All Time Worst Pro Race Crashes

[The_Z_man]

the video of the guy crashing into the back of the car reminder me of Davis Phinney crashing into the back of a car in L-B-L, I believe in ´88. Cipo´s Vuelta crash is epic for the lack of a helmet. He´s lucky to be alive after that one.

It was L-B-L in '88.

To paraphrase what rxgqgxnyfz said above, you don't want to see what's under his hand.

 

[L'arriviste]

Not the most spectacular but definitely one of the most memorable and worst - for me anyway - because of the ignorance of the race officials is this one of Skibby on the Koppenberg in 1987.

 

[L'arriviste]

Just remembered this terrible mess from 1998's Amstel Gold.

Poor Scott Sunderland, brought down by his own ex-manager.

 

[AngusW]

Just watch the guy in green getting out of the car and what his first reaction is.


My contribution:
---------

Wim Van Est, 1951 Tdf Stage 12. First Dutchman to gain yellow, the day before. Next day, in the descent of the Col d'Aubisque:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnWaMydac2Q&feature=related

This is in the a-la-Frank category, or maybe more Horrillo without the tragic consequences: 70m down a ravine without serious injuries. Climbed back to the road and wanted to carry on. Was persuaded to get a hospital check-up instead, pronto. Certainly not one of the worst crashes ever, but one I have read about so often, and seen many photos of the drop. Never even knew there was actual footage. Just found it, so thought this might be a good place to share. There is a plaque on that spot now.

Check out the rope they're using to haul him up to the road - it's made out of bike tyres!

 

[AngusW]

If suffering on the bike isn't enough, how about the UNplanned mishaps that are part of racing? I'll start with one of the worst ever, the last stage of the 1994 Tour where a camera-toting policeman took out Laurent Jalabert (around the 2:50 time marker in the video below of Tour crashes).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmx9J1jwAo&feature=related

When I read the title of the thread, this was the crash that immediately came to mind, followed closely by Abdou's 1991 crash on the champs. I still haven't seen the moving footage of Jaja's crash, only the carnage in the still photos of the aftermath.

BTW, the 1994 crash that took Jaja and others out of the TdF was an early stage which finished in Armentieres, not the final stage.

 

[UpTheRoad]

Brad Huff in the Tour of Missouri a few years ago is a good one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax1XPvBBhS0&NR=1


Here is a worm's eye view. Right place, right time for the camera on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI2MHASMxg8

 

[Frosty]

The ones i remember most have already been posted.

Cav's in the tour de suisse looked painful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRFh9GuLYbs

and there was a big one in the vuelta last year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=586ro7-oy_I&feature=related

 

[Hawkwood]

When I read the title of the thread, this was the crash that immediately came to mind, followed closely by Abdou's 1991 crash on the champs. I still haven't seen the moving footage of Jaja's crash, only the carnage in the still photos of the aftermath.

BTW, the 1994 crash that took Jaja and others out of the TdF was an early stage which finished in Armentieres, not the final stage.

Think I read at the time that the policeman agreed to take some photos for a spectator, but didn't realise that the wide-angle zoom on the camera made everything look further away, including the bunch charging in at 40 mph!

 

[icefire]

Joaquim Agostinho:.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquim_Agostinho#Death

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Two nominations.

First, the 1988 Worlds. Not a terrible crash, but about as significant as they come:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze97yO8JpP8


Second, my personal favorite: Johan Van der Velde at the 1980 Tour offering a clinic in how not to be a domestique. (That's Zoetemelk, his teammate, in yellow.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaNWCcNgpe0

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Two nominations.

First, the 1988 Worlds. Not a terrible crash, but about as significant as they come:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze97yO8JpP8

Second, my personal favorite: Johan Van der Velde at the 1980 Tour offering a clinic in how not to be a domestique. (That's Zoetemelk, his teammate, in yellow.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaNWCcNgpe0

Definately both vids on how NOT to help your teammate win. I think Joop still won the '80 Tour that year, but still... Joop probably had some choice words for that dom.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Not the most spectacular but definitely one of the most memorable and worst - for me anyway - because of the ignorance of the race officials is this one of Skibby on the Koppenberg in 1987.

Okay, the driver of that car could make it in this forum's moron of the year. Or should I say moron of the century?

 

[skidmark]

Definately both vids on how NOT to help your teammate win. I think Joop still won the '80 Tour that year, but still... Joop probably had some choice words for that dom.

Well the first one isn't, because they're not teammates. That's Steve Bauer (Canada) taking out Claude Criquielion (Belgium). IIRC, didn't Criquielion take Bauer to court over it or something?

 

[BeachBum]

not mentioned yet, but should be

Hinault St Etienne 1985 Tour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZfIJt1KLQ&feature=related bonus points for cheesy mid-80s CBS electronica

Museeuw Arenberg 1998 P-R http://photos.grahamwatson.com/Print-Gallery/monk/10787299_AivDF/5/1066326511_bkcGX#1066326511_bkcGX

Bartoli's kneecap vs Spinergy wheel 1998 Tour of Germany (couldn't find pix/video)

Beloki 2003 Tour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_8m5-sR6I4