TdF 2016 Stage 12 *Contains spoilers*

DeVlaeminck

Don't think that decision is right - things happen and that result should stand. Froome isn't the first rider to be caught out by an unfortunate incident that isn't his fault - we've seen riders caught by fans before - this is no different.

For the future they have to do something to limit the number of fans on final climbs especially the classic ones like Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez etc because it just ruins the racing apart from it becoming dangerous.

larkim

I thought there was some sort of courtesy supposed to be offered to the yellow jersey when they had an issue like this, the fair play perspective was entirely in Quintana's hands if he'd wanted to offer it then and there. And Yates too, to be honest.

bobmcstuff

adr82 wrote:

reallyarunner wrote:

So Froome finishes behind his GC rivals and extends his lead over them. Not sure i would be happy if i was yates, quintana etc.

The alternative was Froome riding away from most of his rivals and losing time to them, so either way someone was going to be unhappy.

As someone who would love to see Yates in yellow, I think Yates will accept the logic - given something fairly similar happened to him the other day and he was given the time back...

If Quintana is unhappy about it it's just making excuses for him being weaker than Porte, Froome and Mollema. Had he been dropped by anyone else as well by that stage?

kleinstroker

If I understand this right, the bunch rode past the leader of the tour who had crashed into a Moto?
What a complete bunch of arsebags if they did that, absolutely zero class if that's what happened

Garry H

Thought it was funny too, "run Forest,run".

Glad of the outcome though

moonshine

Blazing Saddles wrote:

mfin wrote:

800m

That would put it inside the barriers, surely?

barriers started at 500m to go

DeVlaeminck

larkim wrote:

I thought there was some sort of courtesy supposed to be offered to the yellow jersey when they had an issue like this, the fair play perspective was entirely in Quintana's hands if he'd wanted to offer it then and there. And Yates too, to be honest.

How, he could hardly stand and wait whilst other rivals were up the road ?

Omar Little

emadden wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

mfin wrote:

800m

That would put it inside the barriers, surely?

Yeah but remember this wasnt the planned finish which is 5km up the road and where the last 3km have barriers. You can see that they only had barriers on one side of the road. The decision to move the finish was made just before stage start

The decision was made last night around the time of the podium presentations

mfin

Also note a real lack of spectators at the crash point and just before it. Of course, turn the camera round and there could be stacks of them.

This shot is taken just after Mollema has hit and he and his bike disappear down out of shot.

(I watched a few times and can't work out how and where that other motorbike you can see the front of has got there at that angle... can't see it following being the three riders just before, but it could have been ...or was it there and contributing to a pinch point? EDIT. It must have been one of the bikes ahead of the camera bike that had already stopped, but why?).

mrb123

bobmcstuff wrote:

adr82 wrote:

reallyarunner wrote:

So Froome finishes behind his GC rivals and extends his lead over them. Not sure i would be happy if i was yates, quintana etc.

The alternative was Froome riding away from most of his rivals and losing time to them, so either way someone was going to be unhappy.

As someone who would love to see Yates in yellow, I think Yates will accept the logic - given something fairly similar happened to him the other day and he was given the time back...

If Quintana is unhappy about it it's just making excuses for him being weaker than Porte, Froome and Mollema. Had he been dropped by anyone else as well by that stage?

I believe Yates has already been quoted as saying he wouldn't have wanted to take yellow in those circumstances.

RichN95.

emadden wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

mfin wrote:

800m

That would put it inside the barriers, surely?

Yeah but remember this wasnt the planned finish which is 5km up the road and where the last 3km have barriers. You can see that they only had barriers on one side of the road. The decision to move the finish was made just before stage start

My point in asking was that it's ridiculous to expect a race to happen if the crowds are like that with less than 2km to go. How can riders race. Areas like Dutch corner are a long way from the finish.

larkim

DeVlaeminck wrote:

larkim wrote:

I thought there was some sort of courtesy supposed to be offered to the yellow jersey when they had an issue like this, the fair play perspective was entirely in Quintana's hands if he'd wanted to offer it then and there. And Yates too, to be honest.

How, he could hardly stand and wait whilst other rivals were up the road ?

His main rival was jogging up the road looking for a bike. He won't have missed that.

Mollema should have stopped too.

reallyarunner

Turfle wrote:

reallyarunner wrote:

So Froome finishes behind his GC rivals and extends his lead over them. Not sure i would be happy if i was yates, quintana etc.

Did you see what happened?

yes.

hypster

emadden wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

mfin wrote:

800m

That would put it inside the barriers, surely?

Yeah but remember this wasnt the planned finish which is 5km up the road and where the last 3km have barriers. You can see that they only had barriers on one side of the road. The decision to move the finish was made just before stage start

No it wasn't, they made the decision at the end of yesterday's stage. They should have realised that moving the finish down like that was going to compress loads more fans onto that new final section of the road.

I'm guessing l'Alpe d'Huez won't be the same in future years with maybe barriers for a long way from the finish.

Lanterne_Rogue

What's really disappointing in all this is that Yates has ridden a superb race so far and won't get the credit it deserves. Usually we'd be pointing to his place on the standings and suggesting that he's proving he can live with the big boys, but this has taken that away by putting the focus on something else. This isn't an argument for putting him in yellow, but it is a suggestion that he's missing out on some serious recognition.

bobmcstuff

Yates:

Adam Yates wrote:

I wouldn’t really want to take the yellow jersey like that, so I’m happy with the decision. If I was in Froome’s position and I’d lost the jersey like that, I’d have wanted the same decision as him. It was pretty dangerous in the last kilometre, but the fans make the sport and there’s not many sports where fans can get so close to the athletes. It is what it is. I wouldn’t have wanted to take the jersey like that. Froome is the rightful owner of the yellow jersey.

Rodriguez:

Joaquim Rodriguez wrote:

The wind on the last climb certainly made it tricky, but there were so many people out there. they made a really big problem. I really don't know what's going on with this Tour. Personally, I don't think it is under control at all. There were a lot of difficulties in the last couple of kilometers because of the position of people. I was feeling good, but it is disappointing.

Bardet:

Romain Bardet wrote:

There were so many motorbikes in the way, it wasn't safe. You had to brake when you were attacking. We need to have a long conversation about security here. It was unacceptable what happened today. I don't know what will happen with the maillot jaune. I have never seen anything like this on a bike race before.

RichN95.

I don't think anyone should have stopped. No-one really knew what was going on. You have to just get on with it and wait for the fallout.

bobmcstuff

underlayunderlay wrote:

What's really disappointing in all this is that Yates has ridden a superb race so far and won't get the credit it deserves. Usually we'd be pointing to his place on the standings and suggesting that he's proving he can live with the big boys, but this has taken that away by putting the focus on something else. This isn't an argument for putting him in yellow, but it is a suggestion that he's missing out on some serious recognition.

I don't think Yates's performance has gone under the radar at all, obviously this farce has overshadowed everything else today (inc. De Gendt's win) but he's been getting a lot of credit on all stages so far.

DeVlaeminck

larkim wrote:

DeVlaeminck wrote:

larkim wrote:

I thought there was some sort of courtesy supposed to be offered to the yellow jersey when they had an issue like this, the fair play perspective was entirely in Quintana's hands if he'd wanted to offer it then and there. And Yates too, to be honest.

How, he could hardly stand and wait whilst other rivals were up the road ?

His main rival was jogging up the road looking for a bike. He won't have missed that.

Mollema should have stopped too.

But you didn't say Mollema - you said Yates and Quintana - they could hardly stop because Mollema at least was already up the road. Why should Mollema wait - he had got a gap on several rivals - he is supposed to wait and let them get back to him ? Think about it - none of them could be expected to wait .

germcevoy

emadden

hypster wrote:

No it wasn't, they made the decision at the end of yesterday's stage. They should have realised that moving the finish down like that was going to compress loads more fans onto that new final section of the road.

I'm guessing l'Alpe d'Huez won't be the same in future years with maybe barriers for a long way from the finish.

Yes you are right - thought decision was today.

Alpe d'huez has barriers down 5 km these days....

adr82

bobmcstuff

adr82 wrote:

How many other riders would have done that - and how many would have stood around throwing a paddy (got a few names in mind )?

mfin

Yes, to be fair, Froome seemed to stay incredibly level headed about it.

emadden

In fairness he has a good running style.... like someone running in a pair of six inch stilettos :-)

TheBigBean

The motorbikes were way to close. I know they are trying to move the crowds out the way, but if they stop they are far more dangerous than crowds. Plus they're allowing drafting.

adr82

https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/7 ... 84/photo/1

47p2

Man on a mission

rollemynot

Germcevoy wrote:

Great picture - would love to see the next 3 or 4 frames

Omar Little