Wolverhampton-Birmingham: a Midlands photo voyage
Published by Halverde on 9/02/2006 at 23:40.
Race starts are bit rubbish really. The superstars hide away and only turn up for the final minute of signing in, whilst the busy people under employment by the teams find themselves having to work around all the mouthbreathers taking photographs of the car and asking stupid questions.
Mouthbreathers like us. Apparently racing in Italy is nicer for soigneurs because they sometimes get police escorts.
The race sign in is presented by Hugh Porter and David Duffield, who spend most of their time checking their notes for things to say about all the riders who come in before the ones who people have actually heard of.
Roger Hammond and his army of surprisingly talented children. "At Discovery Channel, I was one of the children," is what he didn't say (but should've).
Pippo Pozzato looks pleased to see us again.
We've been a bit unfair in our dismissal of race starts -- they're actually a very fine place to get photographs of the side of Axel Merckx's face.
Race finishes are bit rubbish really. You stand shoulder to shoulder with other spectators in a tiny area with a very limited view of anything other than the enormous head of the person in front of you, whilst the wives and kids of the organisers are lording it up in the hospitality section right on the finish line and not paying the slightest bit of attention to what's happening. Then the riders flash past in a blur and you smile and go home and tell everyone you think you saw Frank Schleck and then you feel stupid a week later when you find out that Frank Schleck wasn't even riding.
David Duffield: looks like a wisened old man, runs like a very young girl.
There were some youths on hand to do things that should never be done on bikes. Like riding slowly and wearing baggy trousers.
Frederik Willems won the stage, largely due to the fact that HE'S A MASSIVE CHEAT. Paul Manning wasn't happy.
Every sprint finish, Matthias Kessler has crossed the line with his hands off his bars. Not celebrating or whatever, more an "I could've won today but I'm more interested in tugging at my jersey" kind of thing.
The obligatory "things we didn't get a photograph of" bit:
-What would've possibly been the most ironic photograph ever: an ironic photograph of a photographer taking an ironic photograph of a photographer taking a photograph of two podium girls. Sadly we thought about it too much, and they'd all gone their separate ways by the time our head had stopped hurting.
-Millenium Point. In particular, the view from the top floor of. We rushed up there rather than going to the jersey presentations because we knew it would make a great photo, then discovered that our camera's battery was dead. We fail at "journalism".
The previously unseen "people we did get a photograph of but are saving for the long winter period when there's nothing better to write about" bit:
Tom Boonen, Juan Manuel Garate, Tom Boonen, Michael Rogers, Tom Boonen, Dean Downing, Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Igor Astarloa, Tom Boonen, Nico Mattan, Tom Boonen, Tom Boonen, Tom Boonen.
A disclaimer
Despite what we've said, going to the starts and finishes of races is actually very, very good. And yes, this is even the case when they're taking place in the Midlands. Try it yourself: it's a bit like reading this website, only you have to think of your own snidey comments and you'll probably get backache from all the standing around.
Mouthbreathers like us. Apparently racing in Italy is nicer for soigneurs because they sometimes get police escorts.
The race sign in is presented by Hugh Porter and David Duffield, who spend most of their time checking their notes for things to say about all the riders who come in before the ones who people have actually heard of.
Roger Hammond and his army of surprisingly talented children. "At Discovery Channel, I was one of the children," is what he didn't say (but should've).
Pippo Pozzato looks pleased to see us again.
We've been a bit unfair in our dismissal of race starts -- they're actually a very fine place to get photographs of the side of Axel Merckx's face.
Race finishes are bit rubbish really. You stand shoulder to shoulder with other spectators in a tiny area with a very limited view of anything other than the enormous head of the person in front of you, whilst the wives and kids of the organisers are lording it up in the hospitality section right on the finish line and not paying the slightest bit of attention to what's happening. Then the riders flash past in a blur and you smile and go home and tell everyone you think you saw Frank Schleck and then you feel stupid a week later when you find out that Frank Schleck wasn't even riding.
David Duffield: looks like a wisened old man, runs like a very young girl.
There were some youths on hand to do things that should never be done on bikes. Like riding slowly and wearing baggy trousers.
Frederik Willems won the stage, largely due to the fact that HE'S A MASSIVE CHEAT. Paul Manning wasn't happy.
Every sprint finish, Matthias Kessler has crossed the line with his hands off his bars. Not celebrating or whatever, more an "I could've won today but I'm more interested in tugging at my jersey" kind of thing.
The obligatory "things we didn't get a photograph of" bit:
-What would've possibly been the most ironic photograph ever: an ironic photograph of a photographer taking an ironic photograph of a photographer taking a photograph of two podium girls. Sadly we thought about it too much, and they'd all gone their separate ways by the time our head had stopped hurting.
-Millenium Point. In particular, the view from the top floor of. We rushed up there rather than going to the jersey presentations because we knew it would make a great photo, then discovered that our camera's battery was dead. We fail at "journalism".
The previously unseen "people we did get a photograph of but are saving for the long winter period when there's nothing better to write about" bit:
Tom Boonen, Juan Manuel Garate, Tom Boonen, Michael Rogers, Tom Boonen, Dean Downing, Tom Boonen, Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Igor Astarloa, Tom Boonen, Nico Mattan, Tom Boonen, Tom Boonen, Tom Boonen.
A disclaimer
Despite what we've said, going to the starts and finishes of races is actually very, very good. And yes, this is even the case when they're taking place in the Midlands. Try it yourself: it's a bit like reading this website, only you have to think of your own snidey comments and you'll probably get backache from all the standing around.
