How Dangerous Can Spectators Get?

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montagna lunga

Aug 4, 2009
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We saw the split caused when an inattentive rider was surprised by an inattentive spectator in Stage 1 of the Tour de France today, and I just read some commentary about Berto and his team being booed during the team introduction ceremony. As I understand it the only other nationalistic fan base that can hold a candle to the anti-____ madness of yank fanboys are the french.

I remember Merckx getting popped in '75 by a fan ...here's a video clip that will allow all sorts of armchair pundits the freedom to minimize the act :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DwSICLGBI

I know the same group of pundits were chortling gleefully when Armstrong was spat upon on the climb up to L'Alpe d'Huez, but honestly, does anyone think it possible that Berto's not necessarily the safest rider in this years peloton? Even young Schleck has said he'd welcome "help from the fans"....
 
Escarabajo

Escarabajo

Apr 16, 2009
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Very dangerous:

guerini2.jpg
 
M

movingtarget

Aug 5, 2009
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I don't totally blame the woman. She was not standing on the road but had her back turned. With so many riders on narrow roads they are always getting pushed sideways. I think if she had not turned it could have been avoided. It can happen any time. With the thousands of lunatics on the mountains and running beside the riders, you still don't get many falls caused by spectators. I felt sorry for the woman as she would have considered herself to be doing the right thing standing where she was.

It's the amateur photographers standing on the road and the people running across the road that worry me. As for the morons, they are uncontrollable, they just want to be on TV.
 
Alex Simmons/RST

Alex Simmons/RST

Mar 10, 2009
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movingtarget said:
I felt sorry for the woman as she would have considered herself to be doing the right thing standing where she was.
Click to expand...
She was standing on a narrow road with 198 riders traveling at 40-50km/h passing by. I think a metre or two off the road might have been the right place.
 
L

la.margna

May 5, 2009
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yesterday's incident is not really the fault of the spectator. she was not on the road. the rider can be glad, that it wasn't a lamppost :D

but then again, how can you be so close to the race without paying attention?

particularly in the mountains it is outrageous how many people behave like... hmm...

and all those photocameras... c'mon guys... you will anyway get only poor shots... enjoy the race without camera and afterwards some pro shots!
 
Indurain

Indurain

Mar 10, 2009
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That was a classic 'Midnightfright'. Laughed at that one for awhile. Thanks for brightening my day.
 
L

la.margna

May 5, 2009
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movingtarget said:
I don't totally blame the woman. She was not standing on the road but had her back turned. With so many riders on narrow roads they are always getting pushed sideways. I think if she had not turned it could have been avoided. It can happen any time. With the thousands of lunatics on the mountains and running beside the riders, you still don't get many falls caused by spectators. I felt sorry for the woman as she would have considered herself to be doing the right thing standing where she was.

It's the amateur photographers standing on the road and the people running across the road that worry me. As for the morons, they are uncontrollable, they just want to be on TV.
Click to expand...

yeah, couldn't agree more
 
I

icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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Yesterday's crash is the fault of the woman who caused it. She was at the edge of the road and not looking at what was coming: a full peloton at 50km/h. Riders were riding on the tarmac not on the sides as they use to do in cobbled sections. There was room enough for spectators to watch from a couple of metres back without being blinded by the (non existing) crowd.

The woman was lucky not to face the likes of Cuddles or Barredo. They would have punched her :D
 
N

No_Balls

Jul 30, 2009
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montagna lunga said:
We saw the split caused when an inattentive rider was surprised by an inattentive spectator in Stage 1 of the Tour de France today, and I just read some commentary about Berto and his team being booed during the team introduction ceremony. As I understand it the only other nationalistic fan base that can hold a candle to the anti-____ madness of yank fanboys are the french.

I remember Merckx getting popped in '75 by a fan ...here's a video clip that will allow all sorts of armchair pundits the freedom to minimize the act :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1DwSICLGBI

I know the same group of pundits were chortling gleefully when Armstrong was spat upon on the climb up to L'Alpe d'Huez, but honestly, does anyone think it possible that Berto's not necessarily the safest rider in this years peloton? Even young Schleck has said he'd welcome "help from the fans"....
Click to expand...

When did he said that? This boys attitude STINKS.

On the question: As i recall it the man pounding Guerini was a german photographer but yes given how the french reacted upon his participation, thus blaming the rider instead of the rules, everything is probably possible.

Not that doping is everything that matters. The frenchies would still doing their best to sabotage for every non-french winner.
 
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Frosty

Jun 25, 2009
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The woman probably didnt realise how fast they would come up although that is not really an excuse.

Went to a mountain stage last year and what surprised me was the speed at which some riders come back down the mountain while others are still going up. Spectators are quite likely to step out to cheer on the riders making their way up so are difficult to predict. Nearly knocked off someone myself although i think they were pretty unhappy with their effort so were perhaps more concerned with getting off the mountain as quickly as possible. I think someone had to retire after colliding with a spectator a few years back, cant remember who it was though.
 
rhubroma

rhubroma

Apr 2, 2009
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la.margna said:
yesterday's incident is not really the fault of the spectator. she was not on the road. the rider can be glad, that it wasn't a lamppost :D

but then again, how can you be so close to the race without paying attention?

particularly in the mountains it is outrageous how many people behave like... hmm...

and all those photocameras... c'mon guys... you will anyway get only poor shots... enjoy the race without camera and afterwards some pro shots!
Click to expand...

I don't agree, because being a good vs. bad bike race spectator means that you absolutely have to pay attention when the bunch flys by at 55 kph and 10 k from the finish.

Especially when you are right on the freakin edge of a narrow road.

Given that the riders have to take up the entire width of the road, it is the spectator's responsibility (their only real one) to position themselves, not only in a manner that does not obstruct the riders' passage, but that also permits one to have a visual reference on the bunch so that one can take evasive action if things get dangerously tight. This means looking ahead and paying attention to what the F is going on. Yet at times those things which are so simple and obvious are the hardest to come by evidently.

Turning your back, while also being within inches of the riders, is such a gross negligence on the spectator's part that it does not leave one innocent, nor without fault IMO.
 
Sum_of_Marc

Sum_of_Marc

May 15, 2009
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Frosty said:
Went to a mountain stage last year and what surprised me was the speed at which some riders come back down the mountain while others are still going up. Spectators are quite likely to step out to cheer on the riders making their way up so are difficult to predict. Nearly knocked off someone myself although i think they were pretty unhappy with their effort so were perhaps more concerned with getting off the mountain as quickly as possible. I think someone had to retire after colliding with a spectator a few years back, cant remember who it was though.
Click to expand...

Sinkewitz wasnt it?
But he failed a drugs test a few days later, so hardly missed
 
Armchair Cyclist

Armchair Cyclist

Moderator
Mar 22, 2010
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Juan Mauricio Soler's current condition is, of course, attributed to collision with a spectator.

My experience of the last two visits of the TdF to England is that, whether in central London for the Prologue, or on the outskirts of a small village or the middle of a large-ish town for road stages, even crossing the road for some hours before the caravan and the race pass was impossible. I guess anglo-saxon legalism is not the Gallic way.

But it is not a one-way risk:
1958: An official, Constant Wouters, died after an accident with sprinter André Darrigade at the Parc des Princes.
1964: Twenty people died when a supply van hit a bridge in the Dordogne region, resulting in the highest tour-related death toll.
2000: A 12-year-old from Ginasservis, known as Phillippe, was hit by a car in the Tour de France publicity caravan.
2002: A seven-year-old boy, Melvin Pompele, died near Retjons after running in front of the caravan.
2009: 18 July, Stage 14: A spectator in her 60s was struck and killed by a police motorcycle while crossing a road along the route near Wittelsheim.
(from wikipedia
 
S

SiAp1984

Jul 3, 2009
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Midnightfright said:
Well according to a lot of peoples assessment of Lances character the general consensus is that he was probably trying to steal that bag.
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Best joke ever :D
 
benpounder

benpounder

Mar 10, 2009
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montagna lunga said:
As I understand it the only other nationalistic fan base that can hold a candle to the anti-____ madness of yank fanboys are the french.
Click to expand...
For goodness sake, US fans are no better, no worse than fans of any other country.
 
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