Race Radio Ban: No Safety or More Fun?

[elf1978]

As I'm an amateur road racer, I cannot testify to the positives or negatives of race radios directly, but only through what I see on the TV. While I'm aware of the added safety that the radios can provide, I'm of the opinion that it takes much of the spontaneity out of the sport.
As the riders know the exact whereabouts of their opponents, and how much time they have on them, all attacks are planned to the exact second of initiation. No one takes enormous risks anymore, and it is the spectators who suffer. It seems as if the majority of the riders are moving along like automatons, unable to break free until the small voice in the ear unleashes them. Gone are the days of the devil-may-care attcks and solo wins of the past, but also the spectacular blow-ups and second-guessing that followed them. I was either not alive or too young to appreciate this era, but I believe I would have preferred it to the racing of today.*
How does everyone else feel?

*I'm aware that UCI-owned races do not allow race radios, but none of them are televised in the states.

 

[Master50]

This subject has been covered extensively and the argument has not really changed. A certain segment thinks like the UCI that radios create predictable and boring racing.
There is also a large segment that see the caravan management and safety aspects as trumping the ban proponents.
I sit in the leave radios in camp.
A point of accuracy. the UCI does not Own very many races. World Championships and the new Pro Tour race in China. They are the sanctioning body for international races. They set the criteria, make the rules and oversee cycling in the olympics and the world. They are not the promoters or owners of the races.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's a hard one.

After all, the big argument in favour of them was safety, and riders and teams argued that this is what they are used for. However, when we were enabled to hear bits of team radio during the Ronde van Vlaanderen, all we heard were instructions to the riders, the very thing people were against race radios for.

However, when you then hear stories like Rubén Plaza's injury in the Vuelta a Murcía, when he was thrown into a ditch with his leg absolutely shattered, screaming but not being heard over the race caravan, and Bjarne Riis actually having to call the commissaire's car to get a phone number to ring the Movistar car to let them know where their stricken rider was, you have to accept that the safety aspect is important.

That's why a lot of people have come down favouring one-way communication, or allowing riders to radio only the commissaires and not their teams.

 

[pedaling squares]

The Plaza situation is a good argument for radios, but does not necessitate that the riders be 'on channel' with their DS. Communication between the race officials and the riders, with another channel for race officials and team cars could address such safety issues. I agree with LS, it is a hard one and I suspect that there is no perfect solution. There is probably an example from race history to counter any suggestion. Veteran rider Jens Voigt says radios are important, veteran rider Michael Barry says we can do without them. There is probably merit to both perspectives.

 

[MacRoadie]

I think some are confusing apples with oranges.

The UCI is NOT advocating the elimination of "Race radio": the official radio communication of the caravan, the commissaires, and the means by which official communication is maintained within the race.

What is being restricted is the use of team radios within the race: the use of radio communication between team managers and riders.

Under any and all scenarios, any information on crashes, road hazards, etc. would continue to be transmitted to each team car, and commissaires on the road would continue to apprise the riders of said conditions.

The idea of one-way radios is, I believe, a good one. While under the odd circumstance crashes and dangerous conditions are first made known by the riders, the vast majority of information still comes from official race radio, which is then passed on through the caravan.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

There's no reason to ban Race Radio. He's a great poster.

 

[Havetts]

There's no reason to ban Race Radio. He's a great poster.

Aww damnit! I was just going to post that joke .

 

[bobbins]

Wiggins rode the worlds TT today with no radio on a technical course and unbelievably is still alive. In fact he managed to win the silver medal despite riding without the safety of a race radio.

Is he the best bike handler in the pro peloton? Deserves a gold just for riding radio-less.

 

[mewmewmew13]

There's no reason to ban Race Radio. He's a great poster.

First thing that came to my mind too!
What??? what did he do???

 

[Ragerod]

What were the biggest races this year to be held without radios and were they more exciting than usual?

I think it should be an aim to inform every rider of an unforeseen hazard within a minute, for someone to be on the seen of an accident in thirty seconds and for the necessary emergency services to have been called within another thirty. If this can be done without radios then fine.

 

[avanti]

................I'm aware that UCI-owned races do not allow race radios, but none of them are televised in the states.

Check out Universal Sports TV - I watched the Worlds W-ITT last night and will watch the M-ITT tonight, folowed by the M & W RRs on Sat and Sun.

In the W-ITT most riders were wearing radios (reportedly winner Judith Arndt did nor wear a radio).

Maybe the radio rule ban does not apply to womem or for ITTs.

 

[cineteq]

Check out Universal Sports TV - I watched the Worlds W-ITT last night and will watch the M-ITT tonight, folowed by the M & W RRs on Sat and Sun.

In the W-ITT most riders were wearing radios (reportedly winner Judith Arndt did nor wear a radio).

Maybe the radio rule ban does not apply to womem or for ITTs.

Wiggins did not wear a radio and got 2nd.

 

[veganrob]

Tour of Britain was no radio.

 

[danjo007]

race radio formula ; 95% tactical advice + 5% safety = ban

 

[jordan5000]

I think a race should choose a few days to go without radio, example in the tour making a MTF stage, riders won't know the time gaps to each other so if there is a rider who attacks the chasing group couldn't just play it safe because they knew the time gap, they'd have to guess and couldn't "manage" the race (like not chasing hard knowing the guy isn't far enough in front).

 

[C50dream]

I feel the reason that the races are not spontaneous is that the riders are more scared of losing than wanting to risk all for a win

 

[danjo007]

I feel the reason that the races are not spontaneous is that the riders are more scared of losing than wanting to risk all for a win

and therefore making it boring to watch

 

[42x16ss]

Keep the radios everywhere they are currently except for the team DS's. Make the road captains (not necessarily the team leader) call the shots and make the riders communicate with each other and work together on the road.

Surely this is a satisfactory solution?

 

[just some guy]

Racing is really not that boring. Radios will not change racing. There will be more chalk boards for times.

If you watch to make racing more exciting look when it is not. Sprint stages in grand tours, reduce these. More rolling days that a sprinter can win but not a given.

I see most of this as a power issue between the UCI and teams.