2012 Giro d'Italia, May 7th, stage 3: Horsens → Horsens, 190K

[dlwssonic]

ouch cav lost loads of skin!

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

ouch cav lost loads of skin!

 

[BillytheKid]

Farrari does not belong in a Grand Tour. Here's a highlight of the crash from the helo cam. Why did he change his line radically to go right instead of up the left? (if it's been posted already, I apologize)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qNHWTJDqB68

I can't recall a abrupt move like this from back in the field in the pro ranks ever. Cav and Haussler in the Suisse a few years back looked mild compared to this. What an amateur! Go home and back to club racing.

 

[djconnel]

I find this event curious, because if any sprint shows the need for disqualification from the race, surely this one does.

Headbutting (even defensive) and water bottle throwing seem to cross the UCI threshold for riders getting disqualified. The rules forbid sprinters changing lines if it creates a danger, and this one obviously did so, based on the result. Changing of lines of any sort could not be forbidden, otherwise it would be essentially impossible for any rider to pass another.

But the rules seem surprisingly nonspecific on penalty, from what I can tell. Even a search for "danger" in the UCI road rules turned up only four hits: one for dangerous sprinting, one for danger points in courses, and two for endangering the financial stability of races. Indicative of the proportional concern of the UCI?

Anyway, behavior like Ferrari's clearly is against the interest of professional cycling. Goss' victory is largely spoiled, he and his sponsors are denied the positive attention they deserve, while Ferrari and his sponsors get negative attention they don't want.

Racing simply cannot tolerate this sort of recklessness. For this reason Ferrari should be gone, if the rules contain adequate provision for it. And if they don't, they should.

 

[djconnel]

Farrari does not belong in a Grand Tour. Here's a highlight of the crash from the helo cam. Why did he change his line radically to go right instead of up the left? (if it's been posted already, I apologize)

I expect the wind was coming from the left, and so the right was the protected side.

 

[JibberJim]

If that were the case, like Phinney he would've been given the same time as everyone who avoided or was in front of the crash. He had to have had some type of mechanical prior to the crash or been involved in another crash earlier if he lost time like that.

Edit: Stefrees already responded with same reasoning much earlier.

The main classification shows him finishing on the same time though, and the overall has him only the 46seconds down from the ITT. So I think he was held up/came down. It's just the cyclingnews display which doesn't account for the times people came down just the order.

 

[BillytheKid]

I expect the wind was coming from the left, and so the right was the protected side.

Your probably right, but to entitled yourself to that line at the expense of many is just bad for the sport. That line was Cav's and he wins a lot of races not just on sheer speed, but on putting himself in the right spot...which is exactly where he was...as you said the right side with wind from the left.

Farrari may have doomed his career forever.

Enough said I guess.

 

[patrick767]

I vote Elia Favilli for most impressive move of the day. Jumping the fallen Cavendish at 60 km/h was some fantastic bike handling.

 

[karlboss]

Cav will be even more isolated at the tour. Wiggins and a few others will not be part of the sprint train so his train will be no where near the perfection of the HTC one. Greenedge have, on paper at least, the best train for many years so they can swamp anything Sky can put together. It should mean more interesting flat stages in the tour. Not great for Cav though.

Have we forgotten HTC already?

 

[FabulousCandelabra]

Ferrari should be kicked out of the Giro at the very least. I don't want to see that idiot apologize, that's some Cat 5 base amateur sprinting right there, and then to be unapologetic about it until your boss tells you to apologize??? He behaved like a complete moron, nearly eliminated the maglia rosa, why is he still in this race??? Giro organizers need to wake up!!!

 

[ElChingon]

As far as I can remember ALL sprinters have been given the designation as a dangerous sprinter who disregards the safety of others at some point in their careers, with the exception of those who never win and even then some of them have also been marked as such.

Its sprinting, not patty cake, stuff happens at those speeds that doesn't happen at slower speeds due to the speed and number of riders in such tight quarters. Everyone needs to get in a sprint situation with 50 or so riders to experience the craziness, then post their experience. Some of you's will never get in the middle of that again, others will make sure to get in no matter what (the rush is way cool or so some of us think), but eventually you take a tumble that's life in the sprint zone.

Sure Ferrari did the wrong thing but he can still learn just like all past sprinters who have done the same thing. Can't wait till the next one, lets see if he improves or gets taken out?

 

[swaqser]

For me cycling is too much of a gentlemans sport, not to apologize or admitting your wrongs, after doing anything so dangerous. I don't wanna see Contador-Andy like love scenes, but when you nearly kills someone, at least admit it and apologize.

If any of my training mates did such a thing, and refused to admit their wrong doing, they would no longer be welcome in my group. This accounts for every rider who has ever done such as thing, and afterwards behaved like Ferrari.

 

[ElChingon]

For me cycling is too much of a gentlemans sport, not to apologize or admitting your wrongs, after doing anything so dangerous. I don't wanna see Contador-Andy like love scenes, but when you nearly kills someone, at least admit it and apologize.

If any of my training mates did such a thing, and refused to admit their wrong doing, they would no longer be welcome in my group. This accounts for every rider who has ever done such as thing, and afterwards behaved like Ferrari.

That's more of a current phenomena, there were a good number of rider rivalries of the past that made the racing even more exciting as they would attack each other and foil the other's moves. This modern day niceness is really taking as much out of the sport as the negative distractions that are discussed in the clinic.

As for doing wrong things, everyone has done something wrong in their cycling past, and sometimes there is no time to stop and apologize or even meet those that were harmed. Then there are situations where one might not think they are in the wrong for any number of reasons or lack of proof, so there is no apology.

Forcing Ferrari to apologize (as it looks is the situation) is worse than if he didn't, as it will come off as if he doesn't really care and fall flat. As it reads now he will wait to publicly (and on TV) apologize before the next stage, I hope they get into a scuffle about it and then race with grudges to create a new rivalry.

 

[fatsprintking]

"Hooking" someone has never been acceptable at any level of the sport at any time. The only difference is that in the past you would have had the s--t kicked out of you for doing something so stupid.

Good sprinters might sprint 150+ times a year and generally what seems crazy to most people has a whole lot of structure to it. Everyone knows what the consequence of it going wrong are and so sprints with this in mind. A crash in a big bunch sprint will always be ugly and so generally there is some degree of respect for this and also some respect for the hierarchy that exists.

When this breaks down and things start getting really stupid like in this stage, you have the chance for someone to get really hurt or killed. Whatever you think of Cav, he is the world champion and fastest person in the race all the guys at the front would have known that he would have been coming. Cav has wide open road in front of him and has hit out for the line at top speed . Ferrari has come directly across him. This is not normal or usual. Cav changes line before they open up the sprint as he gets out of being boxed in, this is normal and natural. Doing a hard right while everyone has their head down going to the line is not. Once everyone is out of their seat you hold your line.

In the "should triathletes be allowed to ride bikes", a Cat5 guy gets the p-ss taken out of him for doing exactly what Ferrari did, but somehow people want to excuse a professional rider because "that’s sprinting". That’s total garbage.

 

[bridgeman]

If nothing is done about this, then it lends itself for someone else to think they can take such a chance.

Sending the offenders home will make more riders think twice. This up and coming apology is a hollow gesture.

 

[blaxland]

If Mark Renshaw got D'qued last year for headbutting/shoving then he should definantley be sent home"and yes i know this is the Giro...

 

[greenedge]

It was 2010 though.

 

[woodie]

It was 2010 though.

Doesn't matter though. What Ferrari did was stupid, sure other sprinters have done stupid things including Cav but there was no reason at all for the complete random change of direction.

With Renshaw being kicked out of the Tour for 'Dangerous Riding' the UCI set a precedent that dangerous riding will result in being kicked off the tour, a precedent they haven't followed in any race since. The main issue I have with many decisions the commassaires make is the inconsistency, they need to make their decisions consistent across all races otherwise riders, spectators, teams etc. will just be confused as to what is acceptable and what is not.

What Ferrari did was not acceptable at any level of racing. It makes it even worse that he won't apologize (and this 'apology' at the start of the stage is such an obvious PR stunt it's insulting).

 

[Ferminal]

So it's in the best interests of cycling that an incorrect decision be followed by more incorrect decisions?

 

[greenedge]

I wasn't trying to say Ferrari deserves not to go- instead i was just trying to correct @Blaxland who stated that Renshaw was omitted last year.

Sorry for making you go down the lines of believing i was saying that Renshaws' disqualification ( headbutt ) incident was outdated.

 

[Offtheback]

That's more of a current phenomena, there were a good number of rider rivalries of the past that made the racing even more exciting as they would attack each other and foil the other's moves. This modern day niceness is really taking as much out of the sport as the negative distractions that are discussed in the clinic.

As for doing wrong things, everyone has done something wrong in their cycling past, and sometimes there is no time to stop and apologize or even meet those that were harmed. Then there are situations where one might not think they are in the wrong for any number of reasons or lack of proof, so there is no apology.

Forcing Ferrari to apologize (as it looks is the situation) is worse than if he didn't, as it will come off as if he doesn't really care and fall flat. As it reads now he will wait to publicly (and on TV) apologize before the next stage, I hope they get into a scuffle about it and then race with grudges to create a new rivalry.

He should apologize to Taylor as well; he came out worse physically as a result of that wild switch. And yes, I hope that Mark doesn't just smile and suck it, and he tells Ferrari what he really thinks.

BTW, are you really the first forum member? I always thought that I was the first to make some sort of a comment when it started. But I'm probably wrong.

 

[woodie]

So it's in the best interests of cycling that an incorrect decision be followed by more incorrect decisions?

I can see how you got that but that's not what I meant. I agree sending Renshaw home was wrong but is relegating and fining Ferrari enough? I get that's it's a hard decision but his actions almost cost several riders their Giro, luckily everyone was ok considering.

My point is if what Renshaw did supposedly warrented him being sent home, and there were no crashes due to his actions, then why not send Ferrari home for what he did which ended up in people getting hurt?

I personally don't think Ferrari should still be in the Giro. I guess everyone deserves a second chance if they are remorseful.

I wasn't trying to say Ferrari deserves not to go- instead i was just trying to correct @Blaxland who stated that Renshaw was omitted last year.

Sorry for making you go down the lines of believing i was saying that Renshaws' disqualification ( headbutt ) incident was outdated.

Ah I see. No problem

 

[personal]

...
I can't recall a abrupt move like this from back in the field in the pro ranks ever. Cav and Haussler in the Suisse a few years back looked mild compared to this. What an amateur! Go home and back to club racing.

To me those two crashes look exactly the same.
Recless rider causes crash. Maybe this was karma payback for Cavendish who didn't feel he was wrong just like Italian feels now.

 

[ElChingon]

He should apologize to Taylor as well; he came out worse physically as a result of that wild switch. And yes, I hope that Mark doesn't just smile and suck it, and he tells Ferrari what he really thinks.

BTW, are you really the first forum member? I always thought that I was the first to make some sort of a comment when it started. But I'm probably wrong.

Funny how people want apologies for the higher ranked riders but the other guys who fell with Phinney (FdJ rider and a few others, I think) just forget them, heck I don't even know their names either, due to the media just washing over them like they don't exist. Everyone is in a tailspin about Cav and Phinney, its not the end of the world for them so at this point the apology can be dropped just like the information on the other riders.

I mean the foul was so bad by Ferrari that only two of the 6 need an apology the rest, agh who cares

 

[Cykelbloggar]

But please!
I read a lot like "he shouldn´t have changed direction etc etc" Cav this Cav that...
Have you ever looked into a sprint by Cav from the helicopter point of view?? He goes from left to right and back all the time.
Now when Roberto begs for forgivness it´s not enough, have Cav ever begged for forgivness from Häussler or Boonen . HELL NO!
And there you have an example of an rider (Häussler) who´s cyclingcareer came to a halt after the crash in 2010. Shame on you Cav!

"The first one who´s free from guilt can throw the first stone"

Fritz