Whatever happened to Duffers?

[Alex P]

Whatever happened to David Duffield?

Just in case you forgot what he looked like talking to some bloke in a dodgy hat..
[img]http://i38.tinypic.com/10zwtqt.jpg[/img]

and what he sounded like (2003 Amstel World Cup) how did Marco manage to get him to do this mention!

[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0kcmf6x6gg[/youtubewww]

Good Friday meet at Herne Hill 2003 - and as you can tell it was actually a nice day
[img]http://i36.tinypic.com/23ur96p.jpg[/img]

Nice haircut Huw.....
[img]http://i35.tinypic.com/15nlzwp.jpg[/img]

[color=#0000FF]Interesting Duffers fact - He organised the "Bicycle Race" publicity stunt for Queen's double A-side “Bicycle Race” b/w “Fat Bottomed Girls” from their LP, Jazz[/color]

In the spirit of the band’s propensity for all things decadent, a nude bicycle race was orchestrated with the help of Duffers (I wonder if he auditioned all the girls?). Sixty-five women rode sporty white touring bikes rented from Halfords. In addition to these shiny new ten-speeds, each rider was provided with a pair of black leather shoes and white ankle socks. Approximately half wore white cotton cycling hats and three women wore red hats. Examining the (in)famous photograph from the race, it doesn’t appear to be a rock’n’roll party atmosphere at all; the racers have their game-face on and are poised to compete. The photograph documents the beginning of the race, presumably the moment before the starting pistol was fired. All of the women sit astride their bicycles in the ready position with two exceptions: one woman takes a sip from a water bottle while another stands with her back to the camera to reveal, yup, a fat bottom. The rentals department at Halfords was so shocked by the use of their bicycles they insisted Queen purchase all sixty-five seats! Where are those seats today? I imagine an unlucky EMI intern spent a couple hours with a crescent wrench replacing the sullied seats, pining the likelihood of ever meeting the band members.

This poster was given away with the LP (the big black plastic CD like things for those who do not know what an LP is)
[img]http://i34.tinypic.com/zx5gk2.jpg[/img]

And just in case you forgot what the song was like...

[youtubewww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTPLUcQAjk[/youtubewww]

[TimNick]

or fill their car up with petrol when it's a diesel during your solo TDF 3 week commentary road trip and whilst the local garage drain and repair the hire car do your commentary from the hotel TV picture down a phone....

....whilst Harmon has done his best and started to develop his own character (especially the profanity at the worlds...go boy go and the banter with Carlton Kirby!) me and the missus really do miss the 3 week 'travelogues' Duffers provided during the grand tours....for starters our local gastronomic and viniculture knowledge has gone right down the ruddy pan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For me as someone returning to cycling after many years (and with little experience of group riding ) the Dufferisms article on the old website made me think these Agreeables must be a good sort.....god bless DD for:

1. His Union Jack underpants being waved out the commentary box window (no doubt puting back our position in Europe by years!)
2. Always looking like he's been dressed by his Mum in the dark
3. An inate ability to misidentify the rider/s in a crucial move/finale despite clear view of rider/s face, number and jersey and the local broadcasters graphics clearly showing the detail (at least Harmon can blame helmets!)
4. The tirade unleashed onto the hapless idiot who knocked Guerini off his bike when wining the Alpe D'huez stage in the TDF
5. His yearly mention of that bloke's house with a boat in the garden during the run into the finale of Fleche Wallone
6. Those expressions: Man With A Hammer, Coming a Box of Tricks, Bang on the Banjo etc etc etc
7. Sounding excited even during the dullest Vualta stage traversing 200km of Sierra valley floor/55km ITT down an out and back dual carriage way
8. Having an encyclopeadic knowledge of all food/wine/history (especially wars!)/local custom of area/town of Spain/France/Italy/Belgium*(delete as applicable depending on time of year)
9. His insistence on saying to Mike Smith '....in the Dungeons' (much to chipper Mike's obvious chagrin)
10. The belief that by flirting with Christy Anderson he'd actually get somewhere!
11. Coppi, Coppi, Coppi, Coppi bloody Coppi!
12..........add some more as applicable!

[Andrew G]

he did have his entertaining moments, but I have to say that for me he did go off the boil in later years and isn't up to it now. The travelogues, complete failure to identify a rider, his refusal to wrap up his rambling on about food for the sake of actually commentating on the only thing of relevance happening during that day's stage/race was entertaining but did wear thin.

I appreciate that, as he said - repeatedly, he tried to commentate for the average Jo(e) to open cycling up to a wider audience, however it was bloody annoying for those of us who follow the sport (which would be 99% of the audience) and wanted to know who'd just made an attack in the last 5k rather than what cheese Duffer's had the night before.

[tel]

Looks like he`s rolling a spliff up for Marco in that first pic.


Terry

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Andrew G"]:lol: he did have his entertaining moments, but I have to say that for me he did go off the boil in later years and isn't up to it now. The travelogues, complete failure to identify a rider, his refusal to wrap up his rambling on about food for the sake of actually commentating on the only thing of relevance happening during that day's stage/race was entertaining but did wear thin.

I appreciate that, as he said - repeatedly, he tried to commentate for the average Jo(e) to open cycling up to a wider audience, however it was bloody annoying for those of us who follow the sport (which would be 99% of the audience) and wanted to know who'd just made an attack in the last 5k rather than what cheese Duffer's had the night before.