So, what do we do with spectators?

[CheckMyPecs]

Deploy a selfie inhibition field?
Put barbed wire all the way to the top?
Set up crowdfunding to pay for gendarmes every 5 metres?

 

[SeriousSam]

 

[CheckMyPecs]

I'm not even sure what law could be used to charge them. Especially if it's more due to incompetence than a deliberate assault on a cyclist.

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Barriers all the way ruins one of the best aspects of bike racing. The Vuelta and Tour aren't the same without the crowd in the riders faces. However security needs to improve. And most importantly the bikes and the guys riding them need to improve. I'd be looking at them before the crowd tbh.

 

[jsem94]

Every cyclist needs to work on their upper body strength so they can intimidate spectators making them scared to stand close to the riders. Obviously...

 

[trucido]

Re:

Barriers all the way ruins one of the best aspects of bike racing. The Vuelta and Tour aren't the same without the crowd in the riders faces. However security needs to improve. And most importantly the bikes and the guys riding them need to improve. I'd be looking at them before the crowd tbh.

If you're riding a moto up a narrow pass and someone falls down right in front of you, do you run them over or brake as quickly as you can?

Keeping some of the "best" aspects of the sport can also bring out some of the worst (such as today) as well.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Let's look for inspiration. What laws are used to charge streakers in football and other sports?

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Re: Re:

Barriers all the way ruins one of the best aspects of bike racing. The Vuelta and Tour aren't the same without the crowd in the riders faces. However security needs to improve. And most importantly the bikes and the guys riding them need to improve. I'd be looking at them before the crowd tbh.

If you're riding a moto up a narrow pass and someone falls down right in front of you, do you run them over or brake as quickly as you can?

Keeping some of the "best" aspects of the sport can also bring out some of the worst (such as today) as well.

The pros of spectators right by the cyclists on the way up to a summit finish outweigh the cons by a landslide. The Vuelta security guys tend to be very good at dealing with any spectators acting out of line and preventing this stuff.

 

[BigMac]

Re:

Let's look for inspiration. What laws are used to charge streakers in football and other sports?

This is much worse, though. Unless streakers invade during one team's attacking play and the game is interrupted, this should be condiered a whole new level and must be treated much more severely.

As others have said, it's not the first time a spectator does something stupid, but this is by far the most outrageous thing I've ever seen. I'm seriously tired of human stupidity going unpunished, how there can be someone so braindead they become irresponsible to this point.

However, organisers are the culprits, too. It's about time this rabble starts receiving their due punishment. Organisers' and police should start intimidating these moronic crowds with arrests and freaking huge fines, because this is simply unacceptable. At least create some sort of deterrent. Right now there's no reason as to why spectators shouldn't act irresponsibly, other than basic human decency, which they lack anyway.

I don't care if there have to be barriers 5km's from the finish, no scenic image or poetic view, no romantic's wet dream is worth this outcome.

Mad, mad, mad.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Re:

This is much worse, though. Unless streakers invade during one team's attacking play and the game is interrupted, this should be condiered a whole new level and must be treated much more severely.

I know, but unless new laws are passed, we have to work with existing ones.

I don't care if there have to be barriers 5km's from the finish, no scenic image or poetic view, no romantic's wet dream is worth this outcome.

Absolutely. There are many sports out there which have a huge following without putting athletes and fans 50 cm apart.

 

[Red Rick]

I think road cycling is too unique of a sport to look much at other sports.

 

[DFA123]

Obvious and easiest solution is barriers. You can put them quite narrow on some stages - just enough for a car to pass - so fans would still be close to the race, but it sets some limits.

Logistically a bit awkward on a mountain, but they do it at the giro, and the Tour has a lot greater resources at their disposal.

 

[Taxus4a]

Not allow lot of people per Km, just a number.

To punish bad behabiour.

To put more security people if there is lot of people.

 

[Galic Ho]

Deploy a selfie inhibition field?
Put barbed wire all the way to the top?
Set up crowdfunding to pay for gendarmes every 5 metres?

The French races have been interesting the past few years.

Those who are there could comment, but are many people drunk?

If yes, ban ALCOHOL. If fans from certain nations are causing problems, ban them too.

In Italy and Spain when I started viewing the Giro and Vuelta, the mountains had many young men running around foolishly, getting too close to riders. They were also closer and seemed more likely to cause an incident than the Tour. The last 2 years, that's changed dramatically.

This was on the cards for a while now. The last two Tours I have been amazed at some passes, because if a rider wanted to attack, he'd have to literally ram through spectators. They DO NOT NEED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

It's simple. Hire police or officials like they have in Italy and Spain and enforce more room. There is room, but these clowns think they can get super close. Technology and the need to selfie everything has played its own detrimental element to this.

I don't want to say arm the police, but give them battons and if a clown gets out of line, whack him. Give motorbikes the right to run people over. They should back up and show some respect. You can cheer from the side.

Why run people over? You cannot say do that without causing a problem...injuries, ambulance, medical staff, but stopping in the middle of the race and causing this catastrophe because of a pile up needs to be rectified and addressed!

It's poor people management. Go into the French media and state people will be arrested. Contact the French President, get him to tell people to grow up. It's the fans fault but the ASO have to manage this and their efforts are wanting. The fans should be shown that cheering is great, but LEAVE enough room. For years the riders in the mountains are given far too little room.

I heard Chris Froome's bike was stolen. As the camera panned away as he left it next to a motorbike, a young man in blue was suddenly moving straight toward it. That's $10K right there. And yet, nobody stopped him! I'd have flogged the crap out of him!! But that's a cultural thing and sorry, but if that's how Europeans act, then you lot need a good smack in the head and to be told to grow up. Act like adults and not drunken louts.

Get drunk at home or away from the road. If a sober person causes this crap, well yeah...into Andorra that person who stepped in front of George Bennett!! How could they not think straight!! He was clearly moving along, but that person stepped out...Andy Schleck no longer rides because a British fan in England did that. SO it is a national thing.

Oh sure...Aussie speaking; drivers of cars in this country try and run people over. Perspective talking here. If you don't want to show respect, don't go to watch the event. Control your kids, pets and your own self.

Also reduce the motorbikes. Into Andorra where were all the video cameras on the Froome, Quintana, Yates, Porte and Martin group? No where! Yet today after Froome and Porte lost time, there were bikes and video cameras PLUS extra ones for guys with digital cameras taking photos (not video) galore!! Sorry, too many. Reduce the volume. Also, the number of vultures at the finish with cameras...it's bad.

Barriers...simple. Logistics. They stuffed up. Admit it and improve for 2017. Fire somebody and scrap the French working week of 35 hours if that's the issue. Pay for more support. Stop thinking about profit and talk about security...

Simple stuff, but poor management lets this happen and REPEAT. If it repeats then some people need to be fired...

PS EDIT: I have heard some fans from certain nationalities are causing issues...maybe the Colombians, maybe some Dutch at times. Simple. Fine them and arrest anyone being a douche. They will stop. Ban alcohol from the mountains and they'll behave. Simple stuff. Do you want drunkness or racing? Choose. Do you want to be a tool or rider safety? Choose. Not hard to implement. It requires gumption and a back bone though because fans will have a whinge. It's about the riders safety.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

They need something similar to this (2014 Monte Zoncalon Giro) but to a lesser degree. Possibly three/four people per fifty metres.
https://youtu.be/LePWiqQmO8g?t=17m30s

 

[happychappy]

 

[PremierAndrew]

No need to do anything, this moto incident has given cycling and the TdF a f*ckload of publicity

 

[lenric]

There are just too many fans in the last kms of mountain stages. Knowing what to do isn't hard. Having the will to do it and materializing it is.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

I think road cycling is too unique of a sport to look much at other sports.

Why?

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I think road cycling is too unique of a sport to look much at other sports.

Why?

Distances are too long to make barring of an entire climb logistically desirable.

I'd say just charge money to stand on the mountain. Use money to increase security.

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

I think road cycling is too unique of a sport to look much at other sports.

Why?

Distances are too long to make barring of an entire climb logistically desirable.

I'd say just charge money to stand on the mountain. Use money to increase security.

The amount of security needed for that to happen is ginormous. It's a good idea, but I don't know if very doable.

 

[yespatterns]

Deploy a selfie inhibition field?
Put barbed wire all the way to the top?
Set up crowdfunding to pay for gendarmes every 5 metres?

The French races have been interesting the past few years.

Those who are there could comment, but are many people drunk?

If yes, ban ALCOHOL. If fans from certain nations are causing problems, ban them too.

In Italy and Spain when I started viewing the Giro and Vuelta, the mountains had many young men running around foolishly, getting too close to riders. They were also closer and seemed more likely to cause an incident than the Tour. The last 2 years, that's changed dramatically.

This was on the cards for a while now. The last two Tours I have been amazed at some passes, because if a rider wanted to attack, he'd have to literally ram through spectators. They DO NOT NEED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

It's simple. Hire police or officials like they have in Italy and Spain and enforce more room. There is room, but these clowns think they can get super close. Technology and the need to selfie everything has played its own detrimental element to this.

I don't want to say arm the police, but give them battons and if a clown gets out of line, whack him. Give motorbikes the right to run people over. They should back up and show some respect. You can cheer from the side.

Why run people over? You cannot say do that without causing a problem...injuries, ambulance, medical staff, but stopping in the middle of the race and causing this catastrophe because of a pile up needs to be rectified and addressed!

It's poor people management. Go into the French media and state people will be arrested. Contact the French President, get him to tell people to grow up. It's the fans fault but the ASO have to manage this and their efforts are wanting. The fans should be shown that cheering is great, but LEAVE enough room. For years the riders in the mountains are given far too little room.

I heard Chris Froome's bike was stolen. As the camera panned away as he left it next to a motorbike, a young man in blue was suddenly moving straight toward it. That's $10K right there. And yet, nobody stopped him! I'd have flogged the crap out of him!! But that's a cultural thing and sorry, but if that's how Europeans act, then you lot need a good smack in the head and to be told to grow up. Act like adults and not drunken louts.

Get drunk at home or away from the road. If a sober person causes this crap, well yeah...into Andorra that person who stepped in front of George Bennett!! How could they not think straight!! He was clearly moving along, but that person stepped out...Andy Schleck no longer rides because a British fan in England did that. SO it is a national thing.

Oh sure...Aussie speaking; drivers of cars in this country try and run people over. Perspective talking here. If you don't want to show respect, don't go to watch the event. Control your kids, pets and your own self.

Also reduce the motorbikes. Into Andorra where were all the video cameras on the Froome, Quintana, Yates, Porte and Martin group? No where! Yet today after Froome and Porte lost time, there were bikes and video cameras PLUS extra ones for guys with digital cameras taking photos (not video) galore!! Sorry, too many. Reduce the volume. Also, the number of vultures at the finish with cameras...it's bad.

Barriers...simple. Logistics. They stuffed up. Admit it and improve for 2017. Fire somebody and scrap the French working week of 35 hours if that's the issue. Pay for more support. Stop thinking about profit and talk about security...

Simple stuff, but poor management lets this happen and REPEAT. If it repeats then some people need to be fired...

PS EDIT: I have heard some fans from certain nationalities are causing issues...maybe the Colombians, maybe some Dutch at times. Simple. Fine them and arrest anyone being a douche. They will stop. Ban alcohol from the mountains and they'll behave. Simple stuff. Do you want drunkness or racing? Choose. Do you want to be a tool or rider safety? Choose. Not hard to implement. It requires gumption and a back bone though because fans will have a whinge. It's about the riders safety.

You are broken inside. Is there a joke here I'm not getting?

 

[Ramira]

Re: Re:

I think road cycling is too unique of a sport to look much at other sports.

Why?

Distances are too long to make barring of an entire climb logistically desirable.

I'd say just charge money to stand on the mountain. Use money to increase security.

The amount of security needed for that to happen is ginormous. It's a good idea, but I don't know if very doable.

I'm not so sure it takes a lot of security. There's usually only 2 ways to get on a climb, maybe a few more. Just block the road at a few crucial intersections and control who gets through. Sure maybe a few people will climb up to get around it, but that would be a minimal number.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Without the spectators by the roadside (without fencing), this sport will suffer big times. Educating the broader fan base can be done much better.

 

[Boeing]

Well as a start if the organizers are going to reroute a stage finish due to weather, they should be prepared to repossession finish barriers and signage accordingly.

As bad as fans and motorbikes have become, the number of people on the road was increased significantly because they walked down from their above camp spots reserved likely a week ago.

Big dominoes not anticipated by the organizers imho.