Teams & Riders Jonas Vingegaard thread: Love in Iberia

[Sciatic]

It’s not harmless when someone jumps on a wheel like. I had someone I didn’t know jump on my wheel during a recreational event—he followed too close and touched wheels. He and his bike went down abruptly, with his handlebar going into the spokes of my rear wheel, locking it up and causing a loud blowout. I managed to stay upright, but my rear tire had a 2-inch long hole where it was in contact with the road during the skid. Even though he was the one who fell, he dusted himself off and rode off. I stood by the roadside for 20-30 begging for anyone carrying a foldable spare to sell it to me. Obviously could have been worse if there was traffic close by and he or I fell in that direction.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Sure. I agree. I just am once more noticing a double standard. Which is a shame.

Always best to ask. And if you are the one whose wheel is seeing unwanted drag. You could simply stop by the roadside for 10 seconds. Worked for me. But i am just a fan who also rides his bike every now and then.

 

[proffate]

I don't think either party comes out looking very good after this incident, but Jonas: you are getting paid for being a famous billboard so it comes with the territory

 

[red_flanders]

It was shared publicly on what happened and all persons involved were named and shared their views. Team made a statement and journalists shared their opinions. Hard to ask for more information.

I missed where someone asked for more information.

 

[memyselfandI]

Just needs a follow car or moto for these more intense training sessions to clean close following stupidos away from athletes tail. Works.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think either party comes out looking very good after this incident, but Jonas: you are getting paid for being a famous billboard so it comes with the territory

Just because he happens to be quite good at riding his bike, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be able to do his job in peace.
I suppose that's the main issue; for cyclists, not only the officially fan-facing part of their job - racing, and all the stuff surrounding racing - take place in public, but the preparation (for the most part) also does.
Could you imagine if Mancester United were training, and suddenly a bunch of random people were running around on the field with balls?
Or if Taylor Swift was preparing for a concert, and suddenly there were a bunch of people in the room... singing?
Of course not! That would be silly.
So, why should cyclists not be allowed to prepare in peace?

 

[KoopaCycling]

Just because he happens to be quite good at riding his bike, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be able to do his job in peace.
I suppose that's the main issue; for cyclists, not only the officially fan-facing part of their job - racing, and all the stuff surrounding racing - take place in public, but the preparation (for the most part) also does.
Could you imagine if Mancester United were training, and suddenly a bunch of random people were running around on the field with balls?
Or if Taylor Swift was preparing for a concert, and suddenly there were a bunch of people in the room... singing?
Of course not! That would be silly.
So, why should cyclists not be allowed to prepare in peace?

Cause they train on public roads. if they want privacy, they better start buying land and creating their own private training roads. I'm all for some normal human decency, respect, extra protection through various means ... . But you can't clear the roads for professional cyclists to do their training.

 

[RedheadDane]

Cause they train on public roads. if they want privacy, they better start buying land and creating their own private training roads. I'm all for some normal human decency, respect, extra protection through various means ... . But you can't clear the roads for professional cyclists to do their training.

Of course not. But people don't need to get in their wheels.
Getting in the wheel of anyone you don't know - whether they're pros, or just grandmas returning home with the groceries - is just... weird.

 

[KoopaCycling]

Of course not. But people don't need to get in their wheels.
Getting in the wheel of anyone you don't know - whether they're pros, or just grandmas returning home with the groceries - is just... weird.

As i said, i'm all for normal decency. But i may have worded it wrong by writing normal human decency. Quite a lot of humans 'normal' behavior is sorely lacking in decency. I always maintain a civil distance with strangers myself. Wether by car, bycicle, or on foot i find bumper humpers annoying.

 

[RedheadDane]

As i said, i'm all for normal decency. But i may have worded it wrong by writing normal human decency. Quite a lot of humans 'normal' behavior is sorely lacking in decency. I always maintain a civil distance with strangers myself. Wether by car, bycicle, or on foot i find bumper humpers annoying.

And the problem was people getting too close.
I just don't get why some fans have this obsession with getting close to the riders.

 

[ice&fire]

And the problem was people getting too close.
I just don't get why some fans have this obsession with getting close to the riders.

Because that's what they see when they watch cycling on the TV

 

[KoopaCycling]

And the problem was people getting too close.
I just don't get why some fans have this obsession with getting close to the riders.

I don't get many things , like people wanting an autograph. seems of no use to me. Especially if it is on their own body and it will just wash away. I don't even get what the big deal is about taking a picture with a celeb. Not like that makes you friends. But people are people. And like Berniece said. Since they train on public roads and social media has only been getting bigger, it's up to the teams to protect their big stars.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I missed where someone asked for more information.

Not sure how anyone who wasn’t there could know what happened in such a nuanced situation.

I just pointed out that we do know, as all parties involved provided us with detail information. As sometimes we discuss something and don't have all the information. Here that is not the case.

 

[Rackham]

Pros are followed all the time. All the time.

It was never an issue until Visma tried to turn into one yesterday and it still isn't one. Vinge is paid millions. Just relax. Everyone else manages since this sort of incident (pro blaming amateur rider on the road for crash) seems like a total anomaly and pretty much in the 'has that even happened before?' territory, so it's hardly going to create jurisprudence on the matter.

 

[red_flanders]

As annoying as having an unwanted rider on your wheel can be, it’s never made me…crash. It has happened that it made them crash. So I’m sorta fascinated with how it went down. But sans video…

That said, I would never try to get in the wheel of a pro rider on a descent. It’s a chump move. Plus, I don’t need people slowing me down. 😂

 

[RedheadDane]

Since they train on public roads and social media has only been getting bigger, it's up to the teams to protect their big stars.

Well, the guy behind that blog went out and took some responsibility. So, maybe it's also up to people on social media to remember that - at the end of the day, and also the beginning - pros are just... people, who deserve to be left alone as much as everyone else.

Pros are followed all the time. All the time.

Yeah... so just because people have been idiots forever doesn't mean it isn't a problem.
You wouldn't jump on the wheel of some random guy from a local club, would you? So why would you jump on the wheel of Vingegaard - or any pro?

 

[proffate]

Just because he happens to be quite good at riding his bike, doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be able to do his job in peace.
I suppose that's the main issue; for cyclists, not only the officially fan-facing part of their job - racing, and all the stuff surrounding racing - take place in public, but the preparation (for the most part) also does.
Could you imagine if Mancester United were training, and suddenly a bunch of random people were running around on the field with balls?
Or if Taylor Swift was preparing for a concert, and suddenly there were a bunch of people in the room... singing?
Of course not! That would be silly.
So, why should cyclists not be allowed to prepare in peace?

I don't think Taylor Swift goes to starbucks very often, even if she wants a PSL. There are downsides to fame after all.

Jonas only has his job because of public interest in his bike riding. He does not generate any useful economic activity *besides* the attraction of eyeballs. There is a straight line from his chosen profession to this kind of outcome. He can go back to fish packing if he thinks it's a poor trade.

 

[Rackham]

Yeah... so just because people have been idiots forever doesn't mean it isn't a problem.
You wouldn't jump on the wheel of some random guy from a local club, would you? So why would you jump on the wheel of Vingegaard - or any pro?

Pros are ambulant billboards. They literally earn a living (& in Vingegaard's case a very, very good living) showing sponsors off on their jerseys. It's just part of the sport. As always with these cases everyone tends to get tarred with the same brush so next time an amateur slots in behind a pro someone is going to be raging on the internet.

And by and large we're living in an era where millionaires (& this is true in sports especially) who're insulated from real-life problems tend to make a rather noisy fuss on social media whenever they encounter an inconvenience - or even just a perceived one.

It happens in tennis as well (see Coco Gauff's ridiculous complaints about a right to privacy when smashing her racket in the Australian Open yesterday).

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think Taylor Swift goes to starbucks very often, even if she wants a PSL. There are downsides to fame after all.

As famous as she is, she can probably afford, you know... good coffee.

They literally earn a living (& in Vingegaard's case a very, very good living) showing sponsors off on their jerseys.

They earn a living racing bikes.

As always with these cases everyone tends to get tarred with the same brush so next time an amateur slots in behind a pro someone is going to be raging on the internet.

Maybe that "next time" just shouldn't happen.
Again; if you wouldn't slot in behind an amateur, don't slot in behind a pro.
Would you want some rando on your wheel?

It happens in tennis as well (see Coco Gauff's ridiculous complaints about a right privacy when smashing her racket in the Australian Open yesterday).

Do people randomly jump onto the court when she's training?

---

Anyway, I'm gonna continue viewing pro cyclists as what they are:
Regular people - who just happen to be rather good at a very public job - who are just as deserving of privacy as anyone else.

 

[proffate]

They earn a living racing bikes.

No.

 

[Netserk]

actors do not earn a living acting, therefore its in my right to walk right up behind them on the street if i spot one in public

how dare anyone criticise such conduct--do they not understand what im paying for

 

[Rackham]

They earn a living racing bikes.

They earn a living because sponsors finance their team. They train showing off these sponsors. Otherwise they'd wear neutral clothing and ride anonymously. But they can't. It's not allowed.

The road is their workplace and yes, it's public.

 

[RedheadDane]

They earn a living because sponsors finance their team. They train showing off these sponsors. Otherwise they'd wear neutral clothing and ride anonymously. But they can't. It's not allowed.

The point of a sponsorship is that people see the brand being sponsored, and are reminded that "Oh yeah, that's right, [Brand] sells something I want."

 

[Rackham]

The point of a sponsorship is that people see the brand being sponsored, and are reminded that "Oh yeah, that's right, [Brand] sells something I want."

I don't know what that has to do with the issue at hand which I've highlighted: Jonas Vingegaard is out there on the road earning a living. Every day. Not just in races but constantly no matter whether he's doing a casual ride around his home on public roads, training hard in Spain for the upcoming season of if he's climbing the Ventoux in the TdF. The sponsors are there on his kit, always. Because that's how cycling works.

So you'll never 'get rid' of people following along outside races either because for that you'd need to revise the law, i.e. unilaterally across the whole of the EU & include vehicles as well because there's actually (& this should be obvious here) cars, trucks and tractors on these roads as well in close proximity to the riders. And occasionally the drivers notice who the pros are and slow down to take pics, videos or even call over to them out the window.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't know what that has to do with the issue at hand which I've highlighted: Jonas Vingegaard is out there on the road earning a living. Every day. Not just in races but constantly no matter whether he's doing a casual ride around his home on public roads, training hard in Spain for the upcoming season of if he's climbing the Ventoux in the TdF. The sponsors are there on his kit, always. Because that's how cycling works.

And for the sponsors, it would probably be much better if fans - or in some case, probably more like spectatees - does not follow riders, but rather go buy the thing the sponsor is selling.
What do you think gives Bygma - the hardware chain Vingegaard has a personal sponsorship deal with, hence the helmet - the biggest ROI?
People jumping on Vingegaard's wheel?
People turning around, heading straight for the nearest Bygma in order to buy equipment for a building project? (Though, in Spain... it could end up being a pretty long ride...)

In fact, if Vingegaard really wanted to "support" the sponsor, he should be subtly mentioning how he of course buys all his equipment in Bygma whenever he mentions having restored yet another kitchen in one of the houses he owns.
Apparently he just basically owns half of Glyngøre.