Should Theo Bos be suspended for this?

[Trev_S]

I have watched it over and over, just before the crash, to me both riders or going straight and keeping their line, and Impey crashes first then Theo, and Impey was in front of Theo, so why pull him back, .....................

Also the rails to me were in a straight line, and neither rider looked that close together, so I am baffled, I just do not understand what he was thinking.

Bos is hitting the rails on the left when his grip tighten on Impey's shoulder.
Bos is already crashing. You can see the fence rails being pushed left before Impey got dragged down.

Watch the longer version again and you'll see the rails are not even close to being straight. The rails open out a little before Bos is in picture, Bos comes along side Impey whilst there is more room. A little further ahead of them you'll see the rails closing back in cutting off any space ahead of Bos.
(In the shorter zoomed version you can't really tell)

Bos was going to crash into the rails if no room was created, which is why he may have put his hand onto Impey's shoulder in the first place, to warn him he was there and create some space??


It doesn't excuse what happened, I think Bos went into a gap that opened as the fence line moved out, only to be closed in again. He essentially made the mistake of going into a gap that didn't really exist.

 

[kickingfred]

which is why he may have put his hand onto Impey's shoulder in the first place, QUOTE]
put his hand on his shoulder?????? What???? You've watched it pretty closely so I think you'll find he did a little more than that.
I looks like a sling gone wrong (or maybe right??) to me. And most others for that matter

I think there is a very good chance no-one would have crashed if Bos had kept his hands to himself like his mother taught him.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

It kind of reminds me of Zidane's headbutt.

Except Zidane was provoked by Materazzi, and didn't cause any real damage.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's physically impossible to take someone's jersey, and then throw him off the bike like a ragdoll, at that speed. Hell, even at 10 km/h, that's impossible.

You would need super human upper body and upper arm strength. That's the best defence Bos has, it's really impossible to do that. So any claim that it was intentional is done for.

 

[Bikerider]

Theo

My Queston is, he said he was pulling Impey back? Why? AT THE END OF THE DAY HE SHOULD NOT BE GRABING ANYONE, IF HE WAS FALLING HE SHOULD NOT HAVE PULLED ANYONE ELSE DOWN WITH HIM, THEIR IS NO QUESTION THEO CAUSED THAT CRASH. AND TO SAY HE WAS TRYING TO PUSH IMPEY OUT OF THE WAY IS STUPID, THAT IS GOING TO MAKE IMPEY LOOSE HIS BALANCE AT THAT SPEED, WETHER IT WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT, WHEN SOMEONE GRABS AT YOU, OR EVEN JUST A LITTLE PUSH GOING INTO THE SPRINT IS DANGEROUS!! SRINT FINISHES ARE DANGEROUS ENOUGH WITH OUT MAKING IT MORE DANGEROUS HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR BALANCE AT THAT SPEED. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OTHER RIDERS!!!!!!

 

[LugHugger]

My Queston is, he said he was pulling Impey back? Why? AT THE END OF THE DAY HE SHOULD NOT BE GRABING ANYONE, IF HE WAS FALLING HE SHOULD NOT HAVE PULLED ANYONE ELSE DOWN WITH HIM, THEIR IS NO QUESTION THEO CAUSED THAT CRASH. AND TO SAY HE WAS TRYING TO PUSH IMPEY OUT OF THE WAY IS STUPID, THAT IS GOING TO MAKE IMPEY LOOSE HIS BALANCE AT THAT SPEED, WETHER IT WAS INTENTIONAL OR NOT, WHEN SOMEONE GRABS AT YOU, OR EVEN JUST A LITTLE PUSH GOING INTO THE SPRINT IS DANGEROUS!! SRINT FINISHES ARE DANGEROUS ENOUGH WITH OUT MAKING IT MORE DANGEROUS HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR BALANCE AT THAT SPEED. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OTHER RIDERS!!!!!!

can we keep the noise down, please?

 

[Aapjes]

he says he was trying to pull Impey back Why!!!

Actually, he said that he wanted to keep Impey away from him. He never said that he wanted to pull him back.

 

[Bikerider]

THEO!! Everyone who knows me, knows that I would never take such a deliberate risk to cause such a fall."

"I have sprinted for years at the highest level, but I am not a sprinter who takes extreme risks... it's not in my character.

"On the YouTube clip, I can see how I seem to cause the fall on purpose. Even Lance Armstrong [via his Twitter page] let me know that I must be suspended for a long time.

"I understand the response entirely if you only examine the video and then make a comment."

"However, it's different than it looks. I tried to keep him [Impey] back, but at that moment the only option was to try and avoid crashing."

"I hope that there are more pictures [of the incident], so that the pictures can be laid side by side and analysed. I have to prove my innocence."

SORRY USED WRONG WORD PULLED INSTEAD OF BACK, BUT EVEN SO
*THIS IS WHAT I READ, I TRIED TO KEEP IMPEY BACK, BUT HOLDING ON TO A JERSEY DOES NOT LOOK RIGHT TO ME ( KEEP HIM BACK )
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!! IT CAUSED MORE TROUBLE.* TO ME IT CAUSED THE CRASH, I KEEP LOOKING AT THE VIDEO, AND I STILL FEEL THE SAME, I SHOWED IT TO A NON CYCLIST TO GET THEIR OPINION, AND THEY SAID THE SAME, OH MY GOSH WHY!!!! AND I WISHED I COULD READ SOMETHING ELES IN THE VIDEO !!!!

 

[lookkg386]

Watched the footage again this morning and still can't believe it, Bos most definately grabs the jersey and yanks it, no way he is just pushing to show he's there or fending off- unbelievable stuff. I believe UCI are still looking at it.

 

[pkmcglynn]

Update

Is the UCI going to take action on this or is Theo Bos off clean? Let's have an update Cyclingnews.

 

[cougie]

I'm still sticking with Bos on this. Anything else makes no sense.

 

[Andy.G]

I've been fascinated by all the responses to this incident - some of which are a little short-sighted and not based on much experience.

Theo is a multiple world champion with an impeccable temperament and professional racing smarts. You can't ride against Sir Chris Hoy and challenge him if you don't. This incident was the result of a number of factors aligning for a bad result.

I agree with Captain Serious that it wasn't a deliberate or malicious act, so those posts calling for a big ban are really unjustified. And I also agree with Aapjes - "In short, I think that Bos actually tried to save Impey from a crash, but accidentially made it much worse instead."

If you freeze the footage and go through it frame by frame you'll see that Theo was about to straighten his arm, hence pushing Impey away from the barriers and a possible accident, when Theo himself caught the foot of a barrier.

Impey freaked out, his front wheel washed out and he fell. It had been a very messy, nervous sprint, so self-preservation was the order of the day, which is what Bos was trying to achieve. If you read Theo's statement, the description I've written above concurs with what he has said.

Robbie McEwen's comments are apt for the situation - a month on the sidelines at most, just to let Bos know that he had a part to play in the accident. I'm sure Theo would accept that.

Yes ... Good post, I agree.
Bos was trying to place Impey where Impey should have been going, into the hole he should have been moving into, Bos is the infinitely more experienced and capable sprinter here, being boxed into the fence by Impey, he attempts to make room and push Impey up and out of his space ... Impey freaks out, it all goes wrong. Very wrong.

I believe the 'movement' which appears to be the throw, is when Impey moves (freaks out) left back on top of Bos, and Bos still has his hand on his back, maybe with a jersey grip to make a more definitive controlling manipulation of the rider as previously intended ... so Impey does the moving with Bos's hand on, NOT vicaversa ...

It's a racing incident ... Maybe a month, maybe not ... The best commissaires in the world have decided 'not' ... I hold with them and their judgement here.

The commentary over-reaction with such vitriolic personal interpretations (even before any replay) starts this whole ball rolling ...

For those declaring Bos as dangerous to be near ?? Not for me, there are fewer people I would rather be shoulder to shoulder with in a flat out sprint ... and us ex-trackies know a thing or two about 'shoulder to shoulder' in a flat-out sprint !!! Look at that earlier photo of Robbie throwing the biiig headbut into Stuey - into a trackie, who is steady as a rock, unmoved, protecting position with a single elbow ... beautiful Stuey, just beautiful. But I also love the little guys strength and tenacity there - how's that for bike handling skill at speed ?? Bos is a master sprinter and bike handler - you DO NOT do what he has achieved in cycling at the highest level, by being a muppet.

Someone mentioned Bettini crashing someone ?? That was Baden Cooke - Il Grillo deliberately put Cookie into the left barriers as a (professional panic) reaction to being overtaken in a two-up sprint, obviously Bettini didn't want to crash him, but **** happens when you take chances with other people when sprinting, they don't always know what you're doing (as shown here in the Bos/Impey incident) ... you may remember Bettini got such bad reaction on the podium, he wouldn't come out at first, then that he just upended the bottle of champagne onto the floor in a spoilt child tantrum ... he lost me that day.

Nice editing Dimspace btw - I'm not sure how one does that with youtube stuff - well done.

 

[Andy.G]

SRINT FINISHES ARE DANGEROUS ENOUGH WITH OUT MAKING IT MORE DANGEROUS HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUR BALANCE AT THAT SPEED.

Theres one I will avoid in the bunch kick at the end ... prone to panic I think.

 

[pmessal]

I a word: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

The UCI announced today that it has referred the matter to a disciplinary commission for action.

"Indeed, the UCI has deemed that Theo Bos’ behaviour undermined the image, reputation and interests of cycling and of the UCI. In accordance with article 12.1.005 of the UCI Regulations, this infringement is liable to a suspension of 1 to 6 months."

Susan

 

[Cartesian Centaur]

The UCI announced today that it has referred the matter to a disciplinary commission for action.

"Indeed, the UCI has deemed that Theo Bos’ behaviour undermined the image, reputation and interests of cycling and of the UCI. In accordance with article 12.1.005 of the UCI Regulations, this infringement is liable to a suspension of 1 to 6 months."

Susan

That seems fair to me. I don't think it was intentional, but like a lot of people here I think it was untenable behaviour regardless of intent.

I hope Daryl Impey's recovery is going well.

 

[issoisso]

The UCI announced today that it has referred the matter to a disciplinary commission for action.

"Indeed, the UCI has deemed that Theo Bos’ behaviour undermined the image, reputation and interests of cycling and of the UCI. In accordance with article 12.1.005 of the UCI Regulations, this infringement is liable to a suspension of 1 to 6 months."

Susan

Here's my humble suggestion:

Suspend Bos until Impey resumes riding.
While Impey's out, Bos is out.

Seems fair to me.

 

[Mesci76]

definitely YES!

 

[Cartesian Centaur]

Hmm...according to the UCI press release Bos was apparently DQed and fined immediately after the race? Somehow I missed that fact among the twitterstorm...

 

[Andy.G]

DQ'd or 'relegated' with a fine on the day, is different to a suspension ... still no suspension.

Twitter'storm' ?? more like Twitter'cyclone' (hurricane) ....

 

[Baggins27]

He should certainly be suspended for that.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm...according to the UCI press release Bos was apparently DQed and fined immediately after the race? Somehow I missed that fact among the twitterstorm...

original reports all said that no action was taken by the stewards....
this all starts to seem a little odd.. :?

 

[Captain Serious]

Someone mentioned Bettini crashing someone ?? That was Baden Cooke - Il Grillo deliberately put Cookie into the left barriers as a (professional panic) reaction to being overtaken in a two-up sprint, obviously Bettini didn't want to crash him.

Just on that: there was a lot of talk about that when it happened, so, as I had it taped I watched it a million times.

Bettini didn't literally push him into the barrier, but he did obviously cut him right off. I'm not sure they even touched. Cooke crashed because as he went to take his hand off the bars to perhaps shake his fist in protest, he knocked the bars out of control, and he couldn't recover

 

[Captain Serious]

and us ex-trackies know a thing or two about 'shoulder to shoulder' in a flat-out sprint !!!

Funny story (save it for Leno ):

Former Aussie track sprinter John Kennedy has a cool story about the day he taunted Gary Neiwand try to knock him off during a keirin. He tried, but couldn't.

Kennedy is a big guy: probably 6'4", and I think Neiwand is about 5'11".

Neiwand and Kennedy weren't the best of friends at the time. He (Kennedy) says that Neiwand had been able to intimidate virtually everyone on the Aus track scene, except for him, perhaps because Kennedy was bigger, a bit older and wiser, and just didn't give a sh*t.

During a bit a trash talking at the start of a race, Kennedy said something like: "you've knocked other people over, but you couldn't knock me off if you tried. Come on, have a go."

He says Neiwand bashed into him a few times, and couldn't knock him over. Kennedy taunted him further: "that was p1ssweak. Is that all you've got? Come on! You're nothing! Try harder, you f**king ***** *** !"

Kennedy says Neiwand started rolling up and down the bank, launching into him as hard as he could, but still couldn't knock him off.

Mind you, all this was behind the motorbike, so they weren't exactly doing 60km/h. Kennedy said he looked around just before the derny pulled off, and all the other riders were 50m behind them coz they were sh*tting themselves.

Ah well, ya had to be there.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Theo bos suspended for one month.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bos-suspended-for-impey-incident

fair result i guess. needed some sort of punishment, maybe lucky just to get a month.
has been getting some good results too, heard a rumor he might make it to the pro team next season, wonder if this will pull any weight in thier decision.