(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" cheers riders as France's Thomas Voeckler (C) rides past during the 228.5 km fifth stage of the 100th edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 3, 2013 between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Marseille, southern France. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" cheers on the riders during the second stage of the 92nd Tour de France cycling race between Challans and Les Essarts, July 3, 2005. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" runs next to Frenchman Richard Virenque (L) and German Jan Ullrich in the Courchevel climb during the 14th stage of the Tour de France, July 20, 1997. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by PATRICK KOVARIK / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" cheers as France's Tony Gallopin rides in a breakaway during the 181,5 km ninth stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 9, 2017 between Nantua and Chambery. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" chases an amateur cyclist during the eighth stage of the 94th Tour de France cycling race between Le-Grand Bornand and Tignes, July 15, 2007. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team's Norwegian rider Tobias Halland Johannessen (R) and Groupama - FDJ's French rider Thibaut Pinot (2nd R) cycle in a lead breakaway past German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo", during the 17th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 166 km between Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and Courchevel, in the French Alps, on July 19, 2023. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" cheers for the riders during the 7th stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 168 km between Millau and Lavaur, on September 4, 2020. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) German cycling enthusiast Dieter 'Didi' Senft, nicknamed "El diablo" waits for the riders during the 7th stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 168 km between Millau and Lavaur, on September 4, 2020. For more than 30 years, Dieter "Didi" Senft has been one of the Tour de France's most recognisable figures without ever riding a stage. Better known as "El Diablo" (The Devil), the German superfan appears each July in a bright red devil costume, complete with horns, cape and trident. Since first appearing along the race route in 1993, Senft has entertained roadside crowds and television audiences, sprinting or jumping alongside riders. His devil persona was inspired by the Tour's "flamme rouge", the red banner marking the final kilometre. A former amateur cyclist, locksmith and inventor, Senft has also crafted dozens of novelty bicycles, earning him a Guinness World Record. Despite health and financial setbacks, he has remained a fixture of the race and a symbol of its colourful roadside culture. After thieves broke into his camper van at the start of the 2026 Tour de France race in Barcelona, forcing him to miss the opening stage, Senft returned to the route within days, trident in hand, reinforcing his status as one of the Tour's most enduring characters. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)