A Tough Situation for the Giro

[Escarabajo]

To tell the truth I might be more scared for those in the team cars than those on the bikes on the descent of Crostis. Though they have spent a lot of money on doing it up to make it passable (as in literable able to pass, not passable as in decent).

Remember Vuelta a Colombia in "La Linea" when a car went down hill and some people died. Nets won't help on that respect I think.

 

[VeloCity]

If you need nets to catch falling riders, I think the problem might lie with the route you've chosen.

 

[roundabout]

To tell the truth I might be more scared for those in the team cars than those on the bikes on the descent of Crostis. Though they have spent a lot of money on doing it up to make it passable (as in literable able to pass, not passable as in decent).

They should have done it Finestre like - a goat/gravel track to the top and some of the best roads seen in the Giro on the descent.

Although to be fair Finistre doesn't really go above 10%.

 

[Benotti69]

I think that the safety of races needs to come from the riders first as it is they who are the ones taking the risks. They need to not be scared to say this is not safe to race and slow the pace if necessary. The Giro has gotten better because of the route, but riders need to be able to say amongst themselves when to realise the dangers and maybe neutralise sections for their own safety without effecting the stage. If they want to race who are we to question them.

I enjoyed the strada bianche stage last year. I think it enhanced the race. But if that was a descent why risk your neck, pretend to give it loads but dont. It is all part of the entertainment.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

They should have done it Finestre like - a goat/gravel track to the top and some of the best roads seen in the Giro on the descent.

Although to be fair Finistre doesn't really go above 10%.

Maybe that is how they've done it. The brutal looking pictures posted above appear to be right at the top, where it's mostly more or less flat. I don't know what the descent looks like today beyond the photos I just posted - the date of which I do not know. If Zomegnan and RCS spent a whole bunch on making this pass ridable and didn't make the descent safe, they're idiots, because as you said, with Finestre it showed it was possible to ride up on goat tracks, but descending on them would be ridiculous. So the descent should have been done up more than the ascent.

 

[mwbyrd]

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.

Holy S***, That's crazy. Maybe, MAYBE on a mountain bike. I wouldn't even drive a car down that road!!

 

[benpounder]

Also, given all the attention (recons, nets) it could somewhat paradoxically be a relatively safe descent.

A point I made to LS upthread.

Anecdotally, I was on Côte de La Rochette in 2003 (on a ONCE logoed Giant TCR non-the-less) when Jose Beloki's career effectively ended. Just a little bump on a transition stage the day after a L'Alpe D'Huez finish. We were staying at a local B&B, and the conversation around the table that evening and the next day were all about just how crappy that road was in hot weather - sticky to climb, sloppy to descend. Locals knew, but because it was such an obscure bump on an ostensibly off day, no one asked, and no one reconed. The highly used climbs and descents are safe primarily because everyone knows them.

And that is a strike against using Monte Crostis (although I am not advocating a route change).

 

[meandmygitane]

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.

May I just point out that this photo is tilted by about 13-15 degrees to the left (loaded it into a image program and rotated it clockwise until the cycles where more or less vertical).

It still looks very severe but the road is not "leaning" outwards as much at least. Make your own observations and draw conclusions from that.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

He knew about the crash but not that he died. Also it was Millar who was attacking and AC who wanted to follow. He yelled at AC to stop, which he did, while Millar went on.

EDIT: Oh it seems as if Fisher's intententions werent really that "pure".

exactly. he just wanted millar to go alone so no one would counter which would've happened if contador had countered. very weird action by fischer en even weirder dat contador listened

 

[Publicus]

exactly. he just wanted millar to go alone so no one would counter which would've happened if contador had countered. very weird action by fischer en even weirder dat contador listened

I don't know how much of this is just Fischer trying to make himself sound important. Does anyone recall this moment during the race (i.e., AC rising up as if to counter-attack/attack and immediately shutting it down)?

 

[hrotha]

You're reading too much into it.

 

[Publicus]

You're reading too much into it.

That is entirely possible and certainly not the first time I've done such a thing.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

There's simply no correct response to this, whatever his teammates and the whole peloton decide to do will be understandable and we must respect it.

Well said.

There is no race manual or rule book to go to at a time like this.
Everyone in the cycling community is shocked and saddened - but we (as fans) should remember that for many Pros there they will be suffering genuine grief as Wouter was not only a fellow racer but to many a friend, a team mate (or former teammate on QS) and room mate.

Each of these people will have their own opinions and ways to honor Wouter's memory and whatever way they wish to pay homage I will support.

 

[thirteen]

Well said.

There is no race manual or rule book to go to at a time like this.
Everyone in the cycling community is shocked and saddened - but we (as fans) should remember that for many Pros there they will be suffering genuine grief as Wouter was not only a fellow racer but to many a friend, a team mate (or former teammate on QS) and room mate.

Each of these people will have their own opinions and ways to honor Wouter's memory and whatever way they wish to pay homage I will support.

well said yourself.

thank you for reminding us.

 

[lukinox]

In my opinion the Giro should continue as planned. Team Leopard should decide what to do with tomorrow's stage, but donating all tomorrow's prize money to Weylandt's family is a great idea.
What happened today was a tragedy but I'm sure that Wouter Weylandt would like all his fellow riders to continue doing what they love doing and keep racing.

 

[M Sport]

The only clear protocol to be followed here is the wishes of the immediate family and Wouter's team must be respected. What they do tomorrow to honour his passing will be respected by the Giro organisers and the other teams without question.

It would also be respectful if posters here didn't speculate on what they think may have caused or contributed to the crash, now is not the time.

 

[El Pistolero]

I don't know how much of this is just Fischer trying to make himself sound important. Does anyone recall this moment during the race (i.e., AC rising up as if to counter-attack/attack and immediately shutting it down)?

Well, I didn't pay a lot of attention anymore after I heard of the crash, so I don't really know how to final unfolded, but Contador did take some bonus seconds at an intermediate sprint, so he was probably somewhere up front.

 

[Anonymous]

There is no race manual or rule book to go to at a time like this.

In my opinion the Giro should continue as planned. Team Leopard should decide what to do with tomorrow's stage, but donating all tomorrow's prize money to Weylandt's family is a great idea..

agreed.......

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Contador on the Crostis:

“That descent off the Crostis, which is the climb before Zoncolan, I don’t know how we’re going to get down that. I don’t know if they’re going to repave it, or if they will put nets on the corners like on ski runs, because the drops there are tremendous. All I know is that even in a car, the descent puts your hair on end. I only hope nothing unfortunate happens that day,” Contador said. “(On switching bikes for the descent), I wouldn’t count it out, but in the end, I don’t think I would do it. I am glad to have seen it, just to be able to get ready for it in my mind. But if it’s raining or snowing … I don’t even want to think about it.”

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Very nice video from Gazzetta dello Sport, filming Contador's recon trip on the Crostis and the Zoncolan.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011...mbs-‘hard-to-believe-until-you-see-it’_170127

 

[The Hitch]

look at the disgraceful coverage by bbc sport

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport

Its the 6th story behind absolute bull**** that means nothing by comparison.

Of course when Massa or Kubica (who together have less balls then Weylandt has in his little finger) crashed it was the headline news. Not just for the sports section but for the whole of bbc news.

Chapeau to all the european papers who understand that this is a major story.

Even to sky, who have probably never before had a non football story on their front page.

Down with the bbc. ****s.

 

[Francois the Postman]

look at the disgraceful coverage by bbc sport

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport

Its the 6th story behind absolute bull**** that means nothing by comparison.

Of course when Massa or Kubica (who together have less balls then Weylandt has in his little finger) crashed it was the headline news. Not just for the sports section but for the whole of bbc news.

Chapeau to all the european papers who understand that this is a major story.

Even to sky, who have probably never before had a non football story on their front page.

Down with the bbc. ****s.

Sorry Hitch, but there are sporters dying on their arenas of choice all over the place, and you, I, and tons of others don't think twice about it, all the more if it is a niche sport, and the unlucky soul in question is a foreigner to boot.

They have given plenty of space and respectful and tasteful attention to the rider here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/13333589.stm

 

[ferryman]

exactly. he just wanted millar to go alone so no one would counter which would've happened if contador had countered. very weird action by fischer en even weirder dat contador listened

No. I'm giving Fischer the benefit of doubt here. No way he would be so insensitive to post about a shallow victory in light of what happened yesterday. Something must be wrong in translation or context.

 

[mastersracer]

a thoughtful commentary in espn:

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/columns/story?columnist=ford_bonnie_d&id=6515689

 

[seaby71]

do you think they will cancel stage 4 , they should do something like that