Ronde van Vlaanderen: October 18th, 2020

[Scarponi]

Reduce the number of motos on all races and strict rules on where they are allowed to position themselves.

Always going to be hard with 200 riders all over the place. Honestly surprised crashes don’t happen every single race

 

[ppanther92]

Van der Poel almost crashed too.

Exactly. Of course, it was not intentional. But the motobike stopped pretty abrupt on a straight road.

Also, if the riders accelerate, you go faster to get some distance in again. Drafting is bad, but the risk of crashing even worse. I guess getting pictures from the side shouldn't be a priority.

 

[titan31]

The motor bike stopped on a straight road (thats also why the impact was so hard - abrupt breaking). Why???

Motorbike didn't look stopped at all. Going slow but not stopped. The 3 were cycling too close to them and Ala rode into him.

 

[Eclipse]

Anyway, sad end given Ala made this exciting.

Now a 38km snooze

 

[Gigs_98]

Remember that in 2020 Alaphilippe could have won the WCRR, MSR, LBL and the ronde but lost MSR in a photofinish, got relegated and celebrated too early in LBL and crashed into a Moto in the ronde. This very well could have become a career defining season and instead is "only" the one where he won the world championships.

 

[Scarponi]

Anyway, sad end given Ala made this exciting.

Now a 38km snooze

38km of waiting until a sprint, over to the giro

 

[Valv.Piti]

The two in front swayed at the last second on top of him looking down for a millisecond and gone

Yeah i dont know man, hard to blame the moto there I think. Just gotta pay attention at all times in this sport

 

[richwallone]

Too many motos in these races!!!

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Evenepoel crashed the same way last year in UAE Tour.

There simply are too many cars and bikes. And they shouldn't be allowed to brake or slow down suddenly.

 

[Red Rick]

Remember that in 2020 Alaphilippe could have won the WCRR, MSR, LBL and the ronde but lost MSR in a photofinish, got relegated and celebrated too early in LBL and crashed into a Moto in the ronde. This very well could have become a career defining season and instead is "only" the one where he won the world championships.

Don't forget Strade where he punctured 36 times.

 

[hrotha]

Fri

No, the motobike shouldn't be there at the right side of the road at the moment of the race. That said, he wasn't paying 100% attention.

Where do you want it to be. It couldn't be any more out of the way than it was.

This wouldn't have been an issue if riders didn't always try to ride in the motos' slipstreams even if they can only benefit from it for a nanosecond.

 

[Gigs_98]

Don't forget Strade where he punctured 36 times.

Indeed another monument he could have won...

 

[ppanther92]

Motorbike didn't look stopped at all. Going slow but not stopped. The 3 were cycling too close to them and Ala rode into him.

Agree, not stopped but going super slow. But in the result this is kind of the same. Anyway, probably an accident then. Still, case for less motorbikes is a valid one.

 

[Gigs_98]

Yes, Eurosport switches back to the Giro. Just when I was starting to get entertained. Mustn't let that happen!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

That is the last Trek rider in the front group gone.

The decision to try and dominate the race from the front, the first 100 k, has clearly proven a poor one.

The first 100 k, we did not see a single DQ rider in the first 50 riders.

 

[Red Rick]

Can we reroute the finale to the Kapelmuur now?

 

[richwallone]

Anyway, it looks like WVA and MVdP got this now... It is a race for the third...

 

[Mayomaniac]

The group behind is already racing for 3rd place.

 

[Poursuivant]

Such a shame. Looked painful too

 

[titan31]

Agree, not stopped but going super slow. But in the result this is kind of the same. Anyway, probably an accident then. Still, case for less motorbikes is a valid one.

I don't think anyone disagrees there should be less motorbikes. There's too many in most races. But the riders also need to take some responsibility here for using them as slipstreams.

Happened on the Paterberg I think too where they were loads trying to ride on the grass/dirt at the side and one of them almost rode into the photographer and Kirby went on blaming the photographer.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The group behind is already racing for 3rd place.

Three riders were not one, but two levels ahead of the rest today. Kinda inevitable in that kind of situation.

 

[happytramp]

Agree, not stopped but going super slow. But in the result this is kind of the same. Anyway, probably an accident then. Still, case for less motorbikes is a valid one.

Or a request to riders not to try and draft behind motos that are trying to keep out of the riders way on the edge of the road

 

[Vroome.exe]

Remember that in 2020 Alaphilippe could have won the WCRR, MSR, LBL and the ronde but lost MSR in a photofinish, got relegated and celebrated too early in LBL and crashed into a Moto in the ronde. This very well could have become a career defining season and instead is "only" the one where he won the world championships.

Yes, nobody thought he could do better than last season, but a little bit more luck and this would have been a much better season.

 

[Volderke]

Riders were on the right because the wind was coming from the left. So actually, the moto should have been on the other side slowing down.

WvA left some space, vdP was already more to the right tucked behind WvA and Alaphilippe was close to the right, unfortunately too close.
So no riders to blame (e.g. for not signalling), Alaphilippe a little bit to blame but that moto was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

[richwallone]

1 minute ahead and gaining... MVdP needs to let WVA pull a little, too, if he wants to win

 

[ppanther92]

On a more positive note: Petr Vakoc seems to finally be somehow back to form after his struggles after the crash with the truck.