Or, How To Use Twitter To Watch the Tour de France
One of the things I love about Twitter is the fact that you can read commentary from other people while an event is going on. (When I was a teenager I occasionally created a low-tech version of this by watching TV over the phone - two friends in different houses, watching the same TV show.) I use it when watching hockey games, and it enhances my appreciation of the game. Other fans post insights and details I didn't know. And it's witty.
The same happens with the Tour de France, only the difference with pro cycling events is that instead of listening to other fans you're also reading news from the participants! A lot of pro cyclists and staff post on Twitter - and they're surprisingly candid. I've posted before about Kurt Asle Arvesen's photos of his road rash in a past Tour. Lance Armstrong has been tweeting almost every time he gets drug tested (though he arguably does have something to gain by that). Here's the photo Armstrong sent update this morning, before a seriously tough stage over cobblestone roads:
Deceiving Profile by Lance Armstrong
@andy_schleck do U guys is that he is going to have a good sleep? Ich don t think so http://tweetphoto.com/31034360Sadly, Frank had a more serious crash the next day. Still, Andy was there for us.
He need surgery http://tweetphoto.com/31160227And also this, since his team kept the yellow jersey as overall leader:
@schleckfrank out with broken shoulder yellow is 4 him today!he be back strongerBefore you complain about their grammar, keep in mind that their first language is Luxembourgish - which I didn't even know existed until recently. So I think they're doing fine with English.
So here's a big list of Tour-related commentators on Twitter. Or you can just follow my public list for cycling (it has some of my friends on it too): http://twitter.com/#/list/erinkpgh/cycling or search Twitter for the #TdF tag.
Tour de France Cyclists on Twitter:
- Lance Armstrong http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong
- Frank Schleck http://twitter.com/schleckfrank
- Andy Schleck http://twitter.com/andy_schleck
- George Hincapie http://twitter.com/ghincapie
- Carlos Sastre http://twitter.com/Carlos_Sastre
- Bradley Wiggins http://twitter.com/bradwiggins
- Christian Vande Velde http://twitter.com/ChristianVDV (Abandoned after crashing in Stage 2 - one of his last race tweets was "Who wants to see my eye?")
- Ryder Hesjedal http://twitter.com/ryder_hesjedal
- Levi Leipheimer http://twitter.com/LeviLeipheimer
- Robbie McEwen http://twitter.com/mcewenrobbie
- Dave Zabriskie http://twitter.com/dzabriskie
- Kurt Asle Arvesen http://twitter.com/kaarvesen
Arvesen couldn't go for the Tour this year after crashing in the Tour de Suisse, but he seems to be having a nice time recuperating at home: http://yfrog.com/6fxpvbj - Fumiyuki Beppu http://twitter.com/Fumybeppu - I like to try to read his Japanese posts
- Viatcheslav Ekimov http://twitter.com/eki_ekimov
- Danny Pate http://twitter.com/UltraPate
- Team Radio Shack http://twitter.com/TeamRadioShack
- Cycling News http://twitter.com/Cyclingnewsfeed
- Nike Chalkbot http://twitter.com/chalkbot (Today's photo of the Water Test is awesome - http://yfrog.com/4b58gj)
- Road ID http://twitter.com/RoadID
- Team HTC/Columbia http://twitter.com/HTCColumbia
- Commentator Paul Sherwen http://twitter.com/PaulSherwen
- Commentator Phil Liggett http://twitter.com/PhilLiggett
- Team Director Johan Bruyneel http://twitter.com/johanbruyneel
- Hincapie Sportswear http://twitter.com/hincapiesports
- Steephill.tv Tour de France Dashboard http://www.steephill.tv/tour-de-france/ - I especially like the team list (right sidebar a few inches down the page), which includes rider bib numbers.
- Versus official TV coverage (caution: plays sound & video) http://www.versus.com/shows/tour-de-france/
