Laurence Pithie, a Kiwi rider, experienced a challenging birthday during the first mountain stage of the 2025 Tour de France at Hautacam. He finished far behind the winner and felt the heat of the climb intensely. The atmosphere included crowds enjoying the event, but riders struggled amidst the chaos. Road cycling is characterized by its lack of traditional arenas, with a focus on motion rather than place. Fans cheer as riders pass quickly, but the experience is more about communion with the sport than comprehension.
"Shit birthday" is a great, punchy descriptor for 2025 Tour de France's first climbing day: a party that drives you mad. The gathered thousands love it; the riders, not as much.
Road cycling is mostly arena-less. Riders compete across space rather than within a place. The word "tour" implies motion, and with it, a fundamentally incomplete spectatorial experience.
Fans cheer as riders zip by, but zip by is what they do, and then they're gone. Understanding isn't the goal; communion is.
This is why road cycling's arenas, such as they are, are summit finishes. The Tour is replete with famous mountains, upon which Tours are decided.
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