PM · #9

Speed corrections noted :-)

I don't own a road bike, due to limited funding and my chicken nature (too many rednecks in pickup trucks around here that think cyclists are, well, bad...) but the 35 or so MPH I have done on my mountain bike tells me that 60 would be incredibly fast...

Hamilton is still in fifth, but the rumor is that he didn't look as good as before when the race started this morning...

Okay. This is in a photography discussion forum, so I'll shut up about the Tour to keep from making everybody mad at me.

Go Lance...
Allez Tyler...

07/15/2003 12:22:24 PM · #10

Originally posted by nards656:

We've got plenty of rednecks in trucks here in Austin too :) One of them rode Lance off the road a few years ago - about the first and only time one of them saw jail time for harassing cyclists.

The downhills on the Tour are amazing - you see the motorbikes struggling to keep up. What always impresses me more are the insane photographers hanging off the side of the bikes trying to get pictures of the cyclists - 60 mph, facing the 'wrong' way and hanging off the side of the bike - I think I'd prefer to at least be more in control!

A quote from //www.lancearmstrong.com/lance/online2.nsf/htmltdf03/stage7
about the descent of the Col de la Ramaz

When Virenque neared the summit, one over-exuberant fan ran way too long aside him screaming before Leblanc's race director car essentially shoved the idiot off the course. Over the summit and now Virenque's the new King of the Mountains leader - now the drop down to Morzine with Lance's group about 4 minutes back. Lance would need to get a little over 2 minutes back to Virenque in order to put on the Maillot Jaune today...

As the 33 men chased Virenque down the steep descent - speeds often between 50-60 mph - it was still Lance's 3 legionnaires leading the way. It was looking like Virenque would indeed have his day as he was actually extending his lead a little, now 4'30" with one final Cat 3 climb before the last little descent to the line. While this would put the Frenchman in Yellow, it would also force Quickstep to defend tomorrow on Alpe d'Huez, and it would be doubtful he would have good legs following such a demanding performance today.

Message edited by author 2003-07-15 12:44:03.

smellyfish1002

Canon EOS-20D