Lead out chain etiquette

flattythehurdler
flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
edited July 2010 in Pro race
Is there, or should there be an etiquette about banging into the middle of another rider's lead out. Lead out chains are assembled at great expense, and are, in effect, the property of the sponsor. Muscling in is surely trespass. Someone is going to get badly hurt soon, as the disruption of lead out trains seems to be coming a de rigeur tactic. Any opinions?
Dan

Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    flattythehurdler wrote:
    Is there, or should there be an etiquette about banging into the middle of another rider's lead out. Lead out chains are assembled at great expense, and are, in effect, the property of the sponsor. Muscling in is surely trespass. Someone is going to get badly hurt soon, as the disruption of lead out trains seems to be coming a de rigeur tactic. Any opinions?

    Yes, it's a bike race - sprinting has always been physical and should be left alone. A bit of shoulder contact is fine, as long as no-one is switching or cutting up riders I haven't got a problem with it. If the riders aren't tough enough to put up with aggresive riding they should be sat near the back out of the way. It's up to the train to ride so that no-one can muscle them out as Renshaw did yesterday. Maybe we should start having health and safety risk assessments to protect the sponsors "property". I hope you were just trying to start a debate :wink:
  • flattythehurdler
    flattythehurdler Posts: 2,314
    I was, but the logistics of setting up a good lead out are fascinating, and it would p1ss me off if I was part of an organised and working train and someone elbowed in just to disrupt it.
    Dan
  • jibberjim
    jibberjim Posts: 2,810
    flattythehurdler wrote:
    I was, but the logistics of setting up a good lead out are fascinating, and it would p1ss me off if I was part of an organised and working train and someone elbowed in just to disrupt it.

    If someone can pull alongside your train, with enough to spare to start thinking about elbowing their way into it. You're not going fast enough. It should be impossible for an individual to get close to doing that.
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  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    Yesterday's sprint was very interesting to watch in terms of all the repositioning and general scrapping for position going on. After the race Mark Renshaw said laughingly that Thor Hushovd had tried to get in in front of him but he had refused to move and now Thor was mad at him - but would get over it.

    I think it must take huge bollocks to get involved in that.
  • shakey88
    shakey88 Posts: 289
    Well i think hushovd should be relegated to the back for blatently trying to knock Renshaw off his bike.What he did was a lot more dangerous than Cav's supposed transgretion last year!
    Once again,double standards from the race organisers.
  • k2rider
    k2rider Posts: 575
    i agree, but im sure someone will tell me otherwise.
    who cares?
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    shakey88 wrote:
    Well i think hushovd should be relegated to the back for blatently trying to knock Renshaw off his bike.What he did was a lot more dangerous than Cav's supposed transgretion last year!
    Once again,double standards from the race organisers.

    Agree re the double standards. I am not a fan of Cav's attitude though I admire the talent. But I think he has been wrongly singled out and attacked for behaviour common to all sprinters - there have been a number of things going on in the general melee every bit as bad as his transgressions.

    Yet when Hushovd does it or the chap who was seriously leaning on Geraint Thomas (Freire I think?) it gets laughed off. Perhaps its partly because Cav hasn't won many friends in the peloton?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    I would say that while I'm all in favour of them going shoulder to shoulder that barge by Hushovd was taking it too far. If he had brought Renshaw down and caused a bunch pile up would there have been uproar like there was for Cav at the Tour Du Suisse and would Jezza have led a protest against his dangerous riding?

    For all the talk of Cav not winning friends though there were quite a few riders congratulating him after the finish.
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    Pross wrote:
    For all the talk of Cav not winning friends though there were quite a few riders congratulating him after the finish.

    Including Wiggins interestingly.
  • Philip S
    Philip S Posts: 398
    Well, Thor also lost a load of places yesterday because he had to check when Farrar ran out of juice and he had to sit up to avoid hitting him because EBH was moving up on the right. Swings and roundabouts, isn't it? Sprints are chaos and you need nerve strength and a bit of luck in there.

    Anyway, it seems pretty tame behaviour compared to some of the sprinters of old.

    Renshaw is the man in the best position to comment on Thor's efforts and he seemed pretty cool with it. "That's bike racing".
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    clanton wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    For all the talk of Cav not winning friends though there were quite a few riders congratulating him after the finish.

    Including Wiggins interestingly.

    Yeah, I noticed that!
  • chriskempton
    chriskempton Posts: 1,245
    I thought Freire was more blatantly aggressive than Thor yesterday - he stuck shoulders into Renshaw and Cav on a number of occasions without any apparent reason other than to try and wind them up.
  • clanton
    clanton Posts: 1,289
    Philip S wrote:
    Renshaw is the man in the best position to comment on Thor's efforts and he seemed pretty cool with it. "That's bike racing".

    Yes I was impressed with him. He said "we're mates.... he'll get over it" - but to me it looked like Renshaw was in the "right" and Thor in the wrong there!
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Lol - trespass !
    Sprinting is a mans game - it is very physical but yesterday wasn't that dangerous - the judges penalise it when it is.
  • sampurnell
    sampurnell Posts: 126
    I With renshaw being an aussie, mates get over punches in the face!
    is it just me or does mark renshaw always come across as the guy in the peleton you'd most like to have a beer with?
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    sampurnell wrote:
    I With renshaw being an aussie, mates get over punches in the face!
    is it just me or does mark renshaw always come across as the guy in the peloton you'd most like to have a beer with?

    Not if he's going to punch me in the face.
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  • sampurnell
    sampurnell Posts: 126
    well played... 8)
  • symo
    symo Posts: 1,743
    Thor whines about people changing line in front of him, perhaps if he was in front he could block people but as he is too slow he can't . However it is acceptable for him to lean on other riders purposely to move them off course despite that being far more dangerous.

    Edit : Whats Norwegian for MTFU?
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  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    symo wrote:

    Edit : Whats Norwegian for MTFU?

    Mann i helvete Opp Apparently, so MIHO Thor!
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    Vitus Sentier VRS - 2017
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    Point of order - Don't you have to complain to 'organisers' before they will rule on any supposed transgression :?:

    Or is that those super protected F1 guys.

    Or am I just talking b*lls again.

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