Publicus said:
I can't see the video, but I assume what you say is an accurate description. I'm not sure that changes anything. AC (or any other rider) has no idea why Andy slowed or threw his chain. Is the expectation that he goes from full flight to full stop to figure out what Andy was doing or what happened to his equipment? I'm not trying to be flippant. We've spent the better part of 9 hours debating and discussing and no one can agree on the facts, let alone the appropriate or non-controversial response. Is it reasonable to think AC could make that determination in a matter of seconds under the circumstances?
The video is in 360p and to me appears inconclusive. I can't tell.
I think this whole episode informs us about why 'we' are 'here' and 'they' are 'there'. Even Bruyneel and Riis agree that regardless of why whatever happened happened a professional competitor DOES NOT stop for this type of thing when the entire tour is hanging in the balance. To do so would have been sheer madness.
But those who sit in a comfortable chair can watch the video frame by frame to buttress their argument. (I don't mean you macroadie, I mean all of 'us'.) No one had any time to think about it. I imagine if something so egregious had taken place, the offenders would have faced a sanction by the officials. These guys are trained to win and born to win.
" They don't ask how, they ask how many." I wish I could find out who first said that. Bottom line, go out and win, we'll sort everything else out later.
It's unfortunate for Andy. We will be able to argue what happened and what it meant for years to come. I really can't imagine why other than a shift that happened, but I don't ride SRAM. But that has nothing to do with what those in the race had to decide to do in a fraction of a second. Of all the times I have ever thrown my chain while moving, I have never had much difficulty getting it back on without dismounting. It certainly struck me as beyond amateurish to get off the bike for that.