2013 Tour de France Stage 1: Porto Vecchio -> Bastia, 213km (29/06/13)

[Modemfearer]

I watched France 2, when Marc Madiot complained.

To make it clear, he did not complain about the Bus! He complained about the decision to move the Finish Line 3km before the original Finish Line, with no more then 10 km to go, just to cancel that decision 2km later, by using the origin Finish line again.

He said that this has certainly confused a lot of Teams and created unnecessary confusion within the Peloton. Confusion can lead to chaos and crashes.

He complained that when the riders or the Teams make mistakes they get hardly punished. He believes that the spanish Commissionary taking the decision, just to cancel it 2km later, does deserve a punishment too.

At the head of the Action, he hoped that the spanish Commissionary will get sent Home.

 

[Jancouver]

It will be a carnage, thats for sure. Some lucky guy from a second wave will take it ...

Page 1 / post #7.

I usually suck at predicting results but I was pretty close with this one.

 

[roundabout]

The road rash sucks, but that's the least of his problems - the collarbone ends his season, and losing consciousness can be really serious...

It's only end of June. It really depends how bad the break is. He can still make the Vuelta.

Losing consciousness is a bigger concern.

 

[JimPanzen]

I watched France 2, when Marc Madiot complained.

To make it clear, he did not complain about the Bus! He complained about the decision to move the Finish Line 3km before the original Finish Line, with no more then 10 km to go, just to cancel that decision 2km later, by using the origin Finish line again.

He said that this has certainly confused a lot of Teams and created unnecessary confusion within the Peloton. Confusion can lead to chaos and crashes.

He complained that when the riders or the Teams make mistakes they get hardly punished. He believes that the spanish Commissionary taking the decision, just to cancel it 2km later, does deserve a punishment too.

At the head of the Action, he hoped that the spanish Commissionary will get sent Home.

That was my impression exactly. Just the the commentators on german eurosport announced that finish will be changed back again, everything wenht to hell. Not saying that this is what instantly caused the crash but it certainly contributed somehow.

 

[bolingbroke]

Page 1 / post #7.

I usually suck at predicting results but I was pretty close with this one.

With the first half of the scentence.

 

[del1962]

The best thing to have done would be not to have moved the finish line, but if the bus could not be moved in time just neutralised stage within last 3k.

 

[babastooey]

First of all, its easy to blame the bus, but the information I at least do not have is how buses travel through the finish. Perhaps the Orica bus was in the right place but at the wrong time, meaning, that they can raise and lower the finish line arch so that buses pass through, and the Orica bus was too late and they had already lowered it, then hotheads decided not to raise it for them because they wanted to make an example out of them being late. Or maybe, the bus was taller than the organizers expected. Regardless, we do not know the whole story on that so it is hard to pass judgement.

As an aside, my dad who knows of such things tells me that the air conditioning unit on the top of the Orica bus is pretty much destroyed, so the Orica team were not able to return to a cool bus. Sucks to be them.

You could blame the organizers for the change in the finish line, but with Kittel announcing that he had no idea about the bus or the change in the finish line, I am not so sure about that. It is possible that some in the peloton knew, and it made them frantic, but then.....

In the first week, riders are always frantic and there are crashes. So how to best organize the race because of this possibility? I know, send the riders over narrow roads in Corsica!

If you are going to blame the ASO, which I choose to do, then do it for the right reason - the roads were too narrow for a first week stage in the Tour. Sure, a Radio Shack rider bumped shoulders with OPQS's Kwiatkowski, and that seemed to cause the trouble. But the shoulder bump was probably due to a nervous rider trying to move over because of a narrow road barrier and he didn't want to get Hoogerlanded.

It is for this reason that I feel that the crash would have happened anyway, bus problem or no bus problem.

On the other hand, if you feel that narrow roads and crashes are a part of the race, then no one is to blame and the result is the result. The TDF was designed from the start to be a war of attrition and not everyone was supposed to make it to the end. Desgrange's perfect Tour was one where only the winner finished the race. So if that is to your liking, then it was a fine first stage. With that said, I wish Tony Martin well (as well as any of the others who are probably out of the race).

 

[CraZyCaLL]

take a look at the bus driver

 

[Boardslide]

What a joke, and Cav's teammate who caused that crash should be chucked off the TDF. Cav so wanted Yellow he looked good in the Intermediate not even going full gas. And no excuses for Contador please he fell but he is fine he was smiling two.

Crash was caused by Greipel pushing through a gap that wasn't there and catching OPQS rider

 

[Kwibus]

Yep, hold a flat opening stage in one of the few places where they can start with a mountainous route to temper the usual crash chaos. Everyone called it 18 months ago I guess.

Hope everyone is OK and that we can make it another week with the world's best riders still 100%.

This this this.

 

[JimPanzen]

take a look at the bus driver

He can't be blamed imo. He certainly was guided through the gate. Organizers fault.

 

[Netserk]

The bus has to ask for permission to cross the finish line. He didn't ask for permission, so the bar wasn't raised...

But I don't blame the bus driver (only). IMO this is ASO's fault.

 

[Cimber]

Froome was bleeding from knee but reported to be ok

 

[DominicDecoco]

Hehe, rumours on twitter say that the Orica-GreenEdge bus has tested positive for growth hormones..

 

[Kwibus]

Crash was caused by Greipel pushing through a gap that wasn't there and catching OPQS rider

No, it was Kwiatkowski.

P.s. Great pic from the bus driver. Just epic.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Froome was bleeding from knee but reported to be ok

Froome went down too?

 

[Cimber]

Froome went down too?

I dunno. I don't think so but a reporter at the Tour said he was bleeding from his knee, but that he is ok

 

[Linkinito]

The 10 facts of this first stage.
- Corsica is beautiful.
- Froome crashes before km 0.
- 207 boring kilometers.
- Orica GreenEdge bus too big for the Tour.
- 5 epic final kilometers.
- Crashfest.
- A rapidly moving finish line.
- Every big sprinter wanted the yellow jersey, no one had the chance to fight for it (except Kittel).
- Marc MADiot.
- Huge gaps but everyone has the same time in GC.

 

[JimPanzen]

Froome went down too?

Yeah, in the neutralized zone

 

[Kwibus]

Mollema also crashed in the big crah. Doesnt seem to be very hurt though.

I hate the first week GC selection of the TDF. Its just barbaric.

 

[jens_attacks]

I watched France 2, when Marc Madiot complained.

To make it clear, he did not complain about the Bus! He complained about the decision to move the Finish Line 3km before the original Finish Line, with no more then 10 km to go, just to cancel that decision 2km later, by using the origin Finish line again.

He said that this has certainly confused a lot of Teams and created unnecessary confusion within the Peloton. Confusion can lead to chaos and crashes.

He complained that when the riders or the Teams make mistakes they get hardly punished. He believes that the spanish Commissionary taking the decision, just to cancel it 2km later, does deserve a punishment too.

At the head of the Action, he hoped that the spanish Commissionary will get sent Home.

god damn spanish!!!!!!!!!sent him home!!!. and all the riders too!
i'm sure he must be a close friend with ufe too





seriously now,it was the best decision and i want to congratulate that person for the courage. brave decision. the sprint at that 3 km roundabout= massive massive carnage. it would have been ugly


i'm sorry but the crashes on the first week will always happen. yes it was some extra confusion but let's not get over dramatic for christ sake.

and yes i agree, me who i really don't like kittel, that it was a well deserved win, congrats to him for the yellow

hopefully there won't be any abandons.

 

[theyoungest]

Mollema also crashed in the big crah. Doesnt seem to be very hurt though.

I hate the first week GC selection of the TDF. Its just barbaric.

He missed a lamp post by only a few centimeters. What a ridiculous sport this is, with spandex as your protection at 60 km/h.

 

[JimPanzen]

He missed a lamp post by only a few centimeters. What a ridiculous sport this is, with spandex as your protection at 60 km/h.

That was Mollema? I saw that on TV and was thinking "Lucky guy!".

 

[bolingbroke]

I dunno. I don't think so but a reporter at the Tour said he was bleeding from his knee, but that he is ok

He went down in the first 10k

 

[Linkinito]

Marc MADiot explains to France 2 (in French).