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Video: FDJ.fr’s Arnaud Démare answers TdF call of nature – by nipping into fan’s motorhome

…There's a reason Tour riders like all those motorhomes parked by the side of the road...

 

It’s happened to all of us out on the bike – a sudden, pressing need to find somewhere to go to the loo. You’ll often see pro cyclists taking a nature break by the roadside during a race, but what we haven’t seen before is one nipping into a fan’s motorhome to answer a call of nature.

That’s exactly what French national champion Arnaud Démare did during yesterday’s Stage 14 of the Tour de France. We’re not sure how often this happens, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it caught on the race’s TV coverage.

We’re assuming that Démare, who would finish the stage to Risouls in the autobus, 27 minutes 40 seconds behind stage winner Rafal Majka of Tinkoff-Saxo, asked permission first – although it does look like his need was urgent enough that he wouldn’t have taken ‘no’ for an answer.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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13 comments

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hood | 9 years ago
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is there a problem with road.cc using videos from you tube?
every time i come to watch one i get told theres been an issue with copyright!  7

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andyp | 9 years ago
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Greg Lemond just shat as he rode...and still won the Tour.

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mickcee | 9 years ago
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I did the Wiggle Northern Angel yesterday with one of the worst upset stomach I have ever had. Bushes for me!

6 1/2 hours later i rolled in with an average speed of 11.5mph, not an enjoyable morning/afternoon on a bike!

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levermonkey | 9 years ago
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The modern peloton has gone soft!  19

In the days when riders survived on a diet of liquefied rice Tommy Simpson's mechanic could gauge the health of Simpson by whether he had to hose the bike down before he could work on it.

Riders today! Don't know their born!  4

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andyp | 9 years ago
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'He had a dose of the trotts. can't really just squat at the roadside for that'

Paula Radcliffe managed it ok.

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Beaufort | 9 years ago
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He's had a truly merde tour until now.

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MartyMcCann | 9 years ago
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Any truth in the rumour that there was a box of Nacer Bouhanni postcards in the motorhome a la Slaying the Badger?

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SteppenHerring | 9 years ago
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Was it a Dirk Hofman motorhome?

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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He wasn't going to spend a penny, like you can do at the road side.

He had a dose of the trotts. can't really just squat at the roadside for that......although you could jump in a farmers field like the story a while back  19

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thesaladdays replied to Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:

He had a dose of the trotts. can't really just squat at the roadside for that......although you could jump in a farmers field like the story a while back  19

You could, but then the bibs are probably a write-off...  31

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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So the village green's not good enough for him eh? Bloomin French.

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cyclingdave70 | 9 years ago
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Great! Love it!
Perhaps he needed to "loose a bit of weight" ??!!

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Joelsim | 9 years ago
0 likes

Why is this news?

Titter, titter.

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