Itzulia Basque Country 2024, April 1-6

[saunaking]

View: https://youtu.be/zxCYa34AiVE?si=yIJjSJT4njB6b00I

the clickbait is real

 

[tobydawq]

Who died, in this most devasting crash this century?

As I said later, that was not the best wording.

 

[Extinction]

the clickbait is real

As with all good satire, beneath the sardonic tone and humorous exaggerations, there is truth.

 

[Lequack]

Hopefully no crashes today

 

[Netserk]

Coverage is expected to start while they are climbing Gorla (Elosua).

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

Another couple of days without cycling and just learns that Landa now down, too!
It sounded so delightfully refreshing when I briefly skimmed the pre race interview and words by him, focusing on exciting, aggressive attitude for the stage - so you could think of core cycling again.


The roads in Basque Country are irregular as always been part of the nature of the race.

But the riders are, unfortunately, taking bigger chances today it seems, and with DSs now unconsciously screaming into their microphones that everyone must sit at the front to avoid crashes. Yes, I've read that in Landa's case it wasn't quite the reason, but anyway.

Sad with all these episodes lately.

 

[search]

did anyone see a full result (including hundreths of the second) from the ITT? Could be crucial if they end up at s.t.

Some were shown on TV (advantage Skjelmose > Ayuso > Bilbao > Izagirre), but no idea where guys like Schachmann or Vauquelin would get ranked.

 

[Lui98]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776307741981634787

View: https://twitter.com/Abeleter/status/1776307741981634787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1776307741981634787%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

 

[Squire]

Coverage is expected to start while they are climbing Gorla (Elosua).

Shame it's not full coverage. Been a rather horrible race so far, but this stage could potentially rival Paris-Nice final stage levels of epicness. All the ingredients are there.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I have moved 95 posts about lingering camerashots to a new thread: I hope that what remains is coherent, although there may be disjointed elements (the beginning of the sub-thread about Benji Naesen, for example)

I have also exported about 60 posts from here to the "Crashes: What can be done?" thread, as they dealt with the avoidance/mitigation of crashes more generally (and per majority feedback to the proposal). I hope it has not caused much discontinuity to discussion: I have avoided it as far as I can. If any contributor thinks their post should not have been moved/should also have been moved/should have stayed in both threads, PM me and I will adjust as soon as I get a chance.

 

[Salvarani]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776307741981634787

View: https://twitter.com/Abeleter/status/1776307741981634787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1776307741981634787%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

Good pictures, which puts it in perspective, but at what point are the cyclists themselves responsible?

Not every road is gonna be recently paved and smooth corners. There is just no way that is realistic.

They gotta realize what the surface looks like. When the roads are irregular. They have to adjust their speed and have better judgement.

Organization has to make whatever they can of course when planning route and taking safety measures, but they cant do it for 200km in every race or stage. Thats not realistic either.

 

[Rollthedice]

Good pictures, which puts it in perspective, but at what point are the cyclists themselves responsible?

Not every road is gonna be recently paved and smooth corners. There is just no way that is realistic.

They gotta realize what the surface looks like. When the roads are irregular. They have to adjust their speed and have better judgement.

Organization has to make whatever they can of course when planning route and taking safety measures, but they cant do it for 200km in every race or stage. Thats not realistic either.

Quite right. Speed has gone up, *** happens. Only question is why get heavily involved for the big GC guns, riding at insane speed, in races that have no meaning whatsoever for the big scheme of things.

 

[Taxus4a]

I am at Azurki. Nice view, very narrow road and great slopes. The wind still very strong, but It suposed to slow down

 

[Netserk]

Headwind on Azurki and cross/head on Gorla. But tailwind in the valley afterwards.

 

[Extinction]

Good pictures, which puts it in perspective, but at what point are the cyclists themselves responsible?

Not every road is gonna be recently paved and smooth corners. There is just no way that is realistic.

They gotta realize what the surface looks like. When the roads are irregular. They have to adjust their speed and have better judgement.

Organization has to make whatever they can of course when planning route and taking safety measures, but they cant do it for 200km in every race or stage. Thats not realistic either.

Much of rural hilly to mountainous Europe have such road surfaces. What the race organizations need to do is inspect the courses. Not every curve has mini-ski moguls like the one that caused the crash at Itzulia, but they must be identified beforehand (especially with the concrete culvert and boulders in the immediate vicinity of this one) and take appropriate measures. I see a lack of foresight, a total absence of all prudence, a blase approach to the inherent dangers of this sport. In short, a lack of professionalism.

 

[Salvarani]

Much of rural hilly to mountainous Europe have such road surfaces. What the race organizations need to do is inspect the courses. Not every curve has mini-ski moguls like the one that caused the crash at Itzulia, but they must to be identified beforehand (especially with the concrete culvert and boulders in the immediate vicinity of this one) and take appropriate measures. I see a lack of foresight, a total absence of all prudence, a blase approach to the inherent dangers of this sport

I responded to this in the post already.

 

[Extinction]

I responded to this in the post already.

It was ambiguous: "They gotta realize what the surface looks like. When the roads are irregular. They have to adjust their speed and have better judgement." Who gotta realize? A priori I'd say the organization, then the riders. It's the organization that needs to prepare the race. You are talking about the riders, but if they aren't informed of the incombent peril, when it's not something readilly apparent in the moment, how are they supposed to act accordingly?

 

[Taxus4a]

If people as Hindley has a good day today can win GC...but need to be brave from the begining and be smart later

 

[Salvarani]

It was ambiguous: "They gotta realize what the surface looks like. When the roads are irregular. They have to adjust their speed and have better judgement." Who gotta realize? A priori I'd say the organization, then the riders. It's the organization that needs to prepare the race.

I said this.

I just asked a question and the riders has responsibility as well.

 

[Taxus4a]

At Azurki lot of people, more sunny, less wind, but still strong. 24 crazy degrees at the sadow and quite wet..this is like a mountain stage of le Tour

 

[Extinction]

I said this.

I just asked a question and the riders has responsibility as well.

Not really. The riders are responsible for negotiating the curves, but survellience needs to provide the peloton with the best info to act accordingly.

 

[Slavique Nuke]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1776307741981634787

View: https://twitter.com/Abeleter/status/1776307741981634787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1776307741981634787%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

I don't know what the highlighted road imperfections have to do with accidents. The guys who went down were in the other lane. It seems that Landa went through the pothole because that was the ideal line. Who followed that line stayed on their bikes.

Those who crashed simply entered the corner from the wrong angle for which the speed was too high.

 

[Salvarani]

Not really. The riders are responsible for negotiating the curves, but survellience needs to provide the peloton with the best info to act accordingly.

I said the organization needs to do what they can...

Riders are as much to blame for crashes, as they are though. My only question and point with the post.

Feel free to bang on about the organization, which I have not even refuted holds a responsibility to do what they can. Doesnt mean the riders themselves arent at fault when crashing for riding too fast and dangerous. They gotta adjust sometimes as well and not think it is "safe" to ride at full speed on a stretch where the road is a bit worse than it is in other parts. Reading the road and curves has a lot to do with being a cyclist. Something that is trained from the very beginning.

Everyone makes mistakes, on both parts, but putting most of the blame to either side is not productive and doesnt move the needle at all.

 

[hayneplane]

If people as Hindley has a good day today can win GC...but need to be brave from the begining and be smart later

Definitely in play for the win. Close enough to strike and has wasted zero energy so far with a stage hard enough to suit him coming up.

UAE should be the favourites with 3 main options including Ayuso who is near enough to win it just by time bonuses on the line.

 

[Salvarani]

Kicking off in the race with many riders trying to go in the breakaway on the first climb according to PCS.

Will be difficult to bring back everyone.