Helmets in the TDF

TerryCrouch
TerryCrouch Posts: 28
edited December 2012 in Pro race
When did they become compulsory?
Just watched some 1986 TDF with Greg Lemond and not a single helmet to be seen, indeed one rider fractured his skull during stage 4 of the race.
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  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    edited December 2012
    After Vino's friend Kivilev died.

    ‘What made Kivilev’s death even more tragic was the fact that the accident happened a few kilometers from his new home at the village of Sorbiers, on a road where he went training. Furthermore, his wife Natalia and their six-month-old son Léonard were waiting for him at the finish line in St. Etienne, hoping that Andreï would be one of the day’s winners.’
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    2003 to be precise
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    2003, I think. The rule at the time was that you were allowed to remove them on the last climb of a mountain top finish stage... nowadays you can't. Not sure why.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Beatmaker
    Beatmaker Posts: 1,092
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    After Vino's friend Kivilev died.

    Was it? I thought it was after the death of Fabio Carsatelli.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Beatmaker wrote:
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    After Vino's friend Kivilev died.

    Was it? I thought it was after the death of Fabio Carsatelli.
    Definitely Kivi... no helmet on earth would have saved Casartelli.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Beatmaker
    Beatmaker Posts: 1,092
    Jeez, time flies. That means helmets will have been compulsory in the peloton for 20 years next yer. I was sure it was a much more recent directive!
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    edited December 2012
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    The rule at the time was that you were allowed to remove them on the last climb of a mountain top finish stage... nowadays you can't. Not sure why.

    A bit obvious, isn't it?

    You can still fall and rip your head off even though you are only going 20 km/h up a mountain. How many crashes with severe damages have we heard of in the neutral zone with same speed? Quite a few, eh..?

    Besides, it was a complete mess when the riders had to hand their helmets back to the team cars.

    There's absolutely no reason to let the riders ride without one.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Beatmaker wrote:
    Jeez, time flies. That means helmets will have been compulsory in the peloton for 20 years next yer. I was sure it was a much more recent directive!

    10 years
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    ThomThom wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    The rule at the time was that you were allowed to remove them on the last climb of a mountain top finish stage... nowadays you can't. Not sure why.

    A bit obvious, isn't it?

    You can still fall and rip your head off even though you are only going 20 km/h up a mountain. How many crashes with severe damages have we heard of in the neutral zone with same speed? Quite a few, eh..?

    Besides, it was a complete mess when the riders had to hand their helmets back to the team cars.

    There's absolutely no reason to let the riders ride without one.

    I havent seen a rider fall and injure themselves going uphill in 20 years.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • Beatmaker
    Beatmaker Posts: 1,092
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    Beatmaker wrote:
    Jeez, time flies. That means helmets will have been compulsory in the peloton for 20 years next yer. I was sure it was a much more recent directive!

    10 years

    Doh! For some reason I read 2003 as 1993.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    ThomThom wrote:
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    The rule at the time was that you were allowed to remove them on the last climb of a mountain top finish stage... nowadays you can't. Not sure why.

    A bit obvious, isn't it?

    You can still fall and rip your head off even though you are only going 20 km/h up a mountain. How many crashes with severe damages have we heard of in the neutral zone with same speed? Quite a few, eh..?

    Besides, it was a complete mess when the riders had to hand their helmets back to the team cars.

    There's absolutely no reason to let the riders ride without one.

    I havent seen a rider fall and injure themselves going uphill in 20 years.

    So we need to wait for the first accident to happen before you can see the point of having a little life saving thing on your head? It's not the point that you haven't seen a severe accident on an ascent. The chance of crashing is present - especially with a larger audience on the side of roads every year - that should be reason enough.

    And - the riders are used to wear them, they don't moan about it so why the heck let them ride without them anyway then?

    What about MTF's that have descents on the way to the top where riders hit great speed and takes chances?
  • Rodrego Hernandez
    Rodrego Hernandez Posts: 1,436
    I wish anyone commenting on helmet related posts would have the decency to have done a bit of research beforehand.
  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 2,122
    As I recall the reason they were allowed to take them off on the final ascent was fear that they may suffer from heat exhaustion. This was a driver for the vast improvement in helmet ventilation and weight that came afterwards.

    dsc01502.jpg
  • TerryCrouch
    TerryCrouch Posts: 28
    Thanks for the info
    GT GTR Series 3
    Hard pounding, gentlemen. Let's see who pounds the longest.
    Pour la canaille: Faut la mitraille.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    Weren't they made compulsory briefly in the 90s but the riders staged protests and they rescinded the rule? Also, helmets were compulsory in Belgian races for years before due to it being a legal requirement so you will often see old photos of riders racing in Belgium wearing helmets when they normally didn't.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Pross wrote:
    Weren't they made compulsory briefly in the 90s but the riders staged protests and they rescinded the rule?

    Think that was '91. Seem to remember riders, including Roche, Lemond and Fignon protesting at Paris Nice/
    Pross wrote:
    Also, helmets were compulsory in Belgian races for years before due to it being a legal requirement so you will often see old photos of riders racing in Belgium wearing helmets when they normally didn't.

    Yes, although they didn't have to wear hard shell helmets. The old hairnet type ones were considered to be OK. Check out his stage of the Tour in Belgium!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pD1e605x80
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Weren't they made compulsory briefly in the 90s but the riders staged protests and they rescinded the rule?

    Think that was '91. Seem to remember riders, including Roche, Lemond and Fignon protesting at Paris Nice/

    Yep it was, I had thought it was later than that (after Casartelli) originally.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It's not as nice for spectators now.

    Was so much easier to identify who was who.
    _
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Interesting that road helmets are starting to embrace aerodynamics now - the Sky helmet cover things and I think Giro (or someone) has brought out a semi aero road helmet for next year. My money is top end helmets are going to look very different in 5-6 years.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • GeorgeShaw
    GeorgeShaw Posts: 764
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    I havent seen a rider fall and injure themselves going uphill in 20 years.
    Menchov?
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    Interesting that road helmets are starting to embrace aerodynamics now - the Sky helmet cover things and I think Giro (or someone) has brought out a semi aero road helmet for next year. My money is top end helmets are going to look very different in 5-6 years.

    As long as they stay away from this hideous design.

    POC-Tempor-TT-time-trial-aero-road-bike-helmet3-600x129.jpg

    POC-Tempor-TT-Helmet-Swedens-Fahlin_Johansson.jpg
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    edited December 2012
    ThomThom wrote:
    As long as they stay away from this hideous design.

    Hmm, I think Emilia Fahlin looked quite cute in her's.

    emilia-fahlin.jpg

    In fact, if I was going to "rock the casbar" with her, I would insist she wears the helmet! :shock:
  • desweller
    desweller Posts: 5,175
    Pro Race is the new Commuting General.
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    ThomThom wrote:
    As long as they stay away from this hideous design.

    POC-Tempor-TT-time-trial-aero-road-bike-helmet3-600x129.jpg

    When the Bike Radar forum takes over the UCI and I am elected President, then all returning dopers will be required to wear those for at least two years after their ban is up.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    They are created by Donald btw.

    tumblr_maexxaPwYY1qeq4nao1_1280.jpg
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    2005 is when they first had to wear them uphill all the time

    in 2004 you can see LA and Basso contesting a summit finish sans helmet monst others
  • Nick Fitt
    Nick Fitt Posts: 381
    They also used to throw them away too, cost quite a lot
  • prawny
    prawny Posts: 5,440
    Them POC helmets don't look to bad when they're not on a person.

    The pic of the helmet on it's own looks fine, scroll down a bit and AARRH MY EYES!!!
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  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    They were made compulsary in Belgium quite some time before, TdF stages going through Belgium had to have them.
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • liquor box
    liquor box Posts: 184
    It would be interesting if they let the cyclist decide if they wanted to wear one now. I think the teams would force the riders for insurance reasons and even more so because they would stand to lose sponsorship from helmet companies

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