Cancellara Pushes for Extreme Weather Protocol

[marinoni]

So Cancellara is once again speaking out about race safety after the snowy finish yesterday and the rain today. I'm not looking to see riders get seriously injured; I would not have, for example, allowed the infamous 88' Gavia stage to go forward. But yesterday's stage only saw snow on the final few km's, there was no descent, I don't see the problem. Cycling is a tough sport, I think he needs to suck it up, remember the thermals, and get on with racing. What do you think?

 

[SeriousSam]

Weak stuff. These Gladiators better entertain us to the best of their ability-

 

[Netserk]

On a stage like yesterday they might extend the time limit. The grupetto can then put on enough layers and crawl up to the finish. Sure it was unpleasant, but there wasn't anything dangerous about yesterday. More whining from Canc.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

If we have to suffer through boring sprint stages designed for riders who disappear at the slightest hint of an incline, then these guys can suck it up and suffer through 20 minutes of cold.

If it had been a descent, I'd agree that this would be too dangerous. But a climb? Not only that, it's not as though these guys were breaking any speed records going up.

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

On a stage like yesterday they might extend the time limit. The grupetto can then put on enough layers and crawl up to the finish. Sure it was unpleasant, but there wasn't anything dangerous about yesterday. More whining from Canc.

Exactly, just extend the time limit. It's one thing if they'd have to ride multiple descents with snow, that stuff is brutal. Yesterday most guys complained about their cold hands hurting really bad, but most of them where just wearing norman fingerless cycling gloves, Quintana was wearing no gloves at all, you could easily solve that problem. Like I said, descending with those conditions would be something totally different, it would be dangerous and hypothermia becomes a real problem. I've suffered 2nd degree frostbite on my feet when i was 16 and that stuff still bothers me every winter.

 

[Red Rick]

Cancellara was once one of the greats of the peloton. Best tt'er, classics rider, was talking about going for the Tour and winning all monuments.

Now he just rides the same old schedule, no inspiration, no ambition whatsoever

Whiny little ***

Edit. No man should call him Spartacus anymore

 

[jens_attacks]

Spartacus trolololol

 

[Arnout]

Let's propose a salary cap.

Or maybe they can pay a day of their salary to the volunteers that prepared the stage.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Netserk needs to change his signature. Canc is nothing like The Black Album. There's no whining in The Black Album

 

[DominicDecoco]

Moaning and whinging all the time, this guy.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Can't see the fairness in giving Cancellara all the blame for what seems to be a pretty widespread opinion in the peloton.
The only thing you can seriously blame him for is the constant need to be the spokesman for the rest of the peloton, whenever the organizers plan something crazy.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Why don't they simply abandon if it is so dangerous. Nobody will force anybody if there is a genuine problem. I don't think there is really anything at stake especially in the week long races if anybody quits early.

 

[MatParker117]

This is coming I think one rule will be if there's settled snow on the road then the stage should be immediately neutralised, same if the temperature gets above 37 degrees c.

 

[jens_attacks]

well then goodbye tour and vuelta.
prepare yourselves some pics of fabian and pippo, all we gonna have

 

[Dazed and Confused]

fuccing curling generation.

 

[proffz]

Re:

Can't see the fairness in giving Cancellara all the blame for what seems to be a pretty widespread opinion in the peloton.
The only thing you can seriously blame him for is the constant need to be the spokesman for the rest of the peloton, whenever the organizers plan something crazy.

yeah this great guy that as able to stop the peloton when andy was loosing 5 min and ready to attack au bloc when county punctured.

suiveurs in all cycling forum of italy , france are disgusted by canc and pozzato.

 

[avanti]

Uphill in the snow - I do not see a problem - these guys should ride some cyclocross in mud and snow as training.

 

[hfer07]

For One single spoiled brat complainer, thank God there is a whole lot of "braves" out there......

 

[shalgo]

Re:

fuccing curling generation.

Hey, curlers should like the ice and snow!

 

[movingtarget]

He should retire before the whinging gives him an ulcer.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think an Extreme Weather Protocol would be a good idea, also because it would clarify what isn't extreme weather, or rather; it would clarify on what conditions certain kinds of weather is extreme, and under which connditions it isn't.
Take the T-A stage; Admitted, I didn't really see it, but from what I saw it seems like it was only one the final climb there was snow, and the finished on top: No problem.
On the other hand, if they'd had to go down afterwards, then I'd have been a bit more apprehensive. Of course they could've just neutralised the descend but... well; we've seen how that would work. So... they'd need a protocol so they before the stage even started would know that "If there's snow when we get to the descend we'll have to do [x]."

 

[DFA123]

Re:

I think an Extreme Weather Protocol would be a good idea, also because it would clarify what isn't extreme weather, or rather; it would clarify on what conditions certain kinds of weather is extreme, and under which connditions it isn't.
Take the T-A stage; Admitted, I didn't really see it, but from what I saw it seems like it was only one the final climb there was snow, and the finished on top: No problem.
On the other hand, if they'd had to go down afterwards, then I'd have been a bit more apprehensive. Of course they could've just neutralised the descend but... well; we've seen how that would work. So... they'd need a protocol so they before the stage even started would know that "If there's snow when we get to the descend we'll have to do [x]."

My fear with an extreme weather protocol being introuced for snow is that it's a bit of a slippery slope (no pun intended). It might start with snowy descents, but then they are not necessarily any more dangerous than the high winds we saw at Strade Bianche, or the extreme heat in Andalucia during the Vuelta last year. Where do you draw the line? A wet Paris Roubaix is potentially as dangerous as a downhill descent with a bit of snow - do you cancel that or neutralise the cobbled sections?

 

[coimbrawu]

Bernard Hinault say hi to Cancellara

 

[Flamin]

Some pretty ignorant posts here. Canc is one of the main voices of the peloton, do you guys think he hasn't spoken to A LOT of other riders? I'm sure many of them think the same way but simply let Canc do the talking.

 

[RedheadDane]

I just don't get why rider safety is such a horrible thing. It matters!
Honestly, I don't give much for the "back in the old days they just rode no matter how bad the weather was!" comments.
You mean... back in those 'woooooonderful' old days when riders didn't wear helmets? It took a rider dying for helmets to become mandatory, do we need a rider dying in a snowstorm in order to get an extreme weather protocol?

The line would be between conditions that are dangerous for everyone and conditions that are only dangerous/uncomfortable for some. Which, of course, would mean that the Stelvio stage wouldn't have needed to be neutralised in the first place; it sure wasn't a problem for Quintana and co.
Allow me to use myself as an example: I'd be horrible in heat (don't like it) and high Winds (I'm only 50kg), but "other" - ie actual - riders might be just fine. So... no need for neutralisation.