did other racers really have to get boonen out?

[lilyprotector]

does anyone have more info on this? i read somewhere that cancellara went to the qs ds to say that boonen was a danger to himself and the peloton. but what prompted that if this story is true?

what is confusing to me is that he had a massive headache and had been vomiting after falling on his head. how was he possibly allowed to start?

between this and horner, i just don't get it. these seem to be straightforward cases of riders who shouldn't be allowed to ride. no bike race is worth someone dying of brain swelling. i'm just at a loss as to why these things even got as far as they did.

 

[ansimi]

I think Boonen was waiting for somebody to tell him to quit. That should have been a doctor but at least some riders told him. It's very disturbing indeed to see him say "I think I have a concussion" two days after smashing his helmet open, having classic symptoms, and vomiting in the morning.

 

[Parrulo]

this situations happen because riders are though beyond the level of comprehension for a normal person like us and have a never quit mentality so they sometimes push it too far. ofc the DS shouldn't have allowed boonen to continue tho.

 

[lilyprotector]

i'm curious if cancellara witnessed something directly. what made him take the extra step to get boonen out? i'm glad he did. i can only hope that there will be some discussion of this issue after the tour to help protect riders in the future.

 

[hrotha]

It wasn't just Cancellara. The article I read also mentioned Barredo.

Simply put, riders within the peloton see things a DS doesn't see. If the doctor didn't force Boonen to withdraw immediately or before starting the stage, it was reasonable of the DS to allow him to start.

 

[spalco]

i'm curious if cancellara witnessed something directly. what made him take the extra step to get boonen out? i'm glad he did. i can only hope that there will be some discussion of this issue after the tour to help protect riders in the future.

I agree. It happens in many different sports, athletes that want to keep competing far, far beyond the limit what their body allows simply because they've conditioned themselves for so long to ignore pain etc. There needs to be someone independent to stop them if necessary for the athlete's own safety and health. The athlete himself often can't make that decision objectively.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

It wasn't just Cancellara. The article I read also mentioned Barredo.

Simply put, riders within the peloton see things a DS doesn't see. If the doctor didn't force Boonen to withdraw immediately or before starting the stage, it was reasonable of the DS to allow him to start.

The AD (Dutch newspaper) mentioned Hoogerland advising Boonen too. I guess it is just a case of riders doing a better job than the doctors.

 

[erader]

boonen doesn't have any problems quitting on his own. i don't know why he bothers riding the tour.

erader