Bettini crash

victorponf

Paura per Bettini
Cade e picchia la testa

http://www.gazzetta.it/Ciclismo/Primo_P ... tini.shtml

L'ex iridato in pista alla Fiera di Rho per la Sei giorni di Milano, cade durante l'ultima volata dell'americana e rompe il casco contro il muro di protezione. Ora è in ospedale per accertamenti, ma forse già in serata potrebbe essere dimesso

Paolo Bettini viene immobilizzato con un collare dopo la caduta. Omega
RHO (Milano), 4 novembre 2008 – La Sei Giorni di Milano – di scena da oggi a domenica al Salone del Ciclo e motociclo di Rho - si è aperta con un grande spavento per Paolo Bettini. Il 34enne livornese, che gareggiava in coppia con lo spagnolo Juan Llaneras, è caduto in modo violento durante l’ultima volata dell’americana. Davanti a lui c’era l’ucraino Popovych, scivolato in curva e ricoverato all'ospedale di Rho per un dolore alla milza: Bettini lo ha centrato, sbattendo la testa contro il muro di protezione in basso e spaccando il casco. Coinvolto nella caduta anche Roberts. Subito bloccato con un collare rigido, l'ex iridato è stato trasportato all’Ospedale Sacco di Milano per accertamenti. Per Bettini, che il 27 settembre (vigilia del Mondiale di Varese) aveva annunciato il ritiro all’indomani della prova iridata, questo era l’ultimo appuntamento agonistico della carriera: il due volte iridato aveva gareggiato anche alla Sei Giorni di Amsterdam, dal 20 al 25 ottobre.
Bettini - secondo quanto si è appreso dall'ospedale - si è ripreso, è sereno e parla tranquillamente, anche se non ricorda lucidamente l'incidente avendo perso i sensi subito dopo. Bettini sarà trattenuto in osservazione per qualche ora, ma potrebbe lasciare l'ospedale già in serata. E' stata effettuata una Tac cranio-facciale, radiografie complete ed un'ecografia addominale, i primi responsi sono negativi e non c'è neppure la temuta frattura alla mandibola. "Siamo in attesa del responso dei medici sulla condizione di tutti e due gli atleti - ha detto il direttore della Sei Giorni, Silvio Martinello -. Speriamo di sapere qualcosa entro questa sera".
Bettini avrebbe tempo fino a giovedì mattina per rientrare in gara, ma a questo punto sermbra escluso che possa farcela. Si chiude così, senza fortuna, l'ultima corsa della sua carriera.
dal nostro inviatoLuigi Perna

nick hanson

:?:

iainf72

It's pretty nasty. Not a nice way to end your careers.

iainf72

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Bet ... 71401.html

afx237vi

Youtube - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_3uOwNGFrNs

I can't believe they have a wall about a metre in from the inside of the track.

ColinJ

afx237vi wrote:

I can't believe they have a wall about a metre in from the inside of the track.

Doesn't seem like a great idea does it!

Also - what length is that track? It only looks about 150 metres or so. It wouldn't take anywhere near as much effort to gain a lap on that as it would at Manchester.

Schmidthouse

Wow - that was a hard one.

redddraggon

ColinJ wrote:

Also - what length is that track? It only looks about 150 metres or so. It wouldn't take anywhere near as much effort to gain a lap on that as it would at Manchester.

166m

ColinJ

redddraggon wrote:

ColinJ wrote:

Also - what length is that track? It only looks about 150 metres or so. It wouldn't take anywhere near as much effort to gain a lap on that as it would at Manchester.

166m

Thanks. I suppose if you are stuck for space or money you'd have to go for a smaller track but are there any other reasons for it?

I assume 166(.666?) was chosen because it is 1/3 of 500 so riders could still do complete laps for multiples of 500 metres?

Eddy S

ColinJ wrote:

Thanks. I suppose if you are stuck for space or money you'd have to go for a smaller track but are there any other reasons for it?

I assume 166(.666?) was chosen because it is 1/3 of 500 so riders could still do complete laps for multiples of 500 metres?

No, available space and desired spectacle determine the size of the track.

Most of the events are held on temporary tracks such as this which are put in to existing arenas though there are also a few purpose build tracks of 200m or less - 6 day racing doesn't make for a great spectacle on 250m tracks.

Some background about the Milan event and why a 166m track was chosen available here if you're interested -> http://www.eicma.it/ciclo/en/publishing ... ace-67.htm

knedlicky

afx237vi wrote:

I can't believe they have a wall about a metre in from the inside of the track.

I doubt the wall is solid; for the width it looks on the youtube video, it could well be polystyrene in a metal framework. Nonetheless it does look close, maybe 2m inside the ‘côte d'azur’ (the blue band inside the official cycling surface).

More normally, the ‘safety’ area (between blue band and any obstacle) should be minimum 2.5 m wide and at permanent tracks it’s usually 1-2 m wider again. I’d guess from what I saw on TV, this area on the track used in the Olympic Games was 3.5-4.0 m wide.

knedlicky

ColinJ wrote:

Thanks. I suppose if you are stuck for space or money you'd have to go for a smaller track but are there any other reasons for it?
I assume 166(.666?) was chosen because it is 1/3 of 500 so riders could still do complete laps for multiples of 500 metres?

Of other current 6-day venues, Bremen also uses a 166.66 m track. I think most of the rest are 200 m. The 6-day races at Wembley in the 70s-80s used a 160 m track.

Shorter tracks are better for spectators, since the action is never far away and more frequent, and this in turn usually produces a more exciting and involved atmosphere.

Having a beer fest around the track at the same time, like they do in Munich, makes for an even better atmosphere!

ColinJ

Everything did look more exciting on that smaller track, I have to say...

SCR Pedro

Good news. He seems to be alright.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04112008/ ... crash.html

"Two-time road world champion Paolo Bettini was taken to hospital after injuring his head in a crash but initial tests have given him the all-clear.

Bettini, who retired from road racing after September's world championships in Varese, was competing on the track at the Six Days event just outside Milan when he hit his head on the perimeter fence after being involved in a collision where Luke Roberts was also hurt.

"Tests have not at the moment shown neurological or abdominal problems," Italia media quoted a statement from the Milan hospital as saying.

The Six Days event was due to be the 34-year-old's last official cycling race."

Pedro