TdF 2016 Stage 12 *Contains spoilers*

bobmcstuff

Rollemynot wrote:

Germcevoy wrote:

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

Is that really 4 motos close together in front of him? Surely 3 riders don't need 4 motos directly in front of them.

TheBigBean

There's just so much wrong in that photo.

kleinstroker

bobmcstuff wrote:

Rollemynot wrote:

Germcevoy wrote:

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

Is that really 4 motos close together in front of him? Surely 3 riders don't need 4 motos directly in front of them.

Does the world need 3 stills photographers on Motos causing a logjam up a mountain?

germcevoy

The sport is barely fit for purpose. May as well put these guys on turbos to race Zwift courses.

dabber

kleinstroker wrote:

Does the world need 3 stills photographers on Motos causing a logjam up a mountain?

And not a single police bike clearing the way. All a bit sick really.

craigus89

Everyone directing their attention at the moto. Is everyone blinded to the fact that the crowd creates a gap the width of one rider, meaning no way to actually attack or to avoid any kind of incident?

Just because something has always been the way it is doesn't mean it is right.

mfin

The quite amazing thing is just the sheer number of fans that are thick idiots. It is incredible.

Climbs with no fans on them would be much much better.

hypster

They could embrace new technology and use drones to film the riders instead of all those motorbikes. We've had far too many incidents with motorbikes in races in recent years. That picture with the four motorbikes in front of the riders is just plain nuts.

adr82

Craigus89 wrote:

Everyone directing their attention at the moto. Is everyone blinded to the fact that the crowd creates a gap the width of one rider, meaning no way to actually attack or to avoid any kind of incident?

Just because something has always been the way it is doesn't mean it is right.

The fans were obviously what caused the moto to stop abruptly. That being said, Froome claims it was another of the fleet of motos running into them just afterwards that broke his bike and really turned this into a next level clusterf*ck:

“Ventoux is full of surprises,” said Froome after the GC results were resolved. “About 1.2km to go, the motorbike slammed on its brakes — the road was blocked in front — the three of us just plowed into the motorbike and another motorbike ran into me, breaking my frame. I just started running. I knew the car was stuck behind.”

I'm really not sure how you can explain a moto rider managing to crash into the back of them when they were riding uphill at the time! If he didn't have space to stop he was clearly far too close, if he was further back then he wasn't paying attention.

RoadPainter

Craigus89 wrote:

Everyone directing their attention at the moto. Is everyone blinded to the fact that the crowd creates a gap the width of one rider, meaning no way to actually attack or to avoid any kind of incident?

Just because something has always been the way it is doesn't mean it is right.

Yeah, but this is about 1km from finish of a key stage with MTF. It should be barriered down to 3km and I think normally is.

newton98

Cheers for the quotes bobmcstuff.

I don't understand the photographer thing, whenever riders talk about excessive motorbikes they seem to imply the necessity of these photographers. Do they somehow indirectly contribute a lot of revenue somewhere in the ecosystem, whether via printed or online press? They seem weirdly sacrosanct when I'd have thought you could ditch a lot of them.

Drones anyone?

rollemynot

adr82 wrote:

Wait until the Brownlee's find out he can swim as well

above_the_cows

TheBigBean wrote:

A very unpopular opinion I'm sure, but I really dislike the arbitrary way the commissaires pick and choose when to change things. There's been lots of incidents like this in the past when the results stood. The only difference here is that it involved the yellow jersey and that that would be really embarrassing for them. Cycling needs some rules and needs to enforce them whether that is riding on the pavement, crossing a level crossing or crashing on a mountain.

I agree with you. I think the decision they took today was the right one but I also think they should enforce the rules more thoroughly at other times.

RichN95.

Rollemynot wrote:

Wait until the Brownlee's find out he can swim as well

@jonny_brownlee
We went on a @TeamSky training camp in 2013 and they never thought to ask us about running off the bike @chrisfroome

blazing_saddles

hypster wrote:

They could embrace new technology and use drones to film the riders instead of all those motorbikes. We've had far too many incidents with motorbikes in races in recent years. That picture with the four motorbikes in front of the riders is just plain nuts.

Not as nuts as having no motorbikes.
Drones are not fit for purpose, either.

A police bike might, or might not have, given today's log jam, made a difference.

above_the_cows

Germcevoy wrote:

That's 4 motorbikes!

This is ridiculous! Plus no one can race when the fans are that compressed in. There is not a martial/policeman to be seen anywhere.

bobmcstuff

Above The Cows wrote:

TheBigBean wrote:

A very unpopular opinion I'm sure, but I really dislike the arbitrary way the commissaires pick and choose when to change things. There's been lots of incidents like this in the past when the results stood. The only difference here is that it involved the yellow jersey and that that would be really embarrassing for them. Cycling needs some rules and needs to enforce them whether that is riding on the pavement, crossing a level crossing or crashing on a mountain.

I agree with you. I think the decision they took today was the right one but I also think they should enforce the rules more thoroughly at other times.

I agree also - they should stick to one consistent set of rules.

At the moment anytime something controversial happens people are able to point to multiple similar incidents where the rules were interpreted in different ways. It just leads to pee'd off fans.

cedar404

Quintana has somehow got some time back and leapfrogged Mollema on GC. So lucky it's unbelievable.

FocusZing

slim_boy_fat

Yates happy with the decision.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/ ... are_btn_tw

smithy21

Greg van A must be looking forward to being awarded San Sebastián 2015 now

above_the_cows

adr82 wrote:

https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/753624103593078784/photo/1

Looks like this.

Garry H

cedar404 wrote:

Quintana has somehow got some time back and leapfrogged Mollema on GC. So lucky it's unbelievable.

Really? How?

dabber

Above The Cows wrote:

adr82 wrote:

https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/753624103593078784/photo/1

Looks like this.

Is that a police bike that ran over Froome's bike?

slim_boy_fat

Dabber wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

adr82 wrote:

https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/753624103593078784/photo/1

Looks like this.

Is that a police bike that ran over Froome's bike?

Just what I was about to post. Watching highlights and I think it is.

Edit: definitely is

The idiot from Poland running with the placard running after the crash needs locking up.

above_the_cows

Slim Boy Fat wrote:

Dabber wrote:

Above The Cows wrote:

adr82 wrote:

https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/753624103593078784/photo/1

Looks like this.

Is that a police bike that ran over Froome's bike?

Just what I was about to post. Watching highlights and I think it is.

Edit: definitely is

Keystone cops.

jam1e

Busy at work today - did I miss anything?

poppit

Can't really understand what happened to Quintana, supposed to be in great form, done nothing all race apart from sticking to Froome's wheel and then gets dropped on the first big climb and even being outclimbed by Mollema

SCR Pedro

jam1e wrote:

Busy at work today - did I miss anything?

Greipel was in the break. That was about it.

Bring on La Vuelta.

adr82