Quirky Tour de France facts / customs
 

Was reading up on how the points work at Wikipedia, found this:

Customs

The riders temper their competitiveness with an elaborate but unwritten code of conduct and superstition. When possible, a rider is allowed to lead through his village or on his birthday. It is considered unsporting to attack a leading rider delayed by misfortune. Attacking a rider who is taking un besoin naturel ("a natural need", urinating) or attacking at all in the feed zone is not seen as sporting. Not sticking to these customs can lead to animosity. Unless the final stage is a time trial, or the gap between the top two is close, riders generally do not attack on the final stage, leaving the leader to bask in glory. Other numerous superstitions exist such as the rider who has to wear the race number 13 is allowed to wear one number 13 upside down to cancel the bad luck of having number 13 on his back. Riders will not shave on a day they expect to make a great effort though they will still shave their legs. Riding a green bike is considered unlucky.

The rider ranked last in the general classification, who may wind up in Paris five or more hours slower than the winner, is called the lanterne rouge. Such was sympathy to the last rider in the past that he could command higher fees in other races than riders who finished better. This custom has died along with the round-the-houses races once run all over France after the Tour.

Do they pee all over the bike and the road? That's the sort of stuff they never show on TV lol

I havent been watching too much this year!

They showed it on TV Tuesday. Phil Liggett, the announcer, called it a "nature break". Five riders were pissing in the grass. They didn't even get off their bikes. They stopped, tilted the bike to one side, whipped it out and let nature take its course.

The juice-monkey cyclists of today have nothing on those of yesteryear!

Standing on the podeum, sporting their maillot jaune while sucking on black death. Butts hanging from their shitclaws while ascending. The TdF Cyclists of today surely aren't that tough!

Most major sporting events (WorldCup, Olympics, TdF etc) over the last few decades have been weak @ best due to the amount of losers whom can not handle that they suck ass, so they whine up a storm, in hopes to gain their prize. Sad, really.
I guess many believe that that (pissing and moaning) is part of what makes an athlete.

Sorry to hear about Riccardo Ricco. I guess that wipes out his amazing performance in the Pyrenees.