The Tour De France: 8 Unwritten Rules, Obscure Regulations & Weird Facts!

[@gcn]

Are you tuning in to the Tour de France? 🚴

[@totesmuhgoats4287]

Is the GCN + coverage available in America or is it just NBC?

[@breakshot7451]

i love riding my bike. totally into the tec side of your channel. but when it comes to watch guys in lycra crawling up a mountan, i rather watch snooker;))

[@bobicabayo]

I really liked the NBC sports highlights... Those were COOL. But I'm outside the USA right now and those are georestricted. I'm grateful for the "tour de France" highlights.

[@ShannonSouthAfrica]

Not really...

[@lambodhar]

if you could make gcn+ free lol

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Respect for the yellow jersey was turned on its head to respect from the yellow jersey last year. Jonas as yellow jersey leader last year slowed for Pojacar when he had some difficulties. One of the greatest displays of sportsmanship in history IMHO.

[@trnding2038]

What do you mean with difficulties? Didn’t he fall?

[@charlesblithfield6182]

@@trnding2038 yeah he fell in a ditch I think and Jonas slowed down on decent

[@jaydog1500]

This is not unusual in TDF history, has happened many times before

[@garyboyle695]

​@@jaydog1500Between the top 2?

[@epincion]

Despite his faults Lance Armstrong was big on the race leader (Patron) using his authority to the good of others and on at least two occasions while wearing yellow he neutralised the race when a competitor had a mechanical or unavoidable accident

[@mrmack2083]

Time cuts... I've always wondered about the guys who dragged Cav over the mountains so that Cav could be Cav. Unsung heroes.

[@TheRealDuckofDeath]

A new written un-rule is: You can obstruct competitors as much as you like. It'll be called the Philipsen Screw. 👀

[@Pep8691]

More Cillian stories please.... those are great and he has the charisma/knack for great story telling too. Just need to be told in a pub with a pint for full effect!!

[@gcn]

Why do you think we put the green screen in... got to hide the bar somehow 👀

[@Pep8691]

@@gcn 🤣🤣

[@cilliankelly1]

Nice one Randy. Glad you enjoyed that 🙌🏼

[@LastLamplighter]

Yeah much more Cillian on the main channel please! I know he's premium content, but 😂

[@briseboy]

Aweslme 3 yellow j's. Italians were famed for, well, like the Spanish at Vuelta, no non-paisanos won until very recent times.

[@Rickinsf]

Back in the day, when the race passed through the home town of one of the riders, the peloton held back and let that guy lead so he could take the applause of his "homies." Eddie Merckx would have none it and so ended the custom. (I read this somewhere and draw from dim memory.)

[@cilliankelly1]

This still happens from time to time if a rider's family is on the side of the road and whatever special circumstances are going on

[@Nangoncrazy]

Whoa Merckx saks dik apparently

[@garyboyle695]

He was a great cyclist but an absolute dick. So many times he renegade on his work.

[@Mike-bq4ot]

@@cilliankelly1 To your point, I recall a Tour stage years ago when a "local boy" was allowed to ride ahead of the peloton so he could stop and enjoy a piece of cake with his family on his birthday. Great stuff!

[@alternatieveariee6034]

​@@Mike-bq4otyes happend when they started in the Netherlands

[@briscoedarling3237]

Another unwritten rule of the TdF is when a champion has wins stripped for doping, all the other riders, former riders and officials that doped remain silent.

[@agamemnonhatred]

😂Why would anyone support a cheater?

[@HarryGabo]

@@agamemnonhatred because 90% of cyclist dope

[@agamemnonhatred]

​@@HarryGaboIf you can prove this, get it out there, we want to know and clean up our sport.

[@HarryGabo]

@@agamemnonhatred If you knew your sport, you’d understand that doping cycles and other substances are integral to training and racing. Athletes and teams constantly navigate regulations and strive for a level playing field. It's a complex issue with ongoing debates, but it's naive to ignore its presence in professional cycling.

[@agamemnonhatred]

@@HarryGabo So, no proof then, thought so.

[@nathanaelfriday7596]

@9:10 One of the most dramatic TdF scenes I've watched was Fabio Jakobsen pushing to the limit on the final climb of the 2022 Tour stage 17 to finish just 15 seconds within the time cut!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqPImmSpbriIjtk

[@jaydibernardo4320]

This is my first year watching the Tour. I've enjoyed watching the highlights as i index my gears. I'm getting brave enough to temove my dork disc. Cheerio!😊

[@Azav312]

Haha me too.

[@IamMathenge]

9:02 , and that ladies and gents is why we cycle, the joy of it

[@Andrew.Drennan]

I am super supportive of party stage.

[@easyteh4getperson]

the fans needs some rules and regulations lol

[@stevemawer848]

Just brains would be a good start.

[@Robert-Italy]

Like don't throw potato chips at anyone in the top 10 of GC.

[@RDYnation]

The time gap one is mental!

[@suncebabino2496]

Loved the video, but the positioning of your lights created a sort of cloud of darkness and gloom over Conor's eyes making him much more suited for telling spooky stories of riders that missed a corner and were never found or of that possessed bicycle that won a stage in Tour de France on it's own in 1962.

[@Rickinsf]

I noticed the "epaulette" shadows.

[@blissey_boy]

Tell me more about that last statement you made - a bike won without a rider?

[@suncebabino2496]

Being a superstitious fella I'd rather not go into detail as it's best to leave unexplained supernatural occurrences in the past where they belong. All I'm going to say is that a certain bycicle won by 32 seconds in front of everyone else on that particular stage in 1962, with noone sitting on it and with no handlebar tape. Let's leave it at that.

[@teresasch3734]

Thanks a lot - i just started watching the tour and man i got confused often. Not as easy ass i thought

[@gcn]

Hahahah unfortunately not, bike racing can get very complex! Great to hear that you are watching the tour! What do you make of the racing so far?

[@agamemnonhatred]

@@teresasch3734 There is very little ' easy ass' in the Tour.

[@wojciechanzel7319]

more unwritten & unofficial rules, at best taken directly from peleton riders - please!

[@williamm3542]

loved this segment!!!!!

[@amandalofts131]

Fascinating stuff, thanks

[@birgitmelchior8248]

You never explained "the bus" to avoid the time cut. Basically riders who are not good in the mountains group together in "the bus" (the group) and "a busdriver" is appointed . The busdriver is the rider who calculates what time they have to be at the finish so as to avoid finishing out of the time. He then caculates at what tempo and speed they need to climb to get in just in time and he sets that pace. The others in the bus all follow the pace of the "busdriver"

[@graywelz8637]

Most enjoyable and educational about Tour history. Nice photo of Greg LeMond. I like the Italian with the cigarette.and his teammate holding his unraveling bar tape in his mouth. I read they also sabotaged riders and put tire pumps into spokes way back. The etiquette has changed in the Peleton but it makes the racing more exciting. Funny fact about the last place guys, do they still have that rule? You guys are incredible!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Portland OR USA

[@dannyh8288]

No. They used to get a red lantern to hang under the saddle to indicate last place. That all went away. The only way to get booted out now is to not make the time cut.

[@graywelz8637]

@@dannyh8288 good to know. I kinda remember the last place honors during Greg Lemonds era, Phil Liggit talked briefly about it. Kinda of a fun fact of the history of the Tour

[@cilliankelly1]

@@graywelz8637 Ah it's still a thing, sort of. Still a badge of honour.

[@stevemawer848]

@@dannyh8288 Only way? Other ways include riding dangerously, or taking too long a ride behind a team car to get DQed.

[@dannyh8288]

@@stevemawer848 Yes you are right. There are other ways too, but I was strictly referencing the question regarding the Lantern Rouge and how it relates to the last rider in the tour.

[@scott4868]

Oh, it’s the time of year for this video again.

[@fredhubbard7210]

I regret the demise of the Lantern Rouge. Make it complicated...YES... but keep it alive.

[@cilliankelly1]

Conor himself, no stranger to it… at the Vuelta!

[@dubsoda9519]

Worst example of disrespect was in tdf 2010 stage 15 when schleck's (in the yellow jersey) chain dropped and contador started attacking (the 'chain incident' on youtube)

[@poisonpotato1]

Does a formula 1 race get red flagged because the leader needs to make a pit stop?

[@Hossdelux]

4:10 actually when was the first time stage wins gave bonus points/time so those tied on time would be separated at the end. And bonus question. Has this ever led in a tie on time since the intro of bonus time?

[@davidsullivan7290]

No glass bottles allowed. No alcohol allowed. They're both in the rule-book. Should have thrown Froome out of the 2016 TdF for those Leffe beers! :)

[@briseboy]

Ere your enmity, men have swilled champagne upon the derniere jour's parade sauvage.

[@AisforAlibi1]

Anything in there about PED's and is that rule being ignored just as the alcohol and glass bottles rule, Lance?

[@thijsv948]

Dude's so big I bet he could dunk a basketball while sitting on a bike. What a legend

[@RyJsLn]

Unwritten rule #12: No broomsticks.

[@isitrachelorj3953]

Once that little blowhard, Cav, retires then they'll start OTLing people.

[@Wanderurgh]

Witch rule?

[@ChrisCapoccia]

The time gap rule works fine in practice because it also motivates front riders to create gaps

[@gcn]

Very true! The sprinters must hate it when Pog and Jonas go 💨

[@isitrachelorj3953]

What? Doesn't work at all! Stage 6 speed was not exceptional (37kph not 40), it was not an easy stage, but wasn't a brute by TDF standards, and the weather was not a hindrance. So why the excessive allowance for Cav? He didn't even try to stay in contact. Fabio had an excuse, though I think he should have gone home, Cav had none.

[@MTBScotland]

everyone should get an individual time. Would make people ride harder.

[@dannyh8288]

@@MTBScotland Too dangerous. In the peloton you would have 150 riders rushing together to get better times.

[@MTBScotland]

@@dannyh8288 would make it more watchable. probably wouldn't have a peloton in the first place.

[@vu3088]

As someone who is new to this world, what is the yellow jersey?

[@aw8268]

Individual leader of the GC!

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

One unwritten rule in the Tour is 'if someone is on for breaking a record, you let him break it.' Please note this, Jasper.

[@cilliankelly1]

Cursed it

[@texaswunderkind]

Another unwritten rule is that you don't attack when the leader is getting a blood transfusion from the team car.

[@J.J.J.J.J.J.J]

He may have a fear of flying, but there are some places you have to fly to make it on time.

[@BrenGunning]

Being scared of flying then flying, someone needed time for doping! 😂

[@AlbertBuckinghamEllison]

DS on a scorching day: 'Oh sorry Chief Comm... I accidently sprayed ice-cool and refreshing window washer fluid onto our riders when they were drafting I had no idea...'

[@benwarwick5328]

What are the rules on sticky bottles and using the cars to progress up to the peloton?

[@arandombard1197]

Against the rules but not typically enforced.

[@TheEyeOfTheEye]

"Sticky bottles" are illegal and the judge/referee will give out sanctions based on severity of the situation. Vincenzo Nibali was caught doing it in Vuelta Espana and threwn out back in 2015. Other times it is ignored as it can be hard to judge based on evidence, usually if a camera caught it. Using the cars to get back to the peloton is usually okay if you had an accident or technical failure. The rule of thumb being that you shouldn't be allowed to use the cars or motorcycles for an advantage to progress beyond your fellow riders.

[@viffer94]

Cycling in general has all these weird rules of etiquette. Yesterday on my usual training ride I went by a couple of girls on the road at an admittedly slightly elevated 32 mph and after turning around and retracing my route they accused me of “racing by myself”. I never even acknowledged their existence while passing but I guess they were somehow offended that I had passed them at speed. Weird. What did they want me to do, sit on their wheels all the way down until they decided it was OK for me to pass?

[@RaveniusSFRJ]

If you sat on their wheel, they would probably accuse you of being a creep. Pardon me, but some women cyclists can be so insufferable

[@iTeachMyToast]

Happens to me, too. I don’t even ride that fast

[@igoretski]

Ignore them.

[@briseboy]

This browbeating occurs in amateur licensed racing for men, as well. Take a pull that won't cause you to be dropped, and you gain even full team abuse if you broke without ally even when all the group is that other team. Bike races are sometimes filled with yelling, especially in early leadout before sprint finishes.

[@RichardIILionheart]

I can’t do 50 km/h, not even downhill. Never could. But most of my riding was on bike trails rather than roads and anything faster than 30 km/h was prohibited on trails anyway. Too many riders and too narrow a surface to be a speed demon.

[@derekjolly3680]

What was the year they started mandating the bike helmets in this race? I can't seem to find anything on that. I know it was somewhere in the area of twenty years ago, plus or minus. I'm sure there was a lot of objection to it, especially as it would of been 100 years without any such rule, and with all the hot summer temps going on. Whenever I see Greg Lemond in pictures, that's when I really get reminded of the subject. It's always stuck me as a blow against manly individuality.

[@sabretooth5404]

In 2003 they became mandatory, except on final climbs. In 2005 they got rid of that rule and made it mandatory to wear a helmet for the entire race

[@derekjolly3680]

@@sabretooth5404 Total shit all of that, and it degrades, but thanks for the correct history.

[@TheMoodyedge]

EPO testing window. That's a good one.

[@briseboy]

It remains important to defenestrate all dopers.

[@steelcity4581]

Im willing to bet Pogacar is doping just as much as Lance was.

[@agamemnonhatred]

@@steelcity4581 I'll take that bet. How much are you willing to lose?

[@fepatton]

Okay, here's the one I don't understand. On sprint stages, the 3km line becomes a "safe zone" so the GC riders can get out of the way and let the sprinters and their trains do the work. I sometimes hear the commentators say "Everyone will get the same time." That doesn't seem to be true, though. What's the real rule regarding the 3km line and overall timing?

[@johnlh83]

The 3km rule only applies to crashes inside that distance. If there is a crash inside 3km, then riders held up by it will get the same time as the finishing group. I do recall the one year when the finishing circuit in Paris was wet with rain and they decided to call of timing for general classification at the end of the second to last circuit lap. Sprinters were able to fight for the last win while the gc riders rolled 8n safely.

[@scott4868]

I want to see a tour stage where the rider in last position is eliminated every 5km

[@lindadyer9558]

Why do the winners sign so many jerseys at the end of each stage?

[@metuberob]

have you guys on gcn actually won any races or awards?

[@krissk77]

Fear of flying, then going to the airport. Hehehe

[@cilliankelly1]

Peculiar eh?

[@manwithnoname6580]

Makes you wonder what happened in the team car on the 5 hour drive? 💉😳

[@briseboy]

Certainly not the "mile high club" in any form?

[@shellypalumbo5297]

How do I buy the giro Italia Donne pink water bottles?

[@briseboy]

I had never thought of female nature break complications. Do they have special shorts, or instead, have to divest more clothing to accomplish, thus taking considerably more time? Not being abnormally, or even normally, interested, i doubt i will remember to check for reply.

[@markus717]

Chat GPT: "[Question: In the Tour de France, how do male and female riders urinate during the race? I understand males urinate while moving.] GPT-4: During a long and intense cycling race like the Tour de France, dealing with natural bodily functions such as urination can be a challenge. Here's what usually happens: Male Riders: For male cyclists, urinating while still on the bike is indeed possible, although it requires some skill to do without causing a hazard. Typically, this is done during a less competitive portion of the race when the riders are moving more slowly. Alternatively, riders may opt to take a "nature break." This involves coordinating with the peloton (main group of riders) to slow down or stop briefly, usually in a more secluded area. Female Riders: It's more complicated for female cyclists due to physiological differences, and most female riders will stop to urinate. In women's races, riders will usually coordinate "nature breaks" with their competitors and the race organization to ensure fairness. Stopping by the side of the road, usually with the help of teammates to provide a measure of privacy, is the most common method. It's important to note that all these actions are done with the utmost respect for the environment, local laws, and race rules, and the cyclists aim to be as discreet as possible. It's also a testament to the unspoken rules and camaraderie in the peloton that competitive instincts can be put aside briefly for these necessary breaks."

[@travisfinucane]

You aren't supposed to pass when the leader is taking a piss? A big part of ultra running is how much time you spend in recovery at an aid station. Be pretty sweet if the leader could just force everybody to wait while they lap.

[@declancarr6789]

Who was the other yellow jersey to voluntarily withdraw?

[@cilliankelly1]

Sylvere Maes in 1937 for almost the exact same reason. The entire Belgian team withdrew because they were feeling too threatened by roadside fans.

[@birgitmelchior8248]

Those french are dangerous. Eddy merckx got a punch in his liver from a french fan, cause he was tired that Merckx was beating the french. He had to pull out

[@jedisdad2265]

Nice haircut Connor.

[@Matthieu260582]

the time trial was not in lyon but in Bron. i was there.

[@seattlegrrlie]

I don't remember what year it was, maybe back 08/09, Killian would know, there was some awful stage where almost half the riders were outside the time cut. Steep climb with side winds and rain. That was the day I found out about the rule

[@isitrachelorj3953]

Weather was perfect, Cav slid out the back before the first real climb, didn't even try. Made a mockery of the race.

[@Wanderurgh]

​@@isitrachelorj3953 did Cav hurt you? Very intent on replying to everything you see about him. Should he be worried/require a police escort?

[@isitrachelorj3953]

@@Wanderurgh Cav is and always has been an inconsiderate, selfish, spoiled pain in the ass. Though talented he has raced dangerously, without regard for the safety and welfare of the other riders. The video history is all available for anyone who chooses to take a look at the obscene number of crashes he has caused, injuring many and ruining some careers. Heinrich Hausseler was never the same sprinter after Cav crashed him, that was the beginning of my disdain for the little douche. I love cycling, not any rider, team, event or "homeboy". BTW, do you disagree with me as to Cav showing no respect for the race/racers by not even attempting to ride with the other teams/sprinters on stage 6? Was he not gaming the race for an unfair advantage on stage 7 sprint?

[@westendwatch]

Is there any circumstance under which Pog could wear his Giro pink jersey during the Tour ?

[@sabretooth5404]

No, because it's not the Giro

[@birgitmelchior8248]

No, out of the question. 2 different tours

[@Ystadcop]

Great to see that Conor has tidied himself up, and is not wearing a gruesome baseball cap.

[@briseboy]

baseball caps, like cigarette smoking are 1930s phenomena. Slmeday the ugly will passs, like those giant mustachios and victorian sideburns, AND the baldos who seek to hide their balding through Pretending to phrenology display.

[@thedoctor2102]

Give em the Hopoati Maneuver , that’ll make em ride faster.

[@rok1373]

I'm new to TDF. What is the rule on launching teammates? I always thought they used to offer a hand and a launch to teammates, similar to how they do at the Velodrome. Or have they not been allowed to do that? 🤷

[@briseboy]

ONLY in Madison is it legal. But sticky bottles and medecins in team cars along with as much drafting as can be gotten away with, remain de rigeur.

[@DarrenBates]

Yeah you can get away with a sticky bottle once you don't take the mick with it.

[@budgier]

rule #9 keep omerta

[@DaveCM]

I don't fully agree with "respecting the yellow jersey". If it is a nature break of something like that, that is one thing and fully understand it. But, with mechanicals and stuff like that, I don't. They don't typically slow down and wait if someone in 2nd or 3rd has a mechanical. Why does being in the yellow gain you an advantage that nobody else gets?

[@stevemawer848]

Being the "best so far" earns you some respect. And every rider hopes one day they'll be that person - what comes around, goes around.

[@DaveCM]

@stevemawer848 only a select few can even compete for the yellow jersey. The majority of the peloton are under no delusion that they may win a grand tour. But, my point is that the yellow jersey rarely gives the same curiosity to their main rivals. So, if everyone slows down for the yellow jersey to get back or whatever but don't for their rivals, then that is giving an unfair advantage to the yellow jersey. And then they only do it for the ones in the yellow jersey that stand a chance of winning the tour. They don't do that for the sprinter or TT specialist who gets it in the first week on the flat stages.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

The green jersey is a different green this year. Why is that?

[@Tibovl]

Skoda wanted the green jersey to reflect their brand's color.

[@manwithnoname6580]

@@Tibovlbut the Skodas are red ?

[@luau5974]

@@manwithnoname6580 The official cars are red; the Skoda logo is green. They have a new version of their logo with the two shades of green you see on the jersey. I dislike the new green, it's so muted! It's hard to spot the jersey in the bunch.

[@cilliankelly1]

It's horrendous

[@chrisridesbicycles]

@@cilliankelly1 Philipsen seems to like it but boy does that look bad with blue Alpecin on the front. Bora should go for it to save our eyes.

[@scottconlon5124]

Never attack in feed zone

[@annabeckman4386]

What i don't understand is the bathroom situation. If someone has to use the toilet, where do they go? Are there port-a-potties in France? or do they stop at a coffee shop? I need to know?!ALSO, on that note, the men seem to pee while on their bikes 😱 but the question is how come sometimes they get fined and some times they don't... 🤔

[@iwonanatalia5476]

They aren’t allowed to pee when there are fans on the side of the road or in public places.

[@annabeckman4386]

@@iwonanatalia5476 So they never are allowed to pee then. 🤔

[@manwithnoname6580]

I’d like to know where they take a big steaming dump 💩

[@luau5974]

@@annabeckman4386 There are a lot of stretches of road "in the middle of nowhere" where the men can either stop and pee, or pee while riding (usually with a teammate pushing). I do wonder how the women do it though... especially with the bibs! ... The answer won't be shown on TV, that's for sure! 😅

[@troycollett8540]

@@iwonanatalia5476yeah ask GT about that rule lol

[@leedorney]

Does anyone know if Conor rode the tour?

[@birgitmelchior8248]

How in god's name is the pear of Pollentier is not mentioned? This is a legendary story in Belgium

[@dougfitch3649]

One year in the TdF, Greg Lemond was in yellow and suffered a mechanical moving along at a good clip but not at a critical moment in the stage or overall. Claudio Chiapucci, then 2nd in GC attacked! Lemond's team had to chase, and chase, and chase from off the back. Greg rightfully chasticed Chiapucci. I thought it was a shitty move as did the rest of the world. Maybe GCN wants to check into that event.

[@johannscheer]

2:27 this clip doesn't make any sense there.

[@MarkKanaster-ev6pq]

Who is the person in the picture behind you?driving me crazy trying to figure out who it is 😂

[@cilliankelly1]

Monsieur Daniel Lloyd of the Cervelo Test Team

[@shakrmaker]

Annemiek van Flauten the unwritten rules :)

[@DarkpowderUK]

Weird Facts and there was no discussion of that weird race-photo over your left shoulder? :D

[@MRNBricks]

Connor. Your hair looks like you’re balding in the front and moving forward to hide it.

[@paulhyland7456]

You omitted omerta. Because you are observing omerta.

[@sparx550]

Conor, smart haircut and not before time, young man.

[@briseboy]

Ah, the jealousy of the bald rears its ugly head again! (Think of applying the diminutive for Richard upon your own pate, and you will attain enlightenment)

[@soared6549]

What’s up with the editing? Lots of irrelevant clips (ie a red official car being shown far behind pog when talking about minimum team car follow distance, sprints and leaders being shown when talking about the stage time limit) and clips being reused multiple times over and over.

[@secretagent86]

sadly not available in Canada

[@festerofest4374]

A VPN should take care of that.

[@gcarm76]

Always wondered how the men take a nature break in cycling. Do they expose themselves by just whipping it out or is there a technique that saves the riders blushes?

[@LazyKatze]

Pretty much, yes. Some riders don't need stop with the bike, they just do a balancing act while continuing riding the bike

[@mageyannik2731]

What about the women is there a special technique or do they just pop a squat?

[@davidf2281]

One of the great things about France is that literally nobody cares when you pee by the side of the road. It's tremendously liberating.

[@manwithnoname6580]

@@davidf2281I tried that in Paris at about 5pm. Got arrested. Don’t try it.

[@briseboy]

Paris, home of the Pissoir.

[@WisersPlace]

You guys should cover the types of performance enhancing drugs used on the tour, and the after effects. I can even watch because it's all drugs.

[@Wanderurgh]

Makes it all the more watchable. Get outta your ivory tower and eat swill with us peasants

[@garyboyle695]

Care to back that up with any actual evidence? What's your sport of choice?

[@Luscombe47x]

One fact that is indeed a fact. Lance won 7. You can't pretend Lance never happened. And while not a proven 'fact' it's my opinion every top contender for the Yellow Jersey in the Lance years was also on some kind of 'program' and undoubtedly, many still are. Lance never tested positive in any race. No matter what, he pedaled every inch of all those tours, survived incredible adversity...and won. Cycling needs to pull it's head from it's butt. Lance was the greatest Tour Champion ever.

[@cilliankelly1]

He tested positive in the 1999 Tour de France

[@sabretooth5404]

If you have to cheat to win, then you aren't a great champion. Not are you a great champion if you threaten and bully people into staying silent to hide your cheating.

[@christianspanggaard]

For a second i heard: "socks filled with ice down your jersey making sure your buttholes (!) are chilled ..."

[@briseboy]

You did. 'Tis the secret of skinsuit tucking, and jolts hearty sprints, though at inopportune moments.

[@mooreanonumbers]

Forcing all of your race's riders to go in a single plane seems a bit risky I know planes are relatively safe compared to other modes of transportation, but talk about putting all your eggs in one basket.

[@coachrobwille4176]

I thought it was a race ? If the yellow has t stop attack attack

[@stevemawer848]

What goes around, comes around. Actions have consequences, not all of them pleasant.

[@perpetualgrin5804]

The unwritten rules and traditions have been abolished in cricket by the ' cheating country '.

[@lornemalvo2045]

Rule 9: all competitors must throw food wrappers and drink containers onto the road and verge to set a bad example to wannabes everywhere.

[@cuebj]

5:45 Stephen Roche riding for Ton Ton Tapis... I still have a jersey. Picked up, like almost all my cycling clothes, from end of season sale bin. So ghastly it's cool. Google it see the worst jersey ever until those poor women in a South American team with skin suits that were obscene

[@sabretooth5404]

I actually liked the tonton tapis jersey. It was like the top half of one jersey merged with the bottom half of another

[@gerrysecure5874]

Why am I not surprised that women violate long standing unwritten rules.

[@aquicktake]

What the heck is a "tree" riders?

[@briseboy]

Tree, count 'em, tree. One night's return in a deep forest road, i thought i saw the way alit. Alas! It was but the red bark of a giant tree, which i hit head-on. It only takes One Tree, not Tree, to diminish consciousness to unuseful dimension.

[@stevemawer848]

@@briseboy I remember the Two Ronnies tellng us of a wood chopping contest that was won by tree fellers from Dublin!

[@ageary]

New green jersey color??????????????

[@simonknowles4267]

New green jersey sponsor.

[@briseboy]

In subsequent years, expect spectral variation, and any time, blood red at various moments.

[@MTBScotland]

Only good thing about unwritten rules is the moaning people do after they get broken. Look at the cricket the other day. That couldn't have been any more delicious.

[@briseboy]

Moaning and ridiculous comments were VERY popular this day, july 7, over quite clean and typical sprint finish. Excepting for the fun of making fun of the vicarious victim-imaginers' demands, i would lobby for elimination of KZbin comments at all, anywhere, ever, anytime, for eternity. There was once a legal surgery done on dogs to eliminate their bark. UNFORTUNATELY denied to human offenders. Helas!

[@paulsolon6229]

Use of insane and crazy as adjectives Laziness

[@moaningpheromones]

Sadly all the sheep copy each other with the latest trendy cringe vernacular.

[@paulsolon6229]

@@moaningpheromones yes

[@JBH123]

Has anyone who was leading going into the final day of the tour ever lost that lead?

[@CopyableOak]

Yes, in 1989, Laurent Fignon (a Frenchman - and previous 2 time winner) lost the yellow jersey on the final stage, which rather than the now standard flat procession into Paris for the sprinters, was held as an individual time trial. Fignon was leading by 50 seconds over American, Greg LeMond (who won once before, in 1986). LeMond managed to win the time trial with a time that was 58 seconds faster than that of Fignon, making LeMond's winning margin of 8 seconds, the closest margin of victory in the history of the Tour to date.

[@AisforAlibi1]

@@CopyableOak This was the last time the TDF was watchable. It hasn't been the same since.

[@nxtxlieclaire]

obscure regulation: no women

[@briseboy]

Ah, Embrassez Francais, one would not guess this regulation being indigenous to Le Tour.

[@alanoneill3065]

WHY AM I SHOUTING!!!

[@iTeachMyToast]

The yellow Jersey bathroom break thing is stupid. If 2nd place has to stop, people aren’t going to wait for them, so why should they wait for first? It’s all part of endurance cycling, and it should be a point for teams to strategize and take advantage of

[@briseboy]

The rule is don't attack, and, though not written, is common courtesy for the top few in contention.

[@stevestewart-sturges2159]

Wasn't the tour, but a large group of riders were DQ'ed for being outside the time cut, and the organisers refused to reinstate them, I think there were around 40 riders pinged... I really cant remember anyone on the past 2-3 Tours that haven't made the time cut, the non climbers and sprinters would get in to the grupetto and someone like Eros Poli, wold figure out how hard they would have to go to make it... now they just get dragged up by team cars.. It wasn't that long ago when a spectator could hand up a newspaper for riders to put up the front of the jersey on a cold mountain descent, or hand up bottles of water, even if the riders just poured it over themselves, it got the fans involved and was a nice touch, sadly none of that, along with the "voiture balai" exist anymore...and the "lanterne rouge"....

[@danmetz5112]

I have never understood the "respect the yellow jersey" bit. It's a race, right? As someone who has been intimately involved in Indycar and Formula One racing, if a driver has a problem on track or during a pit stop, the rest of the field celebrates and blows him away. Suppose the yellow jersey has the chain break on his bicycle. The team car arrives, he jumps on a different bike and off he goes, but he's lost some time. So be it. His mechanics have failed him and he should pay the price. Not only is it a race, it is a TEAM race.

[@garyboyle695]

Unlike those sports, winning in such circumstances means nothing.

[@kokonanana1]

Didn’t JV finish 2 seconds back recently!??

[@Thekalllllllll]

It should be an unwritten rule for GCN commentators to not talk over team radios.. its new and exciting - but the the guy with the fick accent just talks treee times louder over it.

[@mnemotronic]

How about a list of dumb questions?? * Where is it legal or illegal to toss a bottle or musette? I've heard that riders get fined for doing that "outside the designated area" but how can I as a TV-dependent couch potahhhtoe tell where those zones are? * Is there a maximum allowable size water bottle? Are water backpacks allowed? * When a rider is picking up bottles from a team support car they get the "long handoff" assist. At what point does that turn from sketchy to "fine imposed"? If a rider is picking up a bunch of bottles to bring up to their mates does that change the formula? Do riders ever get that "long handoff" assist from neutral support? * Is there a level of physical damage that a rider must display to be riding next to and hanging onto the medical vehicle? What if they're nauseous or having some kind of allergy attack or are experiencing (yucky just thinking about this on a bike) diarrhea?? * Are riders allowed to punch annoying idiot fans who are blocking them? If I invent something that could be mounted to lead cars or motorbikes that will push the crowds back off the road, or after the first demonstration convince the crowds that they didn't want to be anywhere near my invention, could I sell it to the tour?

[@sabretooth5404]

1, no you can't tell, but they are there. 6 per stage 2, no maximum size, and water backpacks aren't allowed 3, when the race director decides it's sketchy 4, no level is deemed necessary. If you need medical attention then you can hang onto the medical car. Although the race director may ask for an explanation 5, punching fans is not allowed no matter how stupid they are. After all that would be assault

[@pretzelhunt]

Would that not be the best place to hail a long-distance car ride, but at an airport? They aint just sitting outside the coffee shops..

[@richm.3477]

As I recall, Urs Zimmerman didn't want to board the flight because he had a premonition that that particular flight would crash, not that he was scared of flying in general. Whether or not he had that premonition, and if it was just a convenient cover story, is certainly open for debate.

[@cilliankelly1]

Aha! I hadn't heard that bit of the story before. I think Richard Moore wrote a chapter on this in his book Etape. I must re-read.

[@richm.3477]

@@cilliankelly1 Please let us know what you find out!

[@jasonrynders2519]

Idc what unwritten rule is. If you're in yellow and you crash, I'm taking off. Catch me if you can. Does it suck you got caught in an incident, sure, but that doesnt mean i dont wanna win any less.

[@cain2abel]

Not here to see your mug mate…through some action while you talk

[@christiangerhardt2408]

Throwing a ball to a wicket is also breaking an unwritten rule .... O sorry wromg sport.

[@stevemawer848]

That's a game, not a sport.

[@christiangerhardt2408]

@@stevemawer848 don't be such a spoil sport

[@stevemawer848]

@@christiangerhardt2408 Better than a spoil game, though!

[@bobbobbos32]

Goo