The nature of fandom has long fascinated me, or more specifically, how it manifests itself. From excitable Colombians and Basques, to those who feel compelled to run alongside the road, feckless sign holders (remember ‘Allez Opi-Omi!’?) and selfie takers, cycling fans come in many guises. The title of Dan Martin’s autobiography, Chased by Pandas, encapsulates the mysterious impulse to don a costume and go bananas in the countryside.
One of the strangest things I have ever seen during a Grand Tour was that of an otherwise typically dapper, elderly Italian chap spectating on a mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia. Wearing a crash helmet, sunglasses, pressed shirt and standing by his scooter, he had, however, removed his trousers.
