On 2009-09-20, Tony Dragon wrote:
Nobby Anderson wrote:
Watching a bit of the TofB this evening, I couldn't help wondering how
much effect on riders the motorbikes used by the camera operators have
on the cyclists. Particularly on the climbs, there was quite often a
motorbike directly in front of the riders, travelling at quite slow
speed, and it seems to me that they'd be getting a good gobfull of
exhaust fumes at a time when they surely need every ounce of oxygen
they can get. Not to mention that it looked pretty dodgy anyway
with motorbikes weaving around the riders much of the time.

Has anybody any experience with that? I mean we all cycle in traffic,
but generally it's not to the same level of effort to those guys (well,
certainly not in my case anyway!), and it must have some effect on their
performance, surely?

Nobby


Not cycling, but the London Marathon, the vehicles at the front carrying
the elapsed time clock, used to be milk floats, but I seem to remember
that that has changed now.
I know milk floats would be no use for the TofB, they'd be overtaken
within 100 yds.

Maybe the police, doctors, teams, etc. could all just ride fully-faired
recumbents while the race takes place on the much slower but
bigger-engined UCI-legal machines.