Virtual Tour de France mountain stage video

Posted on July 5, 2020 by petrel41

This 5 July 2020 video says about itself:

Virtual Tour de France 2020 – Live Stage 2

In the context of a completely unprecedented health crisis in which most cycling events have been cancelled or postponed, Zwift and Amaury Sport Organisation have decided to do something useful together and create the very first virtual Tour de France. It will be the starting point for a strong solidarity campaign around cycling.

During the first three weekends of July 2020, men’s and women’s professional races will be organised as part of virtual stages of the Tour de France.

Today, the second stage, was a mountain stage. The winner of today’s women’s race was Lauren Stephens from the USA. The winner of the men’s race was Julien Bernard from France.

🎙 @JulienBernard17 « Je ne pensais pas pouvoir remporter l’étape car j’ai commencé mon sprint vraiment tard ! (…) Cela fait des mois que l'on a pas accroché de dossard, une victoire est toujours bonne à prendre »#TDFvirtuel #GoZwift pic.twitter.com/gYsRSZEz4A

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2020

Apollo butterfly wins in Alpe d’Huez, France

Posted on July 20, 2018 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Summary – Stage 12 – Tour de France 2018

19 July 2018

From Saturday 7th of July to Sunday 29th of July 2018, the 105th Tour de France includes 21 stages for a total length of 3351 kilometers.

THOMAS Geraint won the stage in Alpe d’Huez before DUMOULIN Tom and BARDET Romain.

THOMAS Geraint is the Yellow Jersey.

Yesterday, 19 July was not only a victory for Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas in the famous mountain stage to Alpe d’Huez.

Dutch daily Trouw also reported then on a victory for the rare Apollo butterfly, living in a mountain habitat.

This 2017 German video shows how this species grows up in a mountain environment, from caterpillar to butterfly.

There were plans to build more hotels in Alpe d’Huez, Trouw writes. However, these plans have now been stopped, as they might have negative impact on the Apollo butterflies living around Alpe d’Huez.

Nelson Mandela in Tour de France cycling race

Posted on July 18, 2018 by petrel41

Nelson Mandela would have turned 100 years today. We as @TeamDiData want to honour the man who fought almost his entire life for freedom by wearing this orange helmet in today’s @LeTour stage. Orange is the official colour of the Nelson Mandela foundation. #BeTheLegacy pic.twitter.com/8fwi1XwEPM

— Serge Pauwels (@sergepauwels) July 18, 2018

This Twitter message of today is by Belgian cyclist Serge Pauwels, a member of the South African Dimension Data cycling team, now riding in the Tour de France race; which today commemorates Nelson Mandela.

Reinardt Janse van Rensburg with Mandela helmet. NOS photo

The photo shows South African cyclist Reinardt Janse van Rensburg of the same team, also with special Mandela helmet.

The Tour De France was briefly halted after riders were accidentally pepper-sprayed by police during a farmers’ protest.

Daniel Teklehaimanot gets another Tour de France king of the mountains point

Posted on July 10, 2015 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Daniel Teklehaimanot Wins Polka Dot Jersey at Tour de France

9 July 2015

Eritrean rider Daniel Teklehaimanot today re-writes the history of cycling at the Tour de France once and for all. From being the first black African to compete at the Tour to the first African to wear a jersey as he takes the King of the Mountain title at the Stage 6.

Eritrean cyclist Daniel Teklehaimanot was first on the hilltop of the Côte de Canapville in the seventh stage of the Tour de France race today. That meant one more point for his king of the mountains polkadot jersey.

There is much enthusiasm in Eritrea about this.

Eritrean sports journalist Habtom Yohannis tells that when Eritrea was still an Italian colony, there was a race with Italian and Eritrean participants. An Eritrean won, making dictator Mussolini angry.

Daniel Teklehaimanot, first African Tour de France king of the mountains

Posted on July 9, 2015 by petrel41

This is a 23 June 2015 Eritrean TV video about the Eritrean cyclists Merhawi Kudus and Daniel Teklehaimanot now riding in the Tour de France in a South African team.

Zdenek Stybar from the Czech republic today in Le Havre won the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race. Not often before a Czech cyclist had managed this.

There happened more. Tony Martin from Germany, in the same team as Stybar, and in the overall leader’s yellow jersey, fell not far from the finish line and is injured. UPDATE: Tony Martin will not start tomorrow.

A first in this stage: Daniel Teklehaimanot from Eritrea finished first on three hilltops today. That meant he now has the right to wear the king of the mountains white and red polkadot shirt. Daniel Teklehaimanot is the first Eritrean cyclist ever, and the first African cyclist ever, to wear this shirt.

Track cyclists earn success on both sides of Atlantic

Tour de France started, time trial in Utrecht

Posted on July 4, 2015 by petrel41

This video was made in the Kruisstraat in the center of Utrecht city in the Netherlands this afternoon.

The first stage of this year’s Tour de France cycling race, a time trial, passed there.

The supporters of Dutch participant Laurens ten Dam had gathered. When the cyclist passed they loudly chanted his name and cheered.

Laurens ten Dam did not win the time trial. Australian Rohan Dennis won. Ten Dam is not a time trial specialist, but a mountain climbing specialist. He finished #91 of 198 riders. However, last year he was #9 overall in the Tour.

At #146 came another mountain stage specialist: Daniel Teklehaimanot. He started at 2pm as the first one of all riders. He is one of the first two cyclists ever from Eritrea participating in the Tour de France. Merhawi Kudus is the other Eritrean. They both ride in the first African (South African) team ever in the Tour. Like Ten Dam, they will probably get better results in later, steeper stages than on this first day.

This 27 June 2015 video is called Eritrean ERi-TV Tour de France interview Daniel Teklehaimanot, Merhawi Kudus.

Bats and Tour de France cycling in Dutch Utrecht

Posted on July 3, 2015 by petrel41

This 6 January 2015 Dutch video is about bats in Utrecht province in the Netherlands.

Utrecht is not just in the news because of bats these days.

Tomorrow, the Tour de France cycling race will start in Utrecht; with a time trial for all 198 participants.

This video shows where in Utrecht the cyclists will cycle tomorrow.

South African Tour de France cycling team, first time ever

Posted on January 14, 2015 by petrel41

This video says about itself:

Team MTN Qhubeka: An African Bicycle Dream Episode 1

12 April 2013

Team MTN Qhubeka are the first Pro Continental Cycling Team from Africa – this is their story. From South Africa to the rest of the world, the team have made their mark on the sport. Watch the first episode of An African Bicycle Dream here.

Today, the Tour De France organisers have said that Team MTN Qhubeka has been invited to participate in the race, as the first African team ever.

The Tour De France will start this year on the fourth of July in Utrecht city in the Netherlands.

One should hope that in Utrecht or in France, these cyclists won’t have the bad luck of their South African colleague Evan van der Spuy, shown in this video.

In Utrecht or in France, there is not much chance of this happening with an antelope. However, I am not that sure about dogs.

One should also hope that in Utrecht or in France, there won’t be hunters who don’t know the difference between cyclists and hares.

This video shows a report on a woman cyclist shot by a hunter like that.

First South African in Tour de France yellow jersey

Posted on July 4, 2013 by petrel41

This video is an interview with cyclist Daryl Impey from South Africa.

Daryl Impey today became the first South African cyclist ever to win the leader’s yellow jersey in the Tour de France race.

Impey finished the stage of today, to Montpellier in southern France, in 13th place; while his team-mate and former race leader Simon Gerrans from Australia was 48th. Gerrans finished five seconds behind Impey.

The new general classification is:

1. Daryl Impey

2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway) – at 3″

3. Simon Gerrans (Australia) – at 5″

4. Michael Albasini (Switzerland) – at 5″

5. Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) – at 6″

Today, 19-year-old Dutchman Danny van Poppel, the youngest participant, finished eighth.

Women’s Tour de France again? Here.

SA’s Impey stars at Tour de France (iol.co.za)

19-year-old finishes third in first Tour de France stage

Posted on June 29, 2013 by petrel41

This is German video about cycling in 2012, with Danny van Poppel from the Netherlands winning a race.

Today was the first stage of the 100th Tour de France cycling race.

The winner of the bunch sprint was Marcel Kittel from Germany.

Second was Alexander Kristoff from Russia.

Third was Danny van Poppel from the Netherlands. Danny van Poppel is only 19 year old, making him the youngest ever Dutch cyclist, and the youngest post-1945 cyclist from anywhere, to ride in the Tour de France. His third place of today means that tomorrow, Danny will ride in the white jersey for the best young participant. The other young participants are in their early twenties.

More about Danny van Poppel, in this Tour de France with his big brother and his father, is here.