2009 Tour De France Radio gaga

CEBU, Philippines – The administration of pro cycling, the UCI, came to the conclusion that the 2-way radios used between the cyclists and the team cars are turning the riders into robots, with the team director operating the joist stick. And true to their anachronistic colors, they believe that a radio-free race makes for exciting races, not remembering that it’s the riders that make the races exciting. And for this reason, they have ruled that two stages in this years Tour will be chatter-free.

The decision didn’t sit well with most teams as they say that radios are not only used to dispense team tactics but its also used warn riders of dangers ahead- like roundabouts, traffic posts, slippery roads, etc. From the riders side, radios are indispensable tool to communicate to the team car not only about team tactics but also about a mechanical problems, feeding stations, etc.

The use of radios coincidentally started with first pro team of Lance Armstrong, MOTOROLA. We all know that MOTOROLA was and still is in the communication business and so it was a no-brainer that they’d be the first to develop these 2-way radios dedicated to cycling use. Greg Lemond, considered a trailblazer in cycling gizmos, also used a two way radio but with a mouthpiece design similar to airplane pilot’s, therefore cumbersome and to some degree, un-aerodynamic.

If the radio-less stage 10 was used as a gauge to its success, it was in my opinion, not so. Even without direct orders from the team cars, the peloton was able to give a short leash to the 4-man breakaway and catch them just inside the 2km mark, like the chasers had all along their earpieces on.

This is the 21st century. Even the traditional Wimbledon has a retractable roof over Centre Court. Cycling can’t go back to 5-speeds, woolen jerseys, shoe laces and steel frames just to make racing exciting. Radios are the way to go!

While Armstrong, admitting of tension within the team and Alberto Contador saying everything is cool within the team, consider this: in the bus taking them to the airport for the next stage in Limoges, both avoided looking at each other. Inside the plane, Armstrong was seated number 1 with his team director, Johann Bruyneel. Contador, the co-leader in the team was in seat 18, with teammate Andreas Kloden

Word of the day: LANTERN ROUGE, aka, red lantern. In the early years of bicycle racing, the last riders usually finish by nighttime and they used lanterns to light the road. Therefore, “lantern rouge” is a rider who is last in the overall standing of the race.