gazelle5333

https://www.velonews.com/article/93621

How is this going to make anything better? I expect a boring 2 days of race coverage since we can't hear what the team cars are saying?

Howzit

Why would it be boring? There are TV commentators who comment on the race. This isnt NASCAR. Do you want up to minute tweets from the peleton too? Spreadsheet of heart rates, power output and whos farting when?

I feel that this will cause more problems, with a pandemonium of cars trying to fight their way up to riders to give them info by yelling at them. On the other hand, it could make for interesting race results.

We will see.

Griffin2020

I think all the riders should be required to tweet while racing (including on breakaways). This would go a long way to combat the drug use.

Laggard

It's designed to reduce the endless formulaic stages where the break is caught with a few K to go.

As far as more chaos at the front, in my 20 years of watching these races I don't really remember the chaos that people are mentioning. Team cars have always and will continue to pull up next to their riders and riders will still receive time splits via chalkboard.

And who cares if you can't hear the chatter between rider and car. That's a silly reason to be against the idea.

Dubbayoo

Thank God. That African guy that carries the time gap chalk board will be the most popular guy in the caravan.

Laggard

Was it Velonews that did a feature on that dude?

I've been feeling sorta bad for the chalkboard guys. With radios no one really needs them anymore.

Howzit

They were going to ship the poor guy back to Africa.

jaxgtr

OK, I like this idea. Now we will see some real racing an tactics on two stages at least.

diphthong

it's a good thing

xfimpg

+1

Cat4Lifer

Yeah, I hear it's the chalkboard union that is behind the banning of these radios.
Paradoxically, this sucks and blows.

Howzit

Exactly why does it suck? Are you a NASCAR fan that needs radio coverage from the actual players instead of the commentators on every sport you watch?

Dannihilator

This will only be good for the sport. Will put the race back into the racers hands, not the team directors. They went without radios for quite awhile, no reason they can't now.

Cat4Lifer

Firstly, the "players," as far as I know, have never offered "radio coverage" instead of the commentators, so that part of your question seems senseless to me. Secondly, I'm one who thinks racers getting "real time' information about the race a good thing; and most anything that makes getting that info relatively quick and safely is a good thing and most anything that thwarts the quick dissemination of info and makes racing more dangerous is a bad thing. In my opinion, having riders drop back to the team car more often than they otherwise would have to makes the race unnecessarily more dangerous. I'm a fan of riders being able to get info quickly and relatively safely; so, I am a fan of racers utilizing radios.

Had I been around some 50+ years ago, I would have approved racers utilizing spare tires from their team-support cars rather than having to wrap spare tires around their backs, and I would have supported the use of derailleurs, I'm sure much the chagrin of the "traditionalists."

Howzit

I see, you failed in communicating WHY you think it "blows"
A lot of people here are complaining about the lack of spectator updates, the NASCAR fan experience. Up to the minute info on calories being burnt, who is saying what, to who and where and why.

It would appear, and Im guessing here, because you had failed to communicate it, that you think it "blows" because you are thinking of safety.
My apologies, i thought you were saying it "blows" because your new lazyboy arm-chair surround speakers would fall victim to the 2 day radio silence, unable to bring you the ful experience of the TDF

Cat4Lifer

I think it sucks & blows because it:

Howzit

Yes, thanks for that, I see it.
Your quoted text came AFTER my response, but thanks all the same.

Cat4Lifer

No worries.

soccerun8728

I don't think the lack of radios is going to make the race anymore dangerous than if the riders had radios. I do agree that technology should not be ignored or outlawed but embraced; however, radios seem to take too much fun out of the race. I always like to see the breakaway succeed and the large charges in time that occur because of this. I will definitely be watching these two stages of the tour to see what the results are of this little experiment.

chefxian

I'm glad they are not allowing radios. It has gotten to methodical. Hinault was right on what he said with regards to this on Velo News last week.

hos13

Stage 13

collegeskier

I think it will be interesting. I worry the announcers will beat the fact that there are no radios to death long before the race gets interesting though.

As far as technology in sports go you can argue it either way, it is about balance. Otherwise you could argue that there are internal combustion engines why not let the riders use those. The question is what is sporting. Maybe we will see how radios affect what is sporting at least.

Mooo

A balance would be nice, say half and half. It's kind of cool that they'll actually be rewarding daring and intelligence over suits and spreadsheets for a couple of stages. Hope it goes well.

Keith99

I know you know better. There is no chaos because there are rules about cars behind the peleton. One car each team in the same order as the highest placed rider for the team. Cars can not pull up to their riders. Different rules for breaks or riders off the back.

As to the formula stages I think this will actually make it worse. I'm not saying it would make it worse if this was what was done for the whole tour. I'm saying if done for a couple of stages those stages are apt to be even more boring. Teams of leaders are simply going to mark breaks a bit more carefully and be sure nothing even remotely dangerous gets away. They can easily do this for two days. Different story if they had ot do it for 2 weeks.

rollin

Bastille day + no radios = a great day of racing.

Looking forward to it.