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Post Tour de France 2001

The interest in David Duffield reached fever pitch toward the end of the Tour de France 2001. Emails were received and the best ones are below for your enjoyment.

From: Agreeable Richard
Subject: Duffers

David Duffield

Well here he is, Duffers. A really nice bloke actually although quite difficult to get a word in. Now I know how Sean Kelly feels. El Presidente wants me to write something for the web/gazette so I'll include other photos with that when I actually get around to doing it.

Richard

Nice one Richard. For all our readers out there it was Richard and his wife Jenny who provided the initial spark for this website. Speaking to them I realised that it wasn't just me that was a big Duffield fan. For all these years I kept my obsession quiet thinking it was just me that was a bit strange and then after meeting these two I realised that there were loads of us out there. It was only fitting therefore that the two of them finally got to meet DD in the Pyrenees in 2001.

From: Neil
Subject:

Great site, I reckon old Duffers is the natural successor to Murray Walker never mind what some of the “po faced” ones say.
Here’s one from this year’s tour. After David Millar Crashed in the early stages Duffers spoke to him and made the comment “I can’t say he was pissed off, but he was”.
More power to your knees.

Neil Smith

Blunt and to the point. Unusually so in fact! Thanks Neil - we missed that one as we were still in France and missed a fair bit of commentary.

From: Trevor
Subject: Duffieldisms

A couple more for the collection:
"No threat overall on general classification" (usually pronounced "general classificashe") - i.e., this rider is unlikely to trouble the scorers at the end of the race.
"Sean Kelly alongside me, 5 times green jersey winner in the Tour de France"

Trevor

Thanks Trevor. Have you noticed how a lot of the longer words in the commentary get trunca...

From: Tim
Subject: Duffers

"...Sean Kelly, four times winner of the green jersey, winner of the Tour of Spain, winner of Paris Nice no less than seven times in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 twice winner of the Paris Roubaix in 1984 and 1986 twice winner of Milan San Remo in 1986 and 1992 twice winner of the Tour of Lombardy in 1983, 1985, 1991..."

means...

"You are on your own, dear Listener, I've got my head buried in my reference books and I've no way of knowing, or indeed ever finding out, what's happening in the race at the moment"

I also noticed a bit of  latin football style commentary (Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!) sneaking in at the end of one of the later stages.

Tim.

Blimey Tim You were fast to be able to write that lot down.

From: Lance
Subject: Duffield

David is a living re-creation of that other great sports commentator, John Arlott, who used to fill in the time when the batsmen had 'put up the shutters' at Lords (Or was it the Oval?) talking about the gasometer next to the ground!
A couple of post tour classics. David talking about Paris:- "There's a few works of art in this city." and, "The Bastille where they had a bit of a revolution a few years back." He is brilliant and those cyclists who think he should have been burnt at the stake only confirms my belief that subtlety is not one of most cyclists strong points.

Lance (Northumbrian RC)

We should send DD a cake, for when its a bit quiet. Lance, I noticed the description of Paris at the end of the Tour as well. Their was quite a gap between crossing the line and the presentation and you could almost hear the producer shouting down David's earpiece "15 minutes to go - Give 'em some flannel to keep 'em there". At least we got a tourist guide to the city even if it was a bit sketchy!