• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Étoile de Bessèges 2025 February 5th - 9th

Page 10 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
11,919
11,010
28,180
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.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Berniece and search
Armchair Cyclist

Armchair Cyclist

Moderator
Mar 22, 2010
13,858
9,482
28,180
Samamba said:
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.
Click to expand...
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?
 
  • Like
Reactions: pastronef, Devil's Elbow, search and 1 other person
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
11,919
11,010
28,180
Armchair Cyclist said:
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?
Click to expand...

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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: search
Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
44,058
26,172
28,180
Samamba said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pastronef
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
11,919
11,010
28,180
Netserk said:
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.
Click to expand...

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?
 
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
11,919
11,010
28,180
Oier Lazkano sees red when about forty riders prepare to return to the fight. “Ok, ok… Bravo! You had an opportunity to change things, but you’re not taking it.” He is interrupted by Anthony Delaplace. “But get back to the bus you!” Tensions are rising. “Why don’t you wear your balls? Are you waiting for what to happen? For another death?”, we can hear in the distance.
Click to expand...

:tearsofjoy:
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Tricycle Rider
Samamba

Samamba

May 10, 2015
11,919
11,010
28,180
RedheadDane said:
That incident did of course cause a crash.
Click to expand...

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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Zoetemelk-fan and search
Lequack

Lequack

Jul 10, 2014
14,325
23,979
28,180
Rob5091 said:
Facebook posting by organizers (in French)
Click to expand...

GjNn4S9XkAAMAce
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and Captain Sensible
T

Tim Cahill

May 6, 2021
9,720
17,881
17,180
Samamba said:
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 French 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.
Click to expand...
Did but in a more passive aggressive way;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1887921152426725584

At least it's the French he's having a go at this time rather than the Asians.
 
Armchair Cyclist

Armchair Cyclist

Moderator
Mar 22, 2010
13,858
9,482
28,180
RedheadDane said:
Quite lucky, considering the idiot cabbage yesterday.
That incident did of course cause a crash.
Click to expand...
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.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan and pastronef
zlev11

zlev11

Jan 23, 2011
2,489
2,705
17,180
honestly looking at the teams who left, we've barely lost anyone who could win the race overall. Carthy, Carapaz, Cattaneo, and Tratnik? screw em, we dont need em. should still be a pretty good race for the win the next two days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom