Crashes, what can be done?

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RedheadDane

RedheadDane

May 5, 2010
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CyclistAbi said:
If we count life threatening events for this season on the top level:

  • Egan Bernal
  • Sonny Colbrelli
  • Milan Vader
Did i miss somebody? All in all the numbers are rather high so far?
Click to expand...

Colbrelli wasn't a crash, though. And aren't we only talking crashes in races?
But actually, the Vader crash had me thinking; should there be better barriers to prevent riders from going over the edge? The existing barriers are meant to stop cars, not cyclists.
 
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CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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RedheadDane said:
Colbrelli wasn't a crash, though. And aren't we only talking crashes in races?
But actually, the Vader crash had me thinking; should there be better barriers to prevent riders from going over the edge? The existing barriers are meant to stop cars, not cyclists.
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Thinking about this area in the past year or so i would say pro cycling is basically a war zone. I feel that some official entity should at least start gathering statistics. For cyclist on the road i do feel that in the future more safety related apparel should get introduced. Not just the helmet. Done in such way that it would be measurable in statistics. For it to have a measurable effect.
 
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tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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CyclistAbi said:
Thinking about this area in the past year or so i would say pro cycling is basically a war zone. I feel that some official entity should at least start gathering statistics. For cyclist on the road i do feel that in the future more safety related apparel should get introduced. Not just the helmet. Done in such way that it would be measurable in statistics. For it to have a measurable effect.
Click to expand...

I'm quite sure that a statistician would come to the conclusion that no, it hasn't gotten any more dangerous. And then where would we be?
 
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CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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tobydawq said:
More crashes, compared to earlier years.

What else could I possibly have meant?
Click to expand...

And how were you able to make such conclusions without the numbers? How can you be so sure? Or lets be more specific. How many collarbones were broken per season in 2010 compared to 2022? If some apparel would be introduced. Due to high numbers. And the numbers would be reduced after. Would that really be such a wasted effort? Or it really doesn't make all that much difference if it's 100 or 10 collarbones per season?
 
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tobydawq

tobydawq

Nov 16, 2013
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CyclistAbi said:
And how were you able to make such conclusions without the numbers? How can you be so sure? Or lets be more specific. How many collarbones were broken per season in 2010 compared to 2022? If some apparel would be introduced. Due to high numbers. And the numbers would be reduced after. Would that really be such a wasted effort? Or it really doesn't make all that much difference if it's 100 or 10 collarbones per season?
Click to expand...

I just am sure. But it's impossible to count backward in time, so I would never be able to create hard evidence. So many people just seem to think the number of serious crashes increases by the month. I don't know if they suffer from dementia or something.

Watch the first week of the 2012 Tour de France. Three days in a row there were high-speed crashes not far from the finish. If the same were to happen this year, people would say that things have never been more dangerous and what-not. It's just exhausting.

If you can conjure up a safety-improving measure that wouldn't have any negative impact on the racing, please, be my guest. But don't come and say that times should be nullified at the 10k to go banner or nonsense like that.
 
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CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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@tobydawq

If nothing else then in your reasoning you at least acknowledge the problem. In addition you are saying it was like this as far back as you can remember. About this part we basically agree 100%. Where we don't (yet) agree is you say you find discussions about potential solutions exhausting or nonsense. Now about that. In the past year or so what i realized is the situation in regards to safety in pro road cycling is worse than the general public is prepared to believe or accept. Heck even i thought things are not as bad. The reality is they are rotten to the core. This hence won't change by itself. Therefore it's in my opinion OK to persist in at minimum spreading some exhausting nonsense. Fell free to believe otherwise.

@RedheadDane

I don't have enough data to answer that question. The way i see it. A while back somebody decided to do something to prevent or reduce serious head injuries. They looked at the head and it clicked instantly. Lets put a helmet on it. And you know what? It worked. Cyclists can still cycle just fine after. I don't know why other body parts would be all that special. For the same methodology not to work again and again. It's not rocket science.
 
RedheadDane

RedheadDane

May 5, 2010
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CyclistAbi said:
I don't have enough data to answer that question. The way i see it. A while back somebody decided to do something to prevent or reduce serious head injuries. They looked at the head and it clicked instantly. Lets put a helmet on it. And you know what? It worked. Cyclists can still cycle just fine after. I don't know why other body parts would be all that special. For the same methodology not to work again and again. It's not rocket science.
Click to expand...

Does a rider's skull need to be fleksible during a race? No!
Do a rider's collarbones need to be fleksible during a race? Yes!

Why are you suddenly so worried about collarbones anyway? They're on GC riders losing time level of seriousness. I think I've even seen riders joke that you're not really a pro unless you've had a broken collarbone.
If you really want to talk about protective apparel, why not something that can protect a rider's inner organs? Injuries to those can be fatal, as we have already seen.
 
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saunaking

Jul 22, 2010
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Are there any rules governing drivers of cars in the caravan? Obviously they pass very closely ALL the time, but if there isn't shouldn't there be some kind of rule like no passing unless you can give 1.5 meters - similar to the rules in many countries?

Its difficult for the drivers if there is no 'guidance' aside from "try to make yourself seen & heard and be careful". At least if there were rules it would probably prevent pass attempts like yesterday until there was a better spot. And if the cars cant pass the main peloton and get up to the break... oh well too bad.

With many small roads and big groups of riders, delaying the cars seems like a worthwhile concession to rider safety.
 
Armchair cyclist

Armchair cyclist

Mar 22, 2010
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I believe there is a requirement that the DS must be the driver: what sort of idiocy is it to insist that the tonne and a half of steel being driven close to vulnerable riders be manoeuvred by the guy with multiple other distractions?

And related to that, why is it deemed sensible to have the driver passing bottles, coping with flapping jackets, and chatting to riders instead of looking at the road?

Presumably in training, on open roads, most dealings between the car and the riders are conducted from the pasenger seat: why not in races?
 
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Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Armchair cyclist said:
I believe there is a requirement that the DS must be the driver: what sort of idiocy is it to insist that the tonne and a half of steel being driven close to vulnerable riders be manoeuvred by the guy with multiple other distractions?

And related to that, why is it deemed sensible to have the driver passing bottles, coping with flapping jackets, and chatting to riders instead of looking at the road?

Presumably in training, on open roads, most dealings between the car and the riders are conducted from the pasenger seat: why not in races?
Click to expand...
Do you want the race caravan on the left side of the road?
 
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