Crashes, what can be done?

[proffate]

No way I can wade through 20 pages of thread to check if this has already been noted but those barriers were a nice idea, just poorly placed. Who is it that decides precisely where the barriers go? Although some riders were able to save it and a barrier would have been counterproductive for them. Secondly if it's dangerous enough for a barrier then I'm assuming the road book calls it out, so it's on the riders to slow down. Third, this is another example of why big names should ride certain stages with some minor body armor (hip pads, shoulder pads, perhaps).

And lastly, GD what a terrible day for the rest of the year. Guess Pog is gonna rampage uncontested.

 

[Oldermanish]

Bilbao just said that he slowed down a bit and kept distance before the corner, because he sensed what was going to happen. The road wasn't great, but main problem was the peloton going too fast. The only possible solution he sees is to race less aggressively.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Q-EOh2YJI

If Bilbao said that he could've also added: less stupidly. I haven't seen any race highlights or video record but early season races always tend to be sketchy. That is, until the top of the GC is taken out by a crash and then maybe there is some mutual discussion among DS's about where to play and where to chill.

 

[ashhutch1997]

I'm my opinion, the two crashes in the last two weeks were caused by this obsession with 'needing to be a the front to be out of trouble'. It was never the case 10/15 years ago. Last week's crash was because everyone wanted to be near the front before a climb 80km to go in a semi classic, like seriously if you are a few positions out of position before climb 80km out, it isn't a big deal. But commentators and riders constantly talk about 'having to be at the front'. Heck, in TA, Vingegaard was wasting so much energy riding literally in 2nd wheel before sprints. It's unnecessary and has been over overexagerated way to much by sports directors and commontators, and the two crashes in question are a result of this IMO.

 

[noob]

I'm my opinion, the two crashes in the last two weeks were caused by this obsession with 'needing to be a the front to be out of trouble'. It was never the case 10/15 years ago. Last week's crash was because everyone wanted to be near the front before a climb 80km in a semi classic, like seriously if you are a few positions out of position before climb 80km out, it isn't a big deal. But commentators and riders constantly talk about 'having to be at the front'. Heck, in TA, Vingegaard was wasting so much energy riding literally in 2nd wheel before sprints. It's unnecessary and has been over overexagerated way to much by sports directors and commontators, and the two crashes in question are a result of this IMO.

My old commentator have said the same since 2020. He hates race radios for this reason.

It makes all sense in the world that radios gonna make riders less focused! Anyone saying anything else doens't know how the brain works imo.

 

[Lequack]

Well, we are here yet again.

 

[Netserk]

Riders and DS's should change their behaviour.

 

[AmRacer]

Faster ever peloton crashes more often than before, and harder.

 

[noob]

In one of the tweets posted above, Madouas says that radios "make you more nervous, but above all they let you know where the danger lies, which helps you avoid crashes (e.g. gravel on bends)."

It's interesting! It means they are more nervous because of the radios and need the radios to help them to keep the attention because it was destroyed by the radio in the first place

If race radio were quiet about anything but risks then yes I would agree. But human brain's ain't made for that anymore than they're made for the internet.

 

[Stasat]

Riders and DS's should change their behaviour.

Agreed. Unfortunately it takes incidents like today to wake people up.

Landa on home roads leading the pack down the descent, is it possible that the tactic today was to put pressure/drop the other GC contenders on the descent?

 

[Lequack]

Riders and DS's should change their behaviour.

What about race radios? If every DS is urging their riders to be at the front, it gets dangerous.

 

[Lequack]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775934756405887401

View: https://twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1775934756405887401

 

[Sciatic]

Agreed. Unfortunately it takes incidents like today to wake people up.

Landa on home roads leading the pack down the descent, is it possible that the tactic today was to put pressure/drop the other GC contenders on the descent?

It sure didn’t look like it the way they were riding 3 or 4 abreast. Usually if someone attcks a descent it will string things out.

 

[ashhutch1997]

I disagree with the whole radio talk. Riders have been using radios for almost 30 years. It's not a new thing..

 

[AmRacer]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775934756405887401

View: https://twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1775934756405887401

He could've face Poggi last week instead.

 

[ashhutch1997]

I posted this on the Basque Tour thread, but I think here's a better place for it..

I'm my opinion, the two crashes in the last two weeks were caused by this obsession with 'needing to be a the front to be out of trouble'. It was never the case 10/15 years ago. Last week's crash was because everyone wanted to be near the front before a climb 80km to go in a semi classic, like seriously if you are a few positions out of position before climb 80km out, it isn't a big deal. But commentators and riders constantly talk about 'having to be at the front'. Heck, in TA, Vingegaard was wasting so much energy riding literally in 2nd wheel before sprints. It's unnecessary and has been over overexagerated way to much by sports directors and commontators, and the two crashes in question are a result of this IMO.

 

[Sciatic]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775934756405887401

View: https://twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1775934756405887401

Wow, I started reading some of the comments there but had to stop —they are far more ridiculous than here. I suppose there are people who only drive (never mind bike) on urban streets and freeways are aren’t familiar with roadscapes in mountainous or hilly rural terrain. Otherwise they wouldn’t be making suggestions like put padding in every single corner of a descent.

 

[Sciatic]

I posted this on the Basque Tour thread, but I think here's a better place for it..

I'm my opinion, the two crashes in the last two weeks were caused by this obsession with 'needing to be a the front to be out of trouble'. It was never the case 10/15 years ago. Last week's crash was because everyone wanted to be near the front before a climb 80km to go in a semi classic, like seriously if you are a few positions out of position before climb 80km out, it isn't a big deal. But commentators and riders constantly talk about 'having to be at the front'. Heck, in TA, Vingegaard was wasting so much energy riding literally in 2nd wheel before sprints. It's unnecessary and has been over overexagerated way too much by sports directors and commontators, and the two crashes in question are a result of this IMO.

That tendency is also very apparent when we get feeds from inside a team car, and we hear the DS saying (or yelling) “you’ve got to be in the front going into this next turn.”

 

[Mayomaniac]

I posted this on the Basque Tour thread, but I think here's a better place for it..

I'm my opinion, the two crashes in the last two weeks were caused by this obsession with 'needing to be a the front to be out of trouble'. It was never the case 10/15 years ago. Last week's crash was because everyone wanted to be near the front before a climb 80km to go in a semi classic, like seriously if you are a few positions out of position before climb 80km out, it isn't a big deal. But commentators and riders constantly talk about 'having to be at the front'. Heck, in TA, Vingegaard was wasting so much energy riding literally in 2nd wheel before sprints. It's unnecessary and has been over overexagerated way to much by sports directors and commontators, and the two crashes in question are a result of this IMO.

Honestly, remove team radios and only have a neutral race radio. That way you don't have a ds screaming into every rider's ear to stay near the front. I feel that could already calm things down a lot.

Frankly the fighting for positions has just gotten a bit out of control and is to blame for many crashes, but very few riders, let alone teams, will admit it.

 

[Salvarani]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775934756405887401

View: https://twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1775934756405887401

Great, lets turn this into a witch-hunt for Itzulia and the race will be cancelled altogether in the future.

This Benji guy is a dumbass.

 

[Tim Cahill]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1775934756405887401

View: https://twitter.com/BenjiNaesen/status/1775934756405887401

'But what about the cyclists and their injuries '

That's not important right now, son. What's important is figuring out whose fault this is.

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[Stasat]

It sure didn’t look like it the way they were riding 3 or 4 abreast. Usually if someone attcks a descent it will string things out.

Good point, but judging by the comments from the other local riders it's a known dangerous descent. The speed might not have been high but it was too high for that particular descent. One of the local riders (can't remember who?) said he slowed down and dropped back before the corner as he knew what was going to happen entering it at that speed

 

[Mlarsen]

I think there should be 2 to 3 motorbikes with a traffic officer at the back, who can gesture with his arms towards the peloton or small pelotons that there is now a sharp turn. The motorcycles must be 100 meters in front of the peloton or the pelotons. It is not necessary for individual riders or small groups of up to 5 riders, as there is greater maneuverability for them in a turn.
Something has to change......Its too risky now!

 

[Escarabajo]

Great, self critical interview of Pello Bilbao indeed with this part being the key take away: 'creo que nosotros tenemos que reflexionar como propios ciclistas porque quizas somos lo que creiamos lo peligro'. I would like to say 'there's not a word Spanish in there but that wouldn't be true.

Which means that the "riders are creating the danger". Which is in line with what other forum members are saying. There is a lot of anxiety about being at the front all the time, sometimes going too fast, and other times riding too tight one against the other.

 

[Froome]

Today the blame is on the riders. Why they did the descent like a maniacs?

Maybe it was better for them, going hard in the previous climb, and take it easy on the descent.

 

[Cookster15]

Sad news. Looked like an ubiquitous albeit very deceptive corner. Hard to pinpoint the exact cause but the riders on the outside misjudged the tightening right hand bend and ran out of road. Naturally the tendency is to follow the wheel of the rider in front of you so when one rider got it wrong a few others ended up in big trouble - including three leading TdF contenders. But noteworthy that the lead rider did nothing wrong and negotiated the bend without issue.

Perhaps such dangerous sections of road need to be scouted by the organizers and deemed neutral ? But that will negate opportunities to attack which is part of the sport?