First off Hat’s off to OLN, the network has covered the Tour de France now for about three or four years, if OLD had not pick-up this worlds first “reality tv show” I would have never been able to enjoy the tour as I do today.
Which brings us to our post …. who the heck is the guy on the left? If you have never seen him before in the tour coverage watch closely this year and chances are pretty darn good you will. His name is Didi Senft and he has been dressing up in devilishly good style and chassing riders along the tour since 1993.
Dressing up as the devil is not Senft only gig, just for sport the man hauls around the worlds largest bike. If you have ever seen it you would probibly think the thing is not possible to ride, which of course it is. Didi lives in Germany and has been building oversized bikes for quite a while, back in 1993 he decided it would be fun to dress up for the Tour de France.
Why the ‘Devil’?
Born in 1952, Didi has long been a fan of the Tour de France. He noticed that the German television commentators would call the final kilometre of each stage ‘The Red Devil’s Lap’:
They always called the final kilometre of a stage the red devil’s lap. I never saw a red devil, so I became one. Since 1993, Didi has dressed in a red devil costume and followed the Tour de France around its entire course, hauling his huge bike around on a trailer. He says that he would prefer to be at the beginning of The Red Devil’s Lap, 1km from the finish, but the race authorities and French police won’t allow him and his bicycle that close because of the crowds, so he usually sets up at the flag which marks 20km to the finish, and often manages to get as close as 5km from the end on the mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alps.
Didi finances his travels by means of a small number of corporate sponsors, and with money from his wife’s job and donations from other Tour de France fans. He usually sleeps in his car between stages to keep expenditure to a minimum.
Hat’s Off Friend ~ and thanks for bringing a bit of joy to everyones faces!
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