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Its not altering, its literal neutralizations on multiple occasions.
Precedent.Of course people can remember, but there's no need to act as if it "had some profound impact". Why would a random race result from 10+ years ago have had a profound impact?
My point was the people dying - or getting seriously injured - is something that needs to be done a lot of to make sure doesn't happen. Races getting slightly altered, really isn't such big deal.
It's kind of funny, that the sport likes to lionise and romanticise the past. Fiorenzo Magni chowing down on the inner tube wrapped round his handlebars to distract from the pain from his broken collarbone; Jesús Loroño being wrestled off his bike because he was trying to ride a neutralised stage in the snow to prove a point; Andy Hampsten and the 1988 Gavia stage; Hinault at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1980. These are all parts of cycling history that are revered, praised, seen as great and admirable feats.
The pussification of society is general and by that I mean a tendency for displaying care, safety and eliminating risk everywhere and in all activities. That is borderline condescending and patronizing of the best humans can do. I won't brag much, but just look at how kids played outside in the 80s during hours while developing and learning skills and how they have now to be instructed on how to have fun by ****ing professionals or are just glued to the screens.And maybe they shouldn't be. Maybe people need to stop, and consider that perhaps the "good old days" weren't so good at all.
You guys are acting as if riders constantly request that races are called off, or otherwise altered, but that isn't the case.
There ought to be areas of activity where willing members are very well paid and can thus remind us of what humans can endure to achieve greatness. If cycling looses that because of over the top safety concerns, it will just go with the flow of other sports and turn into something else.
They didn't cancel it. They just took the times at an unorthodox location.
Kämna still won the stage.
There will always be crashes...The pros still endure a lot!
I will always think that should have a much bigger say in what happens than random fans.
But just imagine if the opposite had happened, and they hadn't altered the stage, it had been as muddy as it first appeared, and there had been a crash. That would have been much worse.
If everyone climbs off, the race will be cancelled by default.
Anyway, tomorrow's there's another race.
No, not in Spain. In the UK.
Imagine what would happen if somebody had a nasty crash on the cobbles at Roubaix. Better neutralise them or take them out of the race for safety in case it rains.The pros still endure a lot!
I will always think that should have a much bigger say in what happens than random fans.
But just imagine if the opposite had happened, and they hadn't altered the stage, it had been as muddy as it first appeared, and there had been a crash. That would have been much worse.
Not everyone of us rates every race exactly equally.
Imagine what would happen if somebody had a nasty crash on the cobbles at Roubaix. Better neutralise them or take them out of the race for safety in case it rains.
What if the essential part of the race is dangerous? Like, say, the Poggio descent in Sanremo, or heavy rain on the Champs Elysées?Today I rated the Vuelta and Bretagne Classics higher than Tour of Britain.
Tomorrow, I'll rate ToB higher, as it'll be the only race on.
Cobbles are an essential part of P-R. This random climb isn't an essential part of the Vuelta.
Yes, what happened today could have been handled better, but it happened, nothing to do about it now.
It's not about frequency of callign it off, it's about merit.And maybe they shouldn't be. Maybe people need to stop, and consider that perhaps the "good old days" weren't so good at all. Of course, as you pointed out earlier, they need to not be forgetting completely, otherwise there's a risk of repeating the mistakes of the past.
You guys are acting as if riders constantly request that races are called off, or otherwise altered, but that isn't the case.
JURY COMMUNIQUE Nº 10.
Art. 2.12.7; 4.7 Sheltering behind a team car. 214. BARRENETXEA GOLZARRI, Jon UCI ID 10040454741 CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA 200 CHF fine, 20" penalty in the general classification, 10 points penalty in the points classification and 3 points penalty in the mountain classification.
D.D. CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA; MARTÍNEZ, Rubén, UCI ID 10005827357.Fine 500 CHF
Art. 2.12.007; 4.11Irregular feeding (“sticky bottle” for a short distance)
206. NAVARRO GARCÍA, Daniel UCI ID 10002514506 BURGOS-BH Fine 200,00 CHFD.S. BURGOS - BH; CANTERA, David UCI ID 10089466922. Fine 200,00 CHF
Art. 2.12.007; 6.3 Not following the instructions of the commissaires .D.S. BURGOS - BH; CANTERA, David UCI ID 10089466922.Fine 500 CHF, exclusion from stage 11, Lerma - La Laguna Negra. Vinuesa, without possibility of replacement
.As part of the fight against technological fraud, 39 bicycles were checked today and conformed with the UCI regulations.
Medical release.
Km 6: Riders 33 and 92 fall, suffering various injuries and erosions. They continue.
Km 8 : Fall of rider 95 with injuries to his knee and elbow. He is treated and continues the race.
194 injuries to knee and shoulder, he is treated and continues the race.
215 abrasion to knee and injury to elbow. He is treated and continued the race.48 various traumas and erosions. He continued the race.
Km 50 (fall of rider 42)
Km 60 (fall of rider 136)
Km 71 fall of rider 156
The riders with superficial injuries continued the race.
Plus ça change“The Vuelta? In those days it was just a bit of a joke,” he dismissively tells Fotheringham in The Eagle of Toledo.
The problem is the traffic, not the riders. Most countries just aren't that safe for cyclists in general, whether pro or not.Riders are getting killed way more in training rides (because there is traffic) than in actual races. We don't need extreme decisions in road racing, we need extreme decisions to improve safety for riders to train with traffic. Mandatory School programs promoting an active life style, more benefits to people who use bus or trains, more bike lanes, etc. Even in countries like Italy, we have an horrific safety on roads, they drive like mad dogs! And Italy is one of the best countries in developing cyclists.
This is the kind of argument that gets used a lot of times in a lot of different contexts. It is never a good argument in any of those contexts.It is annoying to hear complains about the same things over and over. Get over it. Times have changed and there is nothing we can do about it.
& every time they get put in the Tour, we get wails of protest from the fans calling for the stage to be cancelled or neutralised.Imagine what would happen if somebody had a nasty crash on the cobbles at Roubaix. Better neutralise them or take them out of the race for safety in case it rains.
You seriously need to develop a degree of perspective when it comes to your special interest.And ironically they put the finish somewhere more dangerous than the actual finish on that stage.
The organisers should have had better contingency plans, but all this is a direct result of Mauro Vegni being a coward a few years ago and letting the riders dictate when they do and don't race, and Javier Guillén being a coward a few years ago and letting the riders dictate who can and can't be thrown out of the race.