You know it’s Tour de France time when people who have never mentioned Cadel Evans’ name to you before suddenly want to talk about cycling and give their own opinions on how our great Aussie champ should conduct himself from here on in during the big race.
In cafe’s and restaurants all over the nation people can be overheard giving analysis of the previous night’s stage, all the time sounding suspiciously like they are parroting the comments of premier commentator Phil Liggett whose nasal twang is the voice of cycling in the Anglo-Saxon world and can be heard nightly on the live SBS coverage with his compatriot Paul Sherwin.
I don’t mind having a yarn to anyone about the race, particularly if they are interested in learning about what is going on but it’s those who have never had to clean the grit out of a flesh wound themselves or peel their underpants off a weeping graze on their hip because of a crash, who insist on forcing their own ignorant view on you, despite your protestations that they my not be quite right, who quickly make me turn off and try to change the subject.
It’s great that people who may not normally follow the sport get interested in it around this time but I have to have a laugh at those who give unsolicited opinion without much prior knowledge. Perhaps I am getting too impatient and narrow minded as I get older.
I was having breakfast with my sister in a nice little cafe in Weston this morning, something I rarely do and was a pleasant change from my usual routine, when a fellow who had been sitting near us enjoying a coffee and reading a book was joined by two lycra clad likelies who he had obviously been waiting for. These were older men and their luminous array of cycling wear betrayed them to the experienced eye as fellows who had turned to the two wheeled sport in their latter years. Of course there is no problem with that but the original member of the trio spoke up straight away. “I have question for you about the Tour de France”!
I was then treated to an examination of the first week of the Tour and why there have been so many bad crashes and the explanation offered by the two elderly veterans sounded suspiciously like the observation Messrs Liggett and Sherwin had offered during previous coverage of the race.
The sight of these two chaps in their lustrous cycling gear talking about why the race had been so full of carnage in the first week made me chuckle under my breath when it was clear that neither of them would ever have been in an elbow to elbow, white knuckle sprint in their lives!
You may think I’m cruel talking about fellows such as these this way but I am not trying to be. I think it is great that they enjoy the race so much and try to educate someone who is obviously seeking their council because they ride bikes for fun but it is quite funny to hear them offer their own take on events, sounding for all the world like veteran Tour stage winners.
I resisted the urge to give my own view on the world of professional cycling and left them to their own devices. The conversation had switched to Formula 1 car racing, a sport which I really don’t know much about and am not going to give any opinion on. They were three mates having fun on Sunday morning and that at the end of the day is what life is all about.
Now I am off to my Great nieces’ 4th birthday party, something else that is a joy in life. When I think about some of the people I know who have terrible health issues at the present time it makes me realise that we need to live each day in a positive fashion and get out and spend time with family and friends and make the best of every day.
It is a magnificent afternoon here in Canberra and I am sure the rest of the day will be just as fine. I hope wherever you are, your day will be a fine one too. Till next time.
In cafe’s and restaurants all over the nation people can be overheard giving analysis of the previous night’s stage, all the time sounding suspiciously like they are parroting the comments of premier commentator Phil Liggett whose nasal twang is the voice of cycling in the Anglo-Saxon world and can be heard nightly on the live SBS coverage with his compatriot Paul Sherwin.
I don’t mind having a yarn to anyone about the race, particularly if they are interested in learning about what is going on but it’s those who have never had to clean the grit out of a flesh wound themselves or peel their underpants off a weeping graze on their hip because of a crash, who insist on forcing their own ignorant view on you, despite your protestations that they my not be quite right, who quickly make me turn off and try to change the subject.
It’s great that people who may not normally follow the sport get interested in it around this time but I have to have a laugh at those who give unsolicited opinion without much prior knowledge. Perhaps I am getting too impatient and narrow minded as I get older.
I was having breakfast with my sister in a nice little cafe in Weston this morning, something I rarely do and was a pleasant change from my usual routine, when a fellow who had been sitting near us enjoying a coffee and reading a book was joined by two lycra clad likelies who he had obviously been waiting for. These were older men and their luminous array of cycling wear betrayed them to the experienced eye as fellows who had turned to the two wheeled sport in their latter years. Of course there is no problem with that but the original member of the trio spoke up straight away. “I have question for you about the Tour de France”!
I was then treated to an examination of the first week of the Tour and why there have been so many bad crashes and the explanation offered by the two elderly veterans sounded suspiciously like the observation Messrs Liggett and Sherwin had offered during previous coverage of the race.
The sight of these two chaps in their lustrous cycling gear talking about why the race had been so full of carnage in the first week made me chuckle under my breath when it was clear that neither of them would ever have been in an elbow to elbow, white knuckle sprint in their lives!
You may think I’m cruel talking about fellows such as these this way but I am not trying to be. I think it is great that they enjoy the race so much and try to educate someone who is obviously seeking their council because they ride bikes for fun but it is quite funny to hear them offer their own take on events, sounding for all the world like veteran Tour stage winners.
I resisted the urge to give my own view on the world of professional cycling and left them to their own devices. The conversation had switched to Formula 1 car racing, a sport which I really don’t know much about and am not going to give any opinion on. They were three mates having fun on Sunday morning and that at the end of the day is what life is all about.
Now I am off to my Great nieces’ 4th birthday party, something else that is a joy in life. When I think about some of the people I know who have terrible health issues at the present time it makes me realise that we need to live each day in a positive fashion and get out and spend time with family and friends and make the best of every day.
It is a magnificent afternoon here in Canberra and I am sure the rest of the day will be just as fine. I hope wherever you are, your day will be a fine one too. Till next time.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 