Professional Cycling For the Fans - etiquette?

So, during the crash involving the unconscious guy from Radioshack and two guys from Rabobank on the left side of the road: is it me, or should the two guys from Rabobank have done something for the Radioshack guy considering he was just lying on the ground, bleeding, and not moving at all? I understand they had their own problems to deal with, but neither of them could nudge him with a toe? Or am I crazy?

Well, in normal everyday life, you would expect some level of consideration. However, these guys aren't doctors, but they know a doctor is in the immediate vicinity, and help is on the way. I think you could excuse them for looking out for themselves under the circumstances. Feel sorry for Brakjovic, though. Hell of a crash, and his tour is over. He was an outside shot for a podium place this year, but now all he has to look forward to is surgery and dressing changes.

Their own heads are spinning, so they can be forgiven for not looking back. If they had been given a minute to think before any help arrived I'm sure that they would have looked back and reacted.

I would not be surprised to find an enhanced "look out for me" rider attitude with all the changes with mid sprints, narrow course routes serving a bunched peloton and a apparent (to me) UCI "give a crap" with rider safety over that of viewer interest.

Couple all of this with VS promoting the roller derby type crashes in all the TV spots even exampling Ventura's on site promo of “mayhem” describing to viewers that of the sprint to finish yesterday…well…everyman for himself pops to my mind.

That said, I can’t imagine for a second that any of these riders would purposely ignore doing right for another.

What are they going to do? They aren't doctors, and there are plenty of doctors around. They'd have a real chance of doing more harm than good in that situation.

It's not like when guys like us are on a training ride and nobody is around to help.

If one wonders why the other riders didn't help, one might also wonder why the camera operator didn't help. After all, he hadn't just been in a crash.

Disclaimer: I belong to the group who feels competent medical help arriving quickly trumps first aid from other riders or camera operators.

If one wonders why the other riders didn't help, one might also wonder why the camera operator didn't help. After all, he hadn't just been in a crash.

Disclaimer: I belong to the group who feels competent medical help arriving quickly trumps first aid from other riders or camera operators.

I happen to play Rugby. A rather rough sport. Decades ago a teammate playing hookersuffered what turned out to be a broken neck. No one helped him until the ambulance arrived. Why? Because one of the players on our team waho was also an assistant trainer and far and away the most quallified to help (and a rather strong and bulky individual) promised to take the head off anyone who touched him.

Minor break, no long term consequences. Likely there would not have been in any case, but if it had been just a little worse moving him could have meant the difference between no long term consequences and huge long term consequences.

I agree with "help is on the way and don't touch him in case of a broken neck." But I do want to add, iirc, there is video or a photo of one of the other guys looking over sincerely concerned. If I have time, I'll try to find it.

Found it: What I remember is a still photo up-close of this video at about 0:48. The photo showed his face better.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/43654389#43654389

As others have said, the riders were probably not trained to respond, and help would already be on it's way. I think that if Jani had taken a header over a guard rail and disappeared, where no one passing by would have seen him (think Pedro Horrillo in the Giro), the other riders would have reacted differently.

They should have stayed with the rider and perhaps even ridden their bikes to hospital, stopping on the way of course to pick up some flowers for the hurt rider.

They should have stayed with the rider and perhaps even ridden their bikes to hospital, stopping on the way of course to pick up some flowers for the hurt rider.I think you may have overreacted. :D

there's really nothing they can do...they obviously see that the drs have it under control. The race must go on!