A Tough Situation for the Giro

[Parrulo]

The Crostis descent will need to be reconsidered. I like watching crazy hard stages as much as anyone, but putting people's lives in danger with that kind of descent is really unnecessary.

thats stupid. he had a crash on a descent that wasn't even dangerous. besides on the crostis there will be small groups of riders going downhill very carefully so i don't see a problem in it. here the peloton was raging downhill. thats completely different. the giro should go on simple as that and i will still enjoy it. i am sad wouter died but it won't change my life or the way i see cycling. we all know its dangerous. . .

now you can go ahead calling a bad person and claiming you are much better people then me but at least i am not an hypocrite

 

[Ferminal]

The Crostis descent will need to be reconsidered. I like watching crazy hard stages as much as anyone, but putting people's lives in danger with that kind of descent is really unnecessary.

I agree, and I will have my eyes closed (or not be watching) if the descent is as marginal as we expect.

But how do we balance the sport with the risk. Where do we draw the line between challenging and dangerous. The tragedy of the sport is that this could happen anywhere.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

thats stupid. he had a crash on a descent that wasn't even dangerous. besides on the crostis there will be small groups of riders going downhill very carefully so i don't see a problem in it. here the peloton was raging downhill. thats completely different. the giro should go on simple as that and i will still enjoy it. i am sad wouter died but it won't change my life or the way i see cycling. we all know its dangerous. . .

now you can go ahead calling a bad person and claiming you are much better people then me but at least i am not an hypocrite

What are you talking about? Nobody called you a bad person.
Oh, never mind. To the ignore list you go.

This is the Crostis descent. I don't see the benefit to cycling of including this.

 

[VeloCity]

thats stupid. he had a crash on a descent that wasn't even dangerous. besides on the crostis there will be small groups of riders going downhill very carefully so i don't see a problem in it. here the peloton was raging downhill. thats completely different. the giro should go on simple as that and i will still enjoy it. i am sad wouter died but it won't change my life or the way i see cycling. we all know its dangerous. . .

now you can go ahead calling a bad person and claiming you are much better people then me but at least i am not an hypocrite

Some of us tend to think that a person's death is a bit more important than a bike race.

 

[spaceboy]

I would really be surprised if Tyler Farrar will be able to continue as they are best friends. Sad day.

 

[Parrulo]

What are you talking about? Nobody called you a bad person.
Oh, never mind. To the ignore list you go.

i didn't meant you as you. . . . . but ofc its much better to missunderstand a post and ignore some1 before he explains it

 

[R.0.t.O]

thats stupid. he had a crash on a descent that wasn't even dangerous. besides on the crostis there will be small groups of riders going downhill very carefully so i don't see a problem in it. here the peloton was raging downhill. thats completely different. the giro should go on simple as that and i will still enjoy it. i am sad wouter died but it won't change my life or the way i see cycling. we all know its dangerous. . .

now you can go ahead calling a bad person and claiming you are much better people then me but at least i am not an hypocrite

+1. Realistically I'll take bigger risks riding home through busy traffic later, this is cycling and this is life.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

I said this in the other thread, not that it matters, but this has probably ruined the giro for me. I of course understand the race must continue, but I find myself personally detached from the race after this event. It is devistating. And I find myself not wishing to think about competitive racing at the moment.

What Timmy said. As for a reaction to this tragedy I for one would race hard in his memory. Let Tyler take the victory for his best friend. Prize money to his wife. Though that gives little consolation...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Some of us tend to think that a person's death is a bit more important than a bike race.

+1

and also, saying something as petty as calling other hyporcrites at a moment like this.
very sad and not at all necessary in this situation.

 

[El Pistolero]

thats stupid. he had a crash on a descent that wasn't even dangerous. besides on the crostis there will be small groups of riders going downhill very carefully so i don't see a problem in it. here the peloton was raging downhill. thats completely different. the giro should go on simple as that and i will still enjoy it. i am sad wouter died but it won't change my life or the way i see cycling. we all know its dangerous. . .

now you can go ahead calling a bad person and claiming you are much better people then me but at least i am not an hypocrite

Yes, but the Crostis descend IS a dangerous one, so seeing as someone can already lose their life on a descend like this(still a dangerous one, not like you say) then the chance of the same happening on Crostis is so much higher.

The descend adds NOTHING to the race and even before the death of Wouter people were complaining about iy. If they're going to ride ultra slower over the crostis descend then why does it even need to be in there? It's pointless.

 

[thirteen]

I said this in the other thread, not that it matters, but this has probably ruined the giro for me. I of course understand the race must continue, but I find myself personally detached from the race after this event. It is devistating. And I find myself not wishing to think about competitive racing at the moment.

i feel exactly the same.

Clearly tomorrow should be ridden in memory of Weylandt (cf - Casartelli, Simpson).

Leopard rider to be sent on ahead to take the win + all prize money to be donated to the family would seem to be the appropriate course of action.

i said this in the Wouter Weylandt Memorial thread (sorry Ferminal), but i really feel the stage should go to WW's best friend and training partner, Tyler Farrar. he has to be hurting far greater than anyone on Leopard-Trek.

and, yes, all the monies should go to his wife and the child who will never know his/her father

 

[Escarabajo]

The Crostis descent will need to be reconsidered. I like watching crazy hard stages as much as anyone, but putting people's lives in danger with that kind of descent is really unnecessary.

+1. My thoughts exactly.

 

[BigBoat]

The Giro stages have always been dangerous and twisty...

I've ALWAYS been disappointed by the lack of frontal protection on bike helmets. The rear section of helmets is quite large but there's nothing over your forehead. I always though it would be better & more comfortable to have the helmet extend farther over your head, it might also help block out the sun.

Anyways racing deaths are extremely rare. Very unlucky. Most fatalities or serious injuries come from cars & trucks.

 

[max_powers]

What a terrible incident.

This should bring up questions regarding course safety as well as rider survivor benefits.
Do teams usually offer group life insurance?

Many parts of this year's giro are described as dangerous, perhaps that will be altered.

The bikes are faster than ever, and therefore the ability to react is diminished sometimes, and higher speed crashes cause more potential for damage.

 

[Parrulo]

+1

and also, saying something as petty as calling other hyporcrites at a moment like this.
very sad and not at all necessary in this situation.

you are being way to literal about my post. also when would it be a "good" moment to talk about this? in a week a month a year? the fact is as sad as all of us are today, in a couple days or weeks few people will actually be bothered by this. yes they may think of it and say that was really sad but they won't be suffering.

but who cares anyway

Do teams usually offer group life insurance?

i hope they do. for some reason i though every sport/job with some sort of like risk would have a life insurance in contract

 

[Marva32]

This is the Crostis descent. I don't see the benefit to cycling of including this.

Never saw anything like this photo.

As for the race, I have to agree with posters who were talking neutralized stage and donating prize money to his family.

 

[Tornadin]

What about todays stage?

The least they could do is to neuralize it as well as tomorrows stage.

This is unfortunate for todays winners but I think you shouldn't have any "winners" on a day like this.

 

[RedZone]

I dont see why the route should be changed. The Crostis descent is no more dangerous now as it was when it was announced. Either way Weylandt crashed on a descent that was fairly run of the line when it comes to bike racing, should all races avoid any downhills that are of similar gradient?

i hope you don't take my comments as a disrespect to Wouter, his death is indeed a terrible tragedy, but a reactionary route change wont bring him back. The best way to honor him is to don black armbands tomorrow, and race hard for the win so you can honor his memory and present the prize money to his family.

RIP Wouter

 

[Francois the Postman]

I have moved a handful of threads from the memorial thread to this one, as they sat better here.

 

[R.0.t.O]

Some of us tend to think that a person's death is a bit more important than a bike race.

All of us think that. The question is what do you do about it. All cycle racing is dangerous by its nature of hurtling around at high speed with almost no protective equipment. I haven't seen the descent off Monte Crostis but it hasn't got any more dangerous since yesterday. Anyway, I'm off training now, out in the traffic with motorists scraping past my elbow and pulling out on me without warning.

 

[thirteen]

What about todays stage?

The least they could do is to neuralize it as well as tomorrows stage.

This is unfortunate for todays winners but I think you shouldn't have any "winners" on a day like this.

but there is something apropos about an "Angel" winning it.

poetic, even.

let today stand.

 

[benpounder]

IF the cyclists want to ride, i suspect we will see a shortened non-competitive day. Perhaps led by a riderless Trek bearing 108...

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I know it's not really on topic, but I want to keep the Memorial thread for memorial only,

But what a terrible, disrespectful picture on http://www.gazzetta.it homepage

 

[hrotha]

I dont see why the route should be changed. The Crostis descent is no more dangerous now as it was when it was announced. Either way Weylandt crashed on a descent that was fairly run of the line when it comes to bike racing, should all races avoid any downhills that are of similar gradient?

i hope you don't take my comments as a disrespect to Wouter, his death is indeed a terrible tragedy, but a reactionary route change wont bring him back. The best way to honor him is to don black armbands tomorrow, and race hard for the win so you can honor his memory and present the prize money to his family.

RIP Wouter

While I agree that the issue of the Crostis descent SHOULD be independent of what happened today, we should acknowledge this is a reminder that the sport is inherently dangerous no matter the course. Raising the danger level above the normal thresholds is not wise, and now (or rather, in a few days, when everybody can look at this with a minimum of perspective) they should stop to think if the Crostis descent goes above that threshold, because maybe when they designed the course they had forgotten how dangerous this sport is (fatal accidents, after all, are fortunately not very common).

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I know it's not really on topic, but I want to keep the Memorial thread for memorial only,

But what a terrible, disrespectful picture on http://www.gazzetta.it homepage

disgusting.

I am feeling really down and sick over all of this. bed time i think. blah.
it just sucks.