Author Topic: Cheating - maybe?  (Read 39309 times)

Cheating - maybe?
« on: 27 August, 2019, 07:03:49 am »
Apart from the now infamous case of the 70 year old French man in his red and white WAW velomobile with an electric motor seen here in this video at 22 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwTdXo3-1w&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR05k-Eu10raBJFb-niznxd_gMHfhf38es4GI4xEyVc39FvzPn8hq9y7aCA

I saw what I believe to be cheating or bending the rules on a couple of occasions:

1st was not far from Fougeres where a couple of German "A" group riders from a cycle team who were stopped at the roadside with a mechanical and there was a van with a mechanic and one of the bikes on a bike stand being worked on.

2nd was the run between Sizun and Brest where again there was an "A" group rider chatting with a group of cyclists in the same club shirts, soon after he came storming past drafting two team mates who were pacing him, as he came past me he clicked his fingers, then wagged one which I read as "you haven't seen this".   

Lastly between Dreux and Rambouillet I missed some signs and as I was milling about off route trying to find the official route again a car came past heading towards Rambouillet with a bike on a rack with PBP frame numbers, this could of course have been somebody who had packed, but  then again?


Davef

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #1 on: 27 August, 2019, 07:21:45 am »
On two separate occasions French riders were joined by their clubmates as they passed through their locale. The first seemed social, the second definitely not (or maybe I was too tired to tack on the back).

On the subject of rule bending, I want to know how some of the tail enders obtained their qualifying SR. I would like to see DNFs by country as there was very little diversity in the 30 hours to Fougères crowd.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #2 on: 27 August, 2019, 07:43:43 am »
In 2011 I saw a rider putting his bike on the back of a car just before the climb (eastbound) the the Roc.  I saw the same rider later, with his bike, at the Carhaix control.

It happens. They cheat only themselves.
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #3 on: 27 August, 2019, 07:57:38 am »
There was certainly a fair bit of undeclared support between controls.

I passed several groups huddled round open cars in small village car parks, by the side of the route.

I also noticed several riders who were carrying *nothing*, not even the smallest of seat packs you would expect on a typical club ride! It's possible that they had legitimate support at each control, and just took the risk for 100k or so between the controls. <shrug>

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #4 on: 27 August, 2019, 08:01:25 am »
They cheat only themselves.

Exactly this. There is no money at stake on pbp. No glory either. Out of the tiny audax world, no one cares.


frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #5 on: 27 August, 2019, 08:39:19 am »
Even inside the tiny audax world, no one cares.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #6 on: 27 August, 2019, 08:59:37 am »
Apart from the now infamous case of the 70 year old French man in his red and white WAW velomobile with an electric motor seen here in this video at 22 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwTdXo3-1w&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR05k-Eu10raBJFb-niznxd_gMHfhf38es4GI4xEyVc39FvzPn8hq9y7aCA

haha I knew it!

On a hilly section between Loudeac & St Nic I remember having been climbing for sometime, he came past like I was stood still. There was a 90 degree corner just before the climb so there would have been no way for a run up to carry speed for that long.

Has he actually been found out?

StevieB

  • I'm an embarrassment to my bicycle!
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #7 on: 27 August, 2019, 09:27:18 am »
Has he actually been found out?

Yes he was! (On good authority.)

Can you imagine a greater shame than returning to your machine to find ten ACP officials standing around having dismantled it sufficiently to reveal a hidden battery and engine?
It may be self-flagellation, but it still hurts

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #8 on: 27 August, 2019, 09:48:13 am »
Lastly between Dreux and Rambouillet I missed some signs and as I was milling about off route trying to find the official route again a car came past heading towards Rambouillet with a bike on a rack with PBP frame numbers, this could of course have been somebody who had packed, but  then again?

Certainly in the latter stages I did note a number of campers/cars coming past with bikes + frame numbers on and did wonder... no way of knowing really.

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #9 on: 27 August, 2019, 10:20:28 am »
Have seen many iffy situations in the past, do I care, no not really, but the ‘electric bike’ thing is a step too far.

Glad he was caught.

rob

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #10 on: 27 August, 2019, 10:22:49 am »
I passed an ACP car stopping at a roadside van and having a word.   He had a table, chairs and drinks out.   I did wonder if they were checking whether this support was neutral or not.

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #11 on: 27 August, 2019, 10:36:36 am »
Apart from the now infamous case of the 70 year old French man in his red and white WAW velomobile with an electric motor seen here in this video at 22 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwTdXo3-1w&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR05k-Eu10raBJFb-niznxd_gMHfhf38es4GI4xEyVc39FvzPn8hq9y7aCA


F206? He's mentioned as finished on the tracker.

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #12 on: 27 August, 2019, 10:39:53 am »
i've seen people cheating on previous editions, haven't noticed on this one. they cheat themselves, mostly. this poem seems appropriate:


Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #13 on: 27 August, 2019, 10:39:53 am »
I recall an illuminating conversation with a man in a Loudeac bar a couple of years ago, regarding his observations, as a commissaire, of stuff-that-went-on.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #14 on: 27 August, 2019, 11:18:50 am »
Apart from the now infamous case of the 70 year old French man in his red and white WAW velomobile with an electric motor seen here in this video at 22 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjwTdXo3-1w&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR05k-Eu10raBJFb-niznxd_gMHfhf38es4GI4xEyVc39FvzPn8hq9y7aCA


F206? He's mentioned as finished on the tracker.

Aye, but the tracker is just for tracking.  Chap I know packed at Loudeac then rode home gently over the next two days and was given 87 hours by the tracker.  A couple of details like Carhaix and Brest were missing from the list, though.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #15 on: 27 August, 2019, 12:18:00 pm »
I recall an illuminating conversation with a man in a Loudeac bar a couple of years ago, regarding his observations, as a commissaire, of stuff-that-went-on.

That's very cryptic.  Juicy detail please (if you can remember it)

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #16 on: 27 August, 2019, 12:29:08 pm »
bending rules rather than cheating - i've seen many bikes with aerobars clearly extending further than they should (i'm talking 5cm+). this would have saved me from tingly fingers - the price for sticking to the rules..

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #17 on: 27 August, 2019, 12:34:41 pm »
Heather and I contributed a fair amount to the cheating anecdotes. We had a numbered bike on the back of a car, on the route. I used last time's number as a way of accessing the bike parks, as flashing my custom-made press pass would have slowed things down.

We also drove on the route, and parked on the verge. That's perfectly legitimate with a red 'Officiel' sticker, it's the blue ones that can't access the route. It was noticeable that some riders got support from unmarked vehicles, they were probably Normans and Bretons meeting their mates along the way.

We're quite happy to act as neutral support. It's like any activity, experience tells, and there are people who know that we'll have a basic medical kit and sunscreen. There are obviously boundaries we won't cross. It's one reason why we've never set out to follow individual riders, so as to avoid the temptation to help the story along.

We end up performing all manner of roles. Some will have spotted me directing riders next to the dodgy turn at the Bar Patton in St Meen le Grand on the return. That's also where we picked up our souvenir direction sign, an outbound Brest one, which we'd used as a prop for a shot of riders passing the Disney-style  Hotel de Ville.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #18 on: 27 August, 2019, 12:50:37 pm »
bending rules rather than cheating - i've seen many bikes with aerobars clearly extending further than they should (i'm talking 5cm+). this would have saved me from tingly fingers - the price for sticking to the rules..

It's about time the aerobar rule was relaxed anyway. I can understand it in UAF events where everyone is in the same pack, but I can't think how aerobars might be more dangerous than the sticky-out chainrings of a SWB recumbent.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #19 on: 27 August, 2019, 12:54:00 pm »
bending rules rather than cheating - i've seen many bikes with aerobars clearly extending further than they should (i'm talking 5cm+). this would have saved me from tingly fingers - the price for sticking to the rules..

It's about time the aerobar rule was relaxed anyway. I can understand it in UAF events where everyone is in the same pack, but I can't think how aerobars might be more dangerous than the sticky-out chainrings of a SWB recumbent.

Do they not have a chainring guards rule?  (Or at least non-acceptance of such obviously dangerous sharp bits at the bike check?)  Or is that supposedly covered by the recumbents not being in the mass start?

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #20 on: 27 August, 2019, 01:49:57 pm »
Strava flyby.
Corners cut.
🧐🙄🤫

simonp

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #21 on: 27 August, 2019, 01:57:07 pm »
I saw a number of riders heading into Brest on the return route. For me that's a faster route, maybe shorter also?

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #22 on: 27 August, 2019, 02:02:39 pm »
I recall an illuminating conversation with a man in a Loudeac bar a couple of years ago, regarding his observations, as a commissaire, of stuff-that-went-on.

That's very cryptic.  Juicy detail please (if you can remember it)

That's not very likely is it?

Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #23 on: 27 August, 2019, 02:05:05 pm »
We encountered a very confused Indian lady at a roundabout near Carhaix. She kept referring to the Brest control, even though she had no possibility of reaching there. As with many of the tired Indians she spoke in a combination of English and her home language. She was essentially making for the signposted fast route to Brest.

It occurred to us that her GPS might have taken her back along the return route when she joined it beyond Huelgoat. She may have thought she was heading to Brest.

StevieB

  • I'm an embarrassment to my bicycle!
Re: Cheating - maybe?
« Reply #24 on: 27 August, 2019, 02:28:15 pm »
Glad he was caught.

"Ride on for a long time
Sooner or later ACP'll cut you down"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJlN9jdQFSc

It may be self-flagellation, but it still hurts