Ronde Van Vlaanderen 2012

[Angliru]

Sagan got skrewed on the last muur. He should have been further up. Youth and inexperience. He will win in the next years.

I agree. I'll have to rewatch the race to see in what position he was in when Ballan attacked and Pipo and Boonen reacted. He's shown a remarkable ability to recover fast from his efforts. Normally a rider after such a chase once reeled in they'd either be shot out the back or hanging on for dear life till the finish but Sagan still had something left to finish strong. His prospects are scarey. Boonen, Cancellara and Gilbert better gobble up all the wins they can now because Sagan seems to be developing into a monster.

 

[rhubroma]

Grotesque that the Cancellara thread should have been closed. For this is the very heart of the problem.

Why is cycling only centered on le Tour? His team is a reflection of this.

 

[will10]

Grotesque that the Cancellara thread should have been closed. For this is the very heart of the problem.

Why is cycling only centered on le Tour? His team is a reflection of this.

Cycling isn't, his team is.

 

[jflemaire]

Not the spectator's fault though. Langeveld really had no business to do there.

I don't agree. Langeveld is riding on the cycling lane. He has every right to be there. The spectator should've known better and stayed on the pavement.

 

[rhubroma]

Cycling isn't, his team is.

Too bad for Fabian.

 

[personal]

Not much comments on Ballan?
I think he rode very well and did everything he could in the end.
I felt sorry for him loosing the same way as Cancellara in MSR.

Also Paollini was strong but I guess his timing was wrog, or what?

 

[Zam_Olyas]

cicloweb report card.

Tom Boonen - 9.5

Filippo Pozzato - 9

Alessandro Ballan - 9

Sylvain Chavanel e Niki Terpstra - 7.5

Luca Paolini - 8

Greg Van Avermaet - 7

Peter Sagan - 7.5

Vincent Jérôme - 7


Stijn Devolder - 3

Massimo Graziato e Manuel Belletti along with
Lund (Saxo Bank), Dockx (Lotto), Bilbao (Euskaltel), Boucher (FDJ), Isaichev (Katusha), Lastras (Movistar), Tjallingii (Rabobank), Farrar (Garmin), Vandousselaere (Topsport), Planckaert (Landbouwkrediet), Veelers (Argos-Shimano), Schillinger e Schorn (NetApp) all gets 7

Sep Vanmarcke - 5.5

Edvald Boasson Hagen - 5

 

[Richeypen]

cicloweb report card.

Tom Boonen - 9.5

Filippo Pozzato - 9

Alessandro Ballan - 9

Sylvain Chavanel e Niki Terpstra - 7.5

Luca Paolini - 8

Greg Van Avermaet - 7

Peter Sagan - 7.5

Vincent Jérôme - 7


Stijn Devolder - 3

Massimo Graziato e Manuel Belletti along with
Lund (Saxo Bank), Dockx (Lotto), Bilbao (Euskaltel), Boucher (FDJ), Isaichev (Katusha), Lastras (Movistar), Tjallingii (Rabobank), Farrar (Garmin), Vandousselaere (Topsport), Planckaert (Landbouwkrediet), Veelers (Argos-Shimano), Schillinger e Schorn (NetApp) all gets 7

Sep Vanmarcke - 5.5

Edvald Boasson Hagen - 5

Lol, what rubbish

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Lol, what rubbish

btw they gave an explanation of why they gave the rating.
http://www.cicloweb.it/articolo/201...oroso-omega-di-lusso-le-pagelle-sky-ancora-po


If you want to talk to them. https://twitter.com/#!/Cicloweb_it

 

[DominicDecoco]

I don't agree. Langeveld is riding on the cycling lane. He has every right to be there. The spectator should've known better and stayed on the pavement.

No. The organizers close the roads for traffic so the riders can ride on the roads - not the cycling lanes. The road was big enough for the peloton. There were also spectators on the cycling lane further behind the crash location, so that could not come as surprise that there were spectators there along the road. Also, the spectator was standing near one of those (no idea what you would call them) piles that seperates the road from the cycling lane. These 5-6 riders were too far behind and thought they could take the risk by riding off road to catch up a position or two. I'm sorry, but riding 50 km/h like that is dangerous for everyone. Riders as well as spectators. The guy had no chance whatsoever to react.

 

[hrotha]

No. The organizers close the roads for traffic so the riders can ride on the roads - not the cycling lanes. The road was big enough for the peloton. There were also spectators on the cycling lane further behind the crash location, so that could not come as surprise that there were spectators there along the road. Also, the spectator was standing near one of those (no idea what you would call them) piles that seperates the road from the cycling lane. These 5-6 riders were too far behind and thought they could take the risk by riding off road to catch up a position or two. I'm sorry, but riding 50 km/h like that is dangerous for everyone. Riders as well as spectators. The guy had no chance whatsoever to react.

Riding off the road should simply be grounds for disqualification. It's a completely unnecessary risk.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Riding off the road should simply be grounds for disqualification. It's a completely unnecessary risk.

Agree. And it gets on my nerves when they ride on the small paths instead of the pavé (when was that? GW or something like that they did it..?). Though that's not really a question of safety in that case but when pavé sectors are a part of a course, it would be expected to ride on the on them. Not beside them.

 

[El Pistolero]

Riding off the road should simply be grounds for disqualification. It's a completely unnecessary risk.

I don't think it's against the rules in Belgian races though. It is in the Netherlands, but not in Belgium if I remember correctly.

 

[personal]

No. The organizers close the roads for traffic so the riders can ride on the roads - not the cycling lanes. The road was big enough for the peloton. There were also spectators on the cycling lane further behind the crash location, so that could not come as surprise that there were spectators there along the road. Also, the spectator was standing near one of those (no idea what you would call them) piles that seperates the road from the cycling lane. These 5-6 riders were too far behind and thought they could take the risk by riding off road to catch up a position or two. I'm sorry, but riding 50 km/h like that is dangerous for everyone. Riders as well as spectators. The guy had no chance whatsoever to react.

This kind of riding is quite common in Belgium, and riders probably know it's risky.

If spectator was to remain calm and stayed where he was nothing would happen. His reaction was wrong.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Riding off the road should simply be grounds for disqualification. It's a completely unnecessary risk.

I'd argue that the obvious exception can be made for evasive action (though I'm assuming that that's kind of understood without being said in your statement anyhow).

 

[DominicDecoco]

This kind of riding is quite common in Belgium, and riders probably know it's risky.

If spectator was to remain calm and stayed where he was nothing would happen. His reaction was wrong.

So what if it's common in Belgium? This sport is a spectators sport. It can't come as a surprise that there are spectators alongside the road. There was no excuse for that risky way of riding. Watch the video again. There's one rider who almost gets the same idea as Langeveld and turns right into him. That's the reason why he moves back - right into Langeveld. "his reaction was wrong" - no it wasn't because there was absolutely no time time to react. I beleive there was a right hand corner just a few meters ahead which was the reason they wanted a better position. I know it's a tough fight for postion and can be one the most entertaining and exiting parts of cycling but again. That was simply too risky and dangerous by Seb and the likes-

 

[TomasC]

I agree. I'll have to rewatch the race to see in what position he was in when Ballan attacked and Pipo and Boonen reacted. He's shown a remarkable ability to recover fast from his efforts. Normally a rider after such a chase once reeled in they'd either be shot out the back or hanging on for dear life till the finish but Sagan still had something left to finish strong. His prospects are scarey. Boonen, Cancellara and Gilbert better gobble up all the wins they can now because Sagan seems to be developing into a monster.

I didn't see it at the moment, but he said that he was not able to react when they went. Chasing the group was too much of an effort.
Previous mechanicals cost him some energy as well.

 

[hrotha]

I'd argue that the obvious exception can be made for evasive action (though I'm assuming that that's kind of understood without being said in your statement anyhow).

Yes, of course. It'd be up to the race refs to make the call.

It would increase safety both for the riders and the public, and as Dominic said it'd make the Flèche Brabançonne much more interesting.

 

[DominicDecoco]

I'd argue that the obvious exception can be made for evasive action (though I'm assuming that that's kind of understood without being said in your statement anyhow).

But is a better position in the peloton 'evasive action'? that's where my problem is in this particulaly incident.

 

[jflemaire]

So what if it's common in Belgium? This sport is a spectators sport. It's fast and it's dangerous. There was no excuse for that risky way of riding. Watch the video again. There's one rider who almost gets the same idea as Langeveld and turns right into him. That's the reason why he moves back - right into Langeveld. "his reaction was wrong" - no it wasn't because there was absolutely no time time to react.

Well, one could argue that a lot or risky riding happens during the Ronde every year and spectators are aware of it. What is not debatable though is the reaction of the (Farnese?) rider right behing Langeveld's wheel. It's simply amazing he was able to stay upright and dodge Langeveld.

 

[personal]

So what if it's common in Belgium? This sport is a spectators sport. It can't come as a surprise that there are spectators alongside the road. There was no excuse for that risky way of riding. Watch the video again. There's one rider who almost gets the same idea as Langeveld and turns right into him. That's the reason why he moves back - right into Langeveld. "his reaction was wrong" - no it wasn't because there was absolutely no time time to react. I beleive there was a right hand corner just a few meters ahead which was the reason they wanted a better position. I know it's a tough fight for postion and can be one the most entertaining and exiting parts of cycling but again. That was simply too risky and dangerous by Seb and the likes-

Because it is common it can and will be done by riders and should be expected by the spectators.
It is probably because of all that narrow roads and road furniture.

Spectator panicked and run from the place he was standing (with some more people) and that is why and when he was hit. That was wrong.

 

[hrotha]

Because it is common it can and will be done by riders and should be expected by the spectators.
It is probably because of all that narrow roads and road furniture.

Spectator panicked and run from the place he was standing (with some more people) and that is why and when he was hit. That was wrong.

He panicked because another rider almost crashed into him.

And we know it's common and currently legal, that's why we're discussing whether it should be outlawed.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Spectator panicked and run from the place he was standing (with some more people) and that is why and when he was hit. That was wrong.

You're wrong. I've now seen that video many times and there's no way he could have avoided that. Come on. Get real. They were coming right at him with 50-60 kmh.

 

[Polyarmour]

Pippo and Ballan reinvented the old one/two.
Their version is called the one/zero.
Ballan attacks and Pippo does nothing.
They may as well have just gone with the old zero/zero, they would have had the same result.

 

[Angliru]

You're wrong. I've now seen that video many times and there's no way he could have avoided that. Come on. Get real. They were coming right at him with 50-60 kmh.

Ideally he should have stood completely still with his hands over his eyes. The riders would have gone around him as if he were so much traffic furniture on the road. The spectator did panic but I can't lay any blame on him since he wasn't on the road but on the sidewalk where he belonged.