End your Career Early - Race in Holland.
Gazzetta67
Posts: 1,890
Last month i thought the Amstel was Dangerous, But the Giro is Ridiculous anyone else think it`s only a matter of time before someone`s career comes to an end ? - They should be like the tour organisers get the road "furniture" moved....It looks like a very badly run schoolboy race at the moment.
I Hate to imagine what will happen at the Tour if it rains in Rotterdam.
I Hate to imagine what will happen at the Tour if it rains in Rotterdam.
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Whilst I agree that the routes have been questionable in places, part of me likes how unpredictable it's been. At least they've earnt their early rest.0
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To be fair, a number of the riders have commented that the bunch is very nervous and it is this state of mind that has contributed to the crashes. When you mix a state of panic with stage racers not used to this terrain and throw in a bit of bad weather for good measure, then you have a recipe for trouble. Riders will take risks when badly placed - is that the organiser's fault?
That all said, they all have race radios and, as we all know (thanks to Johan-the-Great), race radios are a safety-first device, so perhaps they're not working properly?!0 -
Is that the organisers fault !!!! - well if you watched yesterdays race you would have seen a crash at one of those silly stupid island things that most of us cyclists come across now were both pavements narrow and there was NOT a marshall or cop with a red flag. Granted riders are nervous but what i have seen of racing in holland its like demolition derby !!!!!0
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Is the caps lock key on your keyboard sticking a bit? Or did you buy a keyboard from a Daily Mail readers offer so it automatically capitalises certain words?0
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The crash that cost Wiggins his pink, yesterday, was on an open road: no furniture.
Is your gripe with the course, or the fact that a rider you hoped to do well, is now out of contention?
Gibo is at 9'-24", so I'm sad, but hey, that's bike racing. There's always a breakaway stage win."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
andyp wrote:Is the caps lock key on your keyboard sticking a bit? Or did you buy a keyboard from a Daily Mail readers offer so it automatically capitalises certain words?
I lAugHed at tHis but it occURred to me tHe persON Might NOT have english as a FIRST langUAge
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pedro118118 wrote:To be fair, a number of the riders have commented that the bunch is very nervous....
Why are they nervous?
Afraid of getting caught for something?0 -
Bottom line is that people are crashing and getting hurt. that's not good thing for the sport apart from the "best bike crash ever" videos. i remember certain riders tweeting about it last year in italy.
people are saying it's nervous but they're also saying that Holland is like that. many giro participants aren't big kermesse/classics riders who are used to it but deer in the headlights GT riders. the two stage winners so far bear this out.
For the TdF they do take a huge gillette and scrape off a number of traffic islands since the race has so much clout. I guess the giro doesn't command this kind of treatment.
Bring it to the uk! I did 100 miles y'day with exactly 1 traffic light only 1 hour from london. you can't beat that - but with minimal climbing it would not have split anything.When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
The thing is that Holland is densely populated - with lots of people interested in cycling - so massive numbers of supporters on the side of the road guaranteed. That is why the Grand Tours like to go there. In the UK people have heard of the Tour de France, but how many would take the time to stand in the rain to watch the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta? And looking at the routes the Tour of Britain tends to come up with, with cars parked dangerously everywhere and endless roundabouts, how would a peloton of 200 riders cope there?
BTW, the many crashes this time are also partly because of the kind of routes the Giro organizers like to design - lots of city centres and spectacular roads.0 -
FJS wrote:The thing is that Holland is densely populated - with lots of people interested in cycling - so massive numbers of supporters on the side of the road guaranteed. That is why the Grand Tours like to go there. In the UK people have heard of the Tour de France, but how many would take the time to stand in the rain to watch the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta? And looking at the routes the Tour of Britain tends to come up with, with cars parked dangerously everywhere and endless roundabouts, how would a peloton of 200 riders cope there?
BTW, the many crashes this time are also partly because of the kind of routes the Giro organizers like to design - lots of city centres and spectacular roads.
I've had enough of that nonsense.
The Tour De France should be a tour of France....
The Vuelta should be held in Spain...
And the Giro in Italy. End of.
If they want to push the sport in other regions then they should organise races there. They will find their own level.None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
FECK - poor old Van de Velde's out - again. And he was just saying he hoped his bad luck would change. Last year, now this year. That's him done for the Tour as well as he'll have just the TdS in his legs before the TdF.
He won't be able to teach Wiggins a thing or two about coming 4th in the tour :-) A battle of "next big thing" "revelations" "watch out next year" 4th place finishers. Add Bobby Julich and Steve Bauer to the mix and you've got an event.
But Wiggo is really coming into his own and has many many more good years left than VdV.
Poor guy - hope he bounces back soon.When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
Giro's always been a crash fest, and the organisers are always more willing to go down some shady road in the way the Tour just wouldn't.
Anyone remember the stage in Belgium where Petacci broke his knee whilst going through road works?0 -
Whilst I didn't agree with all the hooha over the Milan showpiece stage last year, the course design of these opening stages does seem to have been unnecessarily challenging0
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Rick Chasey wrote:Giro's always been a crash fest, and the organisers are always more willing to go down some shady road in the way the Tour just wouldn't.
Anyone remember the stage in Belgium where Petacci broke his knee whilst going through road works?
And then rode 60km to the finish. Who knew clenbuterol was such a good painkiller
It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
I think these stages have been ridiculus and dangerous. Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans didn't deserve to lose the jersey in this manner.
I want to watch the Giro to see the best riders performing well, making breaks etc etc - not see a crash lottery revolving around who can avoid street furniture and stay upright.
It isn't really a test of who's the best rider or who's got the best bike handling skills is it?
Can't wait for them to get to Italy, where like a previous post mentioned - the whole race should be.
Really looking forward to the brutal mtn stages - as long as Eurosport covers the few crucial hours of these stages.All my life I've wanted to be someone; I guess I should have been more specific.0 -
jackfeeder wrote:I think these stages have been ridiculus and dangerous. Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans didn't deserve to lose the jersey in this manner.
I want to watch the Giro to see the best riders performing well, making breaks etc etc - not see a crash lottery revolving around who can avoid street furniture and stay upright.
It isn't really a test of who's the best rider or who's got the best bike handling skills is it?
Can't wait for them to get to Italy, where like a previous post mentioned - the whole race should be.
Really looking forward to the brutal mtn stages - as long as Eurosport covers the few crucial hours of these stages.
What makes you think Italy will be any different? As Rick says, the Giro designs these finishes deliberately to create a spectacle. Narrow streets, hairpin turns in the final km, cobbled roads... it's a Giro trademark, regardless of what country they're in.
Anyone remember that huge crash two or three years ago when the finishing straight appeared to have been hosed down with soapy water? Riders were crashing 50 metres out and sliding across the finish line on their arses.0 -
Now there's an idea to liven up the more boring GT stages. We've got one of those long plastic sheets you peg out & squirt with soapy water for the kids to slide on, it's also great for all-in wrestling or tug'o'war - I'll phone ASO right away to see if they want to borrow it...afx237vi wrote:jackfeeder wrote:I think these stages have been ridiculus and dangerous. Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans didn't deserve to lose the jersey in this manner.
I want to watch the Giro to see the best riders performing well, making breaks etc etc - not see a crash lottery revolving around who can avoid street furniture and stay upright.
It isn't really a test of who's the best rider or who's got the best bike handling skills is it?
Can't wait for them to get to Italy, where like a previous post mentioned - the whole race should be.
Really looking forward to the brutal mtn stages - as long as Eurosport covers the few crucial hours of these stages.
What makes you think Italy will be any different? As Rick says, the Giro designs these finishes deliberately to create a spectacle. Narrow streets, hairpin turns in the final km, cobbled roads... it's a Giro trademark, regardless of what country they're in.
Anyone remember that huge crash two or three years ago when the finishing straight appeared to have been hosed down with soapy water? Riders were crashing 50 metres out and sliding across the finish line on their arses.0 -
afx237vi wrote:jackfeeder wrote:I
Anyone remember that huge crash two or three years ago when the finishing straight appeared to have been hosed down with soapy water? Riders were crashing 50 metres out and sliding across the finish line on their arses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jeB9_VmkNc
Team Tinkoff. Blast into the past there.0 -
Watching the coverage on ES this evening I saw a crazy moment, just before the Wiggins/Sky crash, where somebody in a mobility scooter had parked in the cycle lane on a sweeping curve. Unfortunately the entire leading group were hammering round this corner at top speed, and only perhaps by sheer luck did nobody ride headlong into the guy, who was closer to the action than he was hoping for. The lead rider, in Liquigas kit, looked back immediately after to see if anybody had hit him.
Highlights are on again in 20 minutes, have a look again.0 -
Yes I do remember the slidey finish - was quite entertaining!!!!!!!
Just hope there's not too many more crashes for the rest of the race.All my life I've wanted to be someone; I guess I should have been more specific.0 -
I think its been a bit of a joke so far. Some of the crashes have been on so called roads no larger than a footpath, swathed in spectators. Just crazy planning.0
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Moomaloid wrote:I think its been a bit of a joke so far. Today's crash that Sky got caught up in was on a sharp corner that was no wider than a large footpath, swathed in spectators. The bunch came into it at full speed. Just crazy planning.
You see it every year in the 1 dayers. Gent Wevelgem this year is a good case in point.
GT riders need to man up a bit. If they're that worried that the road is so small that their GC man might crash, why not turn the pace up beforehand so the pack is nice and strung out?
Probably because 80% of the peleton are 'saving energy'... *yawn*.0 -
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micron wrote:Whilst I didn't agree with all the hooha over the Milan showpiece stage last year, the course design of these opening stages does seem to have been unnecessarily challenging
Unnecessarily challenging. What?
Come on -- this is one of three grand tours. The riders are professionals. They get paid to ride.
Suck it up and stay out of trouble.0 -
Gazzetta67 wrote:Last month i thought the Amstel was Dangerous, But the Giro is Ridiculous anyone else think it`s only a matter of time before someone`s career comes to an end ? - They should be like the tour organisers get the road "furniture" moved....It looks like a very badly run schoolboy race at the moment.
I Hate to imagine what will happen at the Tour if it rains in Rotterdam.
The riders will need to ride as the conditions dictate like they do in any other race whats the big deal here ? after all i could just imagine the holws of derision if a certain American had come out with the this kind of nonsense.Gasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
Look,
The Netherlands is very flat so it's often the wind that makes the difference. Interesting if you're in the know and enjoy echelons, but not thrilling for Joe Public. The Giro organisers, no doubt with a flair for the dramatic, have decided to liven it up. This is known as the "Aintree Effect". Imagine if the Grand National were run on the flat - it would be a dull slog. However, the addition of some ridiculous fences, ditches etc. leads to carnage and spices it up, also turning it into a bit of a lottery who wins. This is what the Giro organisers have done, except they can't use fences so they've gone for narrow roads, hairpin turns and stealth bollards instead.
The added bonus is that the widely disliked Vino is now in pink so there is a true baddie for the crowd to boo and for the other riders to attempt to dislodge. I'd be surprised if they don't make Vino wear a black cape and waxed mustache for the TTT while firing paint balls at the rider's aero helmets.....Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
I think it's just part of racing in the first week of a Grand Tour. Lots of fresh riders all wanting to ride at the front. I can remember crashes in the Tour when they where riding on a straight, wide piece of road!
Anyway, don't they all have radios, weren't their directors telling them when something dangerous was coming up?
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Great race so far as always - beats the Tour hands down for excitement.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
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greasedscotsman wrote:Anyway, don't they all have radios, weren't their directors telling them when something dangerous was coming up?
Michael Barry would argue that it's the radios which cause even more crashes to occur:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/10/ ... gged_988970
