Crashes, what can be done?

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Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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We lost two riders - a guy who has one GT top 10 in his career (a podium which he acquired because a rival who had been stronger throughout the race had a pajará and then an epic tantrum on the penultimate day of the race) in Haig, and a guy who isn't a GC rider in the slightest in Gogl.

Climbers down at the back of the results sheet are people like Verona, Storer and Zeits. Guys like Froome and Woods should be stagehunters so losing time is no problem to them, and riders like Majka, Kuss and Kruijswijk are going to be domestiques later in the race anyway. Really, the only thing here is that Roglič lost time and, sure, the Tour might be over for him... but if it isn't, then he still lost less than 2 minutes, and if the race is over because one rider lost a minute 50 on stage 5 then we may as well just quit now.
 
Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Libertine Seguros said:
We lost two riders - a guy who has one GT top 10 in his career (a podium which he acquired because a rival who had been stronger throughout the race had a pajará and then an epic tantrum on the penultimate day of the race) in Haig, and a guy who isn't a GC rider in the slightest in Gogl.

Climbers down at the back of the results sheet are people like Verona, Storer and Zeits. Guys like Froome and Woods should be stagehunters so losing time is no problem to them, and riders like Majka, Kuss and Kruijswijk are going to be domestiques later in the race anyway. Really, the only thing here is that Roglič lost time and, sure, the Tour might be over for him... but if it isn't, then he still lost less than 2 minutes, and if the race is over because one rider lost a minute 50 on stage 5 then we may as well just quit now.
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O'Connor was the other GC contender out of the picture after today.
 
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Valv.Piti

Valv.Piti

Aug 3, 2015
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Yeah well, who cares if Ben O Connor loses 3 minutes. That will probably just make the race better aa theres one less rider to hold on for dear life until getting dropped.

Primoz is the big hit, but then again, we might get to see a better race this way as long as hes not injured and feeling fine.

Im just glad Mas didnt crash as he has done in virtually every race he entered this season.
 
Netserk

Netserk

Apr 30, 2011
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Valv.Piti said:
Yeah well, who cares if Ben O Connor loses 3 minutes. That will probably just make the race better aa theres one less rider to hold on for dear life until getting dropped.

Primoz is the big hit, but then again, we might get to see a better race this way as long as hes not injured and feeling fine.

Im just glad Mas didnt crash as he has done in virtually every race he entered this season.
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O'Connor would have had the same impact on the GC fight as Mas.
 
F

Fergoose

Aug 19, 2011
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I'll make my annual post. Race radio creates crashes. The higher the stakes, the more anxious the DSes and the more crashes you get as a bunch of teams are all ordered to compete for the same bit of tarmac and intermittently ride one handed and focus on a conversation while riding close in a bunch. These same selfish DSes then say team radio is essential for rider safety. The only variable that can explain increased crashes at the TdF compared to anywhere else is the increased anxiety of DSes and how that feeds through to riders via the earpiece.

I'd have a single race radio feed only, one directional so both hands are on handlebars. I'd include a dedicated organisers motorbike deployed 100yds infront of the first group on the road of more than 10 riders (smaller groups have better visibility). This bike would be responsible for calling out road furniture, sharp bends and narrowing roads and saying 'caution' as an advisory to riders if there was an elevated risk. There would be no requirement for riders to slow down but at least they'd be forewarned.

This will never happen so we can continue to enjoy sporting heroes getting broken bones and entire 3 week races being ruined as a spectacle due to crashes manufactured by moronic DSes.

If I was a billionaire I'd run parallel races where team radio was banned and try to kill off the existing teams because they ruin so many stages and races with their damn radios, constant time gap updates, wattage instructions and manufactured crashes.
 
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Rackham

Rackham

Jul 16, 2015
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Fergoose said:
I'd have a single race radio feed only, one directional so both hands are on handlebars. I'd include a dedicated organisers motorbike deployed 100yds infront of the first group on the road of more than 10 riders (smaller groups have better visibility). This bike would be responsible for calling out road furniture, sharp bends and narrowing roads and saying 'caution' as an advisory to riders if there was an elevated risk. There would be no requirement for riders to slow down but at least they'd be forewarned.
Click to expand...

Speaking of motorbikes, something needs to be done about the sheer number of vehicles in the race (& on the cobbles in particular). Ben O'Connor complained about them & he had a serious point.

The dust, the danger, the impediment they create on the road. Just crazy when time gaps are the essence of the sport.
 
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Devil's Elbow

Devil's Elbow

Sep 20, 2017
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Bump.

Today is the best/worst example in a long time of the consequences of the lack of any sort of enforcement of any sort of rules with regards to sprint finish designs. A disgrace to the sport and a danger to all of the peloton. Especially bad that one of the two big crashes was in a notorious serial offender of a race in the Tour of Poland.
 
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S

Skijumper Roglic fan

Aug 28, 2021
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I recently talked to some colleagues about road pro cycling, and they admitted they do not watch cycling too often, but when they watch, they watch to also see some spectacular crashes.

It is a difficult issue.

Hein Verbruggen once said riders dope because the spectators want to see the highest possible average speeds. Just like Doping, crashes are an evil of pro cycling. An evil which always was and certainly always will be part of pro cycling.

You could organize all future races on airport landing strips, that would make it a little bit safer.

One also should not deny that there are many very good bike handlers in the peloton, who love difficult, tricky, dangerous roads, because they handle the bike well, are young and aggressive, and are some kind of addicted to these moments, when the adrenaline kicks in.

And the fans seem to love the atmosphere, when riders pass directly in front of them, going 60 kms per hour, on a downhill pave sector.

I for myself accept this, somehow - just like I accept any other evil aspect of pro cycling. The only ones who make me cry are guys like Sanroma, Weylandt, Lambrecht, who do not deserve what destiny did do to them… :(
 
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Wyndbrook

Oct 4, 2020
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Skijumper Roglic fan said:
I recently talked to some colleagues about road pro cycling, and they admitted they do not watch cycling too often, but when they watch, they watch to also see some spectacular crashes.

It is a difficult issue.

Hein Verbruggen once said riders dope because the spectators want to see the highest possible average speeds. Just like Doping, crashes are an evil of pro cycling. An evil which always was and certainly always will be part of pro cycling.

You could organize all future races on airport landing strips, that would make it a little bit safer.

One also should not deny that there are many very good bike handlers in the peloton, who love difficult, tricky, dangerous roads, because they handle the bike well, are young and aggressive, and are some kind of addicted to these moments, when the adrenaline kicks in.

And the fans seem to love the atmosphere, when riders pass directly in front of them, going 60 kms per hour, on a downhill pave sector.

I for myself accept this, somehow - just like I accept any other evil aspect of pro cycling. The only ones who make me cry are guys like Sanroma, Weylandt, Lambrecht, who do not deserve what destiny did do to them… :(
Click to expand...
Who the hell is conducting these course risk assessments?
 
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C

CyclistAbi

May 29, 2019
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Due to Tour delivering on stage 5 my motivation to discuss safety during such race was rather low. As Vuelta started and this is the first rest day. Taking into the account all the sensible arguments from this thread and while being focused on collarbone protection. Fixed brace type of collarbone protection isn't best suited for pro road cycling. Adding some material like foam wouldn't do. As the forces involved are too big. The solution must be on-demand, adequate and to be activated in the case of a crash. We already have such technology in cars and motorcycles. Some vests for cycling started to emerge a few years back.

JAUNE_F_PLAT_3-4-FACE-299x480.jpg


Page Not Found - Helite

en.helite.com en.helite.com

This solution might not offer "full protection" as it doesn't extended to shoulders. What it does show is that you can already pack an airbag solution into a rather small package. Solutions do already exist that offer more protection:

47e8e82e27678d165b3018d05bb093af.jpeg


www.smithsonianmag.com

New Backpack Deploys Airbags to Protect Bicycle Riders in Accidents

Electronic sensors detect fall from bike and inflate football-style shoulder pads for upper-torso protection
www.smithsonianmag.com www.smithsonianmag.com

Using such system the number of collarbone related injuries would drop substantially. Just like it did in other sports when started to being used. But the current offering is too big to be regarded as suitable for pro peloton. The target is a casual commuter. As the challenge was "show me a solution for cycling that would reduce the number of collarbone injuries". And that was achieved.

The challenges still involved in regards to pro road cycling are to scale down this solution and to make it suitable for pro peloton. Here i feel that the pressure should be put on cycling apparel manufacturers. As currently they are selling equipment that doesn't offer any protection against such type of injuries. Beyond some mild road rash prevention. Once things get into motion each new generation will be more suitable for pro road cycling. I imagine that the transition phase to go from usage on some stages or sections to full time usage. Once the technology will be there. As for that to make much more sense in compared to not wearing it and risking such type of injuries and down time.
 
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SHAD0W93

SHAD0W93

Aug 13, 2011
7,384
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CyclistAbi said:
Due to Tour delivering on stage 5 my motivation to discuss safety during such race was rather low. As Vuelta started and this is the first rest day. Taking into the account all the sensible arguments from this thread and while being focused on collarbone protection. Fixed brace type of collarbone protection isn't best suited for pro road cycling. Adding some material like foam wouldn't do. As the forces involved are too big. The solution must be on-demand, adequate and to be activated in the case of a crash. We already have such technology in cars and motorcycles. Some vests for cycling started to emerge a few years back.

JAUNE_F_PLAT_3-4-FACE-299x480.jpg


Page Not Found - Helite

en.helite.com en.helite.com

This solution might not offer "full protection" as it doesn't extended to shoulders. What it does show is that you can already pack an airbag solution into a rather small package. Solutions do already exist that offer more protection:

47e8e82e27678d165b3018d05bb093af.jpeg


www.smithsonianmag.com

New Backpack Deploys Airbags to Protect Bicycle Riders in Accidents

Electronic sensors detect fall from bike and inflate football-style shoulder pads for upper-torso protection
www.smithsonianmag.com www.smithsonianmag.com

Using such system the number of collarbone related injuries would drop substantially. Just like it did in other sports when started to being used. But the current offering is too big to be regarded as suitable for pro peloton. The target is a casual commuter. As the challenge was "show me a solution for cycling that would reduce the number of collarbone injuries". And that was achieved.

The challenges still involved in regards to pro road cycling are to scale down this solution and to make it suitable for pro peloton. Here i feel that the pressure should be put on cycling apparel manufacturers. As currently they are selling equipment that doesn't offer any protection against such type of injuries. Beyond some mild road rash prevention. Once things get into motion each new generation will be more suitable for pro road cycling. I imagine that the transition phase to go from usage on some stages or sections to full time usage. Once the technology will be there. As for that to make much more sense in compared to not wearing it and risking such type of injuries and down time.
Click to expand...
How would it know when to engage the airbag? They have like this for life jackets but they engage when you enter the water.

When both hands are off the handlebars? sometimes you crash with both of them still on or what happens if you take them off to do something.

When your shoulders go above the handlebars? Then every type of rider would be affected.

How would riders do with the extra weight and heat?
 
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