- May 10, 2015
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So there was an agreement made before the start between organizers and riders that there would be more moto's before the groups to make sure cars were stopped in advance (which usually happend with rolling road closures). Then a few kilometers into the race the break was forming. The break was not even 20 seconds ahead when a car came out of his driveway in between break and peloton. Apparently it was riding in the same direction as the riders. Peloton stopped (Ineos and Red Bull first) and immediately started to protest. 3 riders were assigned as representatives. De Bondt, Lazkano and Thomas. The first 2 voted to stop the race, Thomas wanted to restart. Apparently the jury didn't listen to that vote and they still decided to restart, which made a lot of riders mad.
There's some rumors that UCI points won't count for this race, but I haven't seen any official confirmation. If that's the case, there's just no point in continuing anyways, unless you're a contiteam who wants some TV time.
There's some rumors that UCI points won't count for this race, but I haven't seen any official confirmation. If that's the case, there's just no point in continuing anyways, unless you're a contiteam who wants some TV time.
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Armchair Cyclist
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- Mar 22, 2010
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So given that with that size of gap it is inappropriate to have cars or motorbikes between the breakaway and the peloton, and given that some drivers are that arrogant/oblivious, is there anything the organisers could have done to prevent it? Whether it was in a 2.1 race or the Tour de France?
- May 10, 2015
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Today? I don't think so, yesterday is a different story. I assume most riders where just still pissed off about yesterday. But even there it was an oblivious driver who apparently (according to the Gendarmerie) literally ignored a road block further up that road. I mean it's obviously a *** show.
Worst thing is that it might still get cancelled, and not because of the car problem, but because of the weather. Tomorrows weather is pretty insane. Cold and rain all day, possibily even snow on Mont Bouquet. Worst thing is that there might be some landslides danger wchich of course is an immediate cancellation of the race.
- Apr 30, 2011
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Unless they can cite the governing rule-set of the sport where it mandates a simple majority of representatives of the riders with a veto on whether a race is allowed to continue for the willing participants, I don't see any reason why anyone should listen to them.
- May 10, 2015
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Thomas said that he doesn't know if it's binding. He thought there was an agreement between UCI and riders that if they do a majority vote it counts but he didn't know for sure. It would be weird to me if it would count honestly. Like if the majority doesn't want to race in bad weather they don't race?
- May 5, 2010
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Trying (against the rule-set in force) to coordinate as a mob to destroy the opportunity for others to race. "Spoiled brats" is too kind.
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They wouldn't even have needed to protest if it wasn't for the safety issues.
- Apr 30, 2011
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So what? ~"[pick your terrorist attack of choice] wouldn't have needed to happen if not for [motivation for the terrorists]".
zlev11
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- Jan 23, 2011
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Quite lucky, considering the idiot cabbage yesterday.
That incident did of course cause a crash.
Not the same...
zlev11
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the race organizers have no influence over the way a member of the public decides to drive their car. a small race like this cannot afford full road closures.
- May 10, 2015
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It did, mixed with riders who aren't looking out or slowing down properly, and Van Gils who is at the back of the peloton on his own not looking.
The person in the car btw apparently ignored a road block, and according to one source even ignored instructions from the gendarmerie. Is it dangerous? Yes, absolutely. Can the organizer do anything about morons on the road? Not really.
The only solution for this is more money (impossible) or more circuits, which means you're going away from what traditional cycling is, definitely if we talk about stage races. Or you know, you go to the desert. OneCycling will be happy with all this. I'm surprised I haven't see Plugge using this to promote his BS like a real politician.
In the first place I would recommend those WT teams to not go to this race in the future, no idea why they were all here when everyone knows Besseges is a dangerous race, even if we forget about the cars. Always very nervous and chaotic, always a lot of crashes.
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- Apr 8, 2023
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Good news for @maximvangils. After his fall yesterday on the @Etoile_Besseges our Belgian rider has already resumed activity on a home trainer. We wish Maxim a speedy recovery! Expected return to work on the @Stradebianche
View: https://x.com/RBH_ProCyclingF/status/1887941057775812628
View: https://x.com/RBH_ProCyclingF/status/1887941057775812628
Did but in a more passive aggressive way;
At least it's the French he's having a go at this time rather than the Asians.
Armchair Cyclist
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- Mar 22, 2010
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The situation of course shouldn't have arisen (and might have been more preventable than today's, but in both cases it was far more about an irresponsible driver than what race organisers had not done).
But the fall of Van Gils and those around him was a long way back in the peloton, and could have been related to any compression of the group.
- Apr 30, 2011
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Either the action in question is legitimate or not. If it's not legitimate, then it's analogous to excusing terrorism if you sympathise with the motivation for it. If the action is legitimate, then you can argue that straightforwardly and you don't have to sympathise with the motivation for it.
zlev11
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Well going from the Facebook posting the organizers have dropped the climb to mont bouquet, so the stage will end in Brouzet-le-Ales so the stage will be 148.91 km long according to the timetable at https://www.etoiledebesseges.com/wp...vert-Mont-Bouquet-parcours-condense-carte.pdf
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