"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Fighting and confrontation.

Never having been in a race before, and seeing the threads regarding tapping, fist fighting, etc...

Is this type of behavior common? Is some aggression/intimidation key to being a successful racer?

Not common.

Don't be surprised if you get touched on the hip though. That's basically some people's way of saying "I'm here, so don't swerve into me".

Fist fights are very uncommon. A little bumping, usually not intentional, is common.

If you don't have some aggression, and willingness to stick your nose in, you are going to be spit out the back pretty quick though.

Real fights rarely occur, except when someone does something that is really dirty pool, like slamming on the brakes to crash someone on purpose, intentionally hooking someone to crash them.

If someone does something stupid, there may be a lot of posturing and yelling until the adrenaline wears off, but most riders are tolerant of honest mistakes.

And then theres the incidents where its not clear who was at fault, again, lots of trash talking but usually no fists.

In Colorado we went through a season where people were occasionally punching quads with knuckles. This happened to one of my good friends who was a Cat 2. He's also completely psychotic, and may have deserved it (somewhat).

He didn't wait two pedal strokes before literally jumping onto this guy at 27mph and riding him to a stop on the pavement. Then he whaled on the guy for a few punches, got back on his bike and chased back on. Of course they pulled him though.

Hahahaha, watching a fistfight among cyclists is a comical thought, you'd likely see someone break an arm after they connected a punch.

It looks like this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p7vuGbfVlt0

It looks like this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p7vuGbfVlt0

Looks like a cat fight. :rolleyes:

It looks like this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p7vuGbfVlt0

Hey, so you can fight with your shoes on. Thought they would have slipped to the ground.

Looks like a cat fight. :rolleyes:

or when you're used to churning out 1500w:

like this. 3:35. revenge jacknife ftw.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YGnLDr6jRSI

I think the title sponsor of the event KidsPeace wasn't too chipper.

^^ seems like Carney has a habit of getting in cycling fights.

I saw the track video a while back.

I draw the line at people intentionally trying to hurt me. THAT would be addressed in a rather direct manner. Personally, I deal with enough occupational violence to not seek it out elsewhere. Such conduct is abhorrent.

^^ seems like Carney has a habit of getting in cycling fights.
Seems like people have a habit of knocking him down after a race. I could be wrong but neither I, nor the announcers saw Jame do anything wrong in that race.

Seems like people have a habit of knocking him down after a race. I could be wrong but neither I, nor the announcers saw Jame do anything wrong in that race.

Yeah, that could be, but I usually find that incidents don't follow an individual, rather an individual has a habit (conscious or otherwise) of causing similar incidents.

I don't know enough about all the post-race situations involving Carney to make a definitive statement, but hopefully someone with more information can do a comparative analysis between the events and help us figure out why he's always involved.

Yeah you make a very good point. I just don't like to see someone get accused of things if it's not deserved. But like you, I don't know a lot about the situations he's been involved in. I know and ride with some guys on his team, they are good guys, but I personally don't know Jame. I try to keep an opened mind and put myself in their position and think I would react.

But you are correct, trouble follows people for reasons.

In Colorado we went through a season where people were occasionally punching quads with knuckles. This happened to one of my good friends who was a Cat 2. He's also completely psychotic, and may have deserved it (somewhat).

He didn't wait two pedal strokes before literally jumping onto this guy at 27mph and riding him to a stop on the pavement. Then he whaled on the guy for a few punches, got back on his bike and chased back on. Of course they pulled him though.

In the NHL he would have stayed in the game and made the highlight reels on the 11PM news.

In the NHL he would have stayed in the game and made the highlight reels on the 11PM news.

Don't they have a trophy for that, too?

I rode a race once where one rider clobbered another with his pump. :D

see there's your problem. if someone in the field is racing with a frame pump, then you know you must be in a CatV race. in which case, expect anything to happen. including spontaneous combustion. of steel.

'A pump'?

Isn't that a fashion accessory?

Get back on topic.

see there's your problem. if someone in the field is racing with a frame pump, then you know you must be in a CatV race. in which case, expect anything to happen. including spontaneous combustion. of steel.
Tell me about it, there was a guy with a rack on his Varsity in the Cat 5 race on Saturday.

Tell me about it, there was a guy with a rack on his Varsity in the Cat 5 race on Saturday.

I'd actually find that pretty reassuring.

I did a race with mudguards and a rack.... came 18th out of 30 :D

I rode a race once where one rider clobbered another with his pump. :D

I think I saw that movie.

Cat 3, race with pump... <well, in road races -- only one set of wheels these days>

see there's your problem. if someone in the field is racing with a frame pump, then you know you must be in a CatV race. in which case, expect anything to happen. including spontaneous combustion. of steel.

Actually, it was equivalent to a cat 1/2 race with limited spares support. They breed them tough in rural Australia

'A pump'?

Isn't that a fashion accessory?

Get back on topic.

I thought in your case it was a bedroom aid.



:p

Never having been in a race before, and seeing the threads regarding tapping, fist fighting, etc...

Is this type of behavior common? Is some aggression/intimidation key to being a successful racer?
In many years of racing / watching (I started in 84) I've only seen one fight and that was in the changing room after a tester with no experience of sprinting had suddenly swung across in the middle of the bunch, leaving about 12 guys on the deck and 2 in hospital :mad: He rode away unscathed, until he got to the changing room, I think a 3rd ambulance was called.

I agree that it's uncommon - but it should never be tolerated. I used to be a competitive swimmer (NCAA, nationals, etc.) and I NEVER saw or heard of a fight in those competitions. There's nothing unique about cycling that makes them happen - only the permission to do it granted by the sport. If I got into any "unprofessional behaviors" when I was in college I could have lost my ride permanently. These jokers will be back and acutally get money from the bad boy image they live.

In many years of racing / watching (I started in 84) I've only seen one fight and that was in the changing room after a tester with no experience of sprinting had suddenly swung across in the middle of the bunch, leaving about 12 guys on the deck and 2 in hospital :mad: He rode away unscathed, until he got to the changing room, I think a 3rd ambulance was called.

are you serious? That is sort of funny, but sort of not. :(
I mean I laughed but kind of felt guilty.

I agree that it's uncommon - but it should never be tolerated. I used to be a competitive swimmer (NCAA, nationals, etc.) and I NEVER saw or heard of a fight in those competitions. There's nothing unique about cycling that makes them happen - only the permission to do it granted by the sport.

I don't think in swimming, particularly in pool swimming, the swimmers crash into each other with the potential to cause serious injury. The dynamic of bike racing where bad bike handling, intentional or unintential can ruin your race, as well as your health, is obviously an environment more prone to swimming.

I guess in an open water swim if someone tried to drown me, I'd have to kick their butt also.

I don't think in swimming, particularly in pool swimming, the swimmers crash into each other with the potential to cause serious injury. The dynamic of bike racing where bad bike handling, intentional or unintential can ruin your race, as well as your health, is obviously an environment more prone to swimming.

I guess in an open water swim if someone tried to drown me, I'd have to kick their butt also.

FAIR WARNING: leg crossing and shudder moment follows after reading this:





I had a friend who played water polo in college, and some real bad stuff goes on under the water. One of his teammates got all the way back to the locker room before he realized that his scrotum was ruptured and a testicle was hanging out. He said it hurt like he had been racked and hadn't thought any more of it. :eek:

Open water swims at tri starts are terrible, people will swim right over you, hit you, pull on your legs etc.

Even in pool swimming you get people who cross the center line and you smack hands or hook arms. Most of the time it’s nothing but on occasion it can really hurt. Plus you get jerks who think they own the lane and get all pissy that they have to share. Of course I agree the potential for serious harm is much less.

My take is that anytime you get a bunch of type-A people together and pit them against each other, it can/will get ugly.

Looks like a cat fight. :rolleyes:

I don't know, man, that Banesto guy landed a quality backhand. :D

I think it was the '06 TdF where two guys were throwing down on their bikes while riding in the peloton. Either that or '05... can't find video.

Hehe... just remembered this one. I think homes got what he deserved. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwUIntJnBRI

let's not forget Robby McEwan vs. The Bidon Bandit

My take is that anytime you get a bunch of type-A people together and pit them against each other, it can/will get ugly.

This is very true. Especially when contact is made.