TDF halted 10 minutes after serious crash-UK Mail
07-07-15, 03:18 PM
#27
Full Member
My first reaction was that it was a bad decision to neutralize the race. That crashing is part of racing and riders who don't stay the front of the peleton are putting themselves at more risk of crashing. But I've had a change of opinion because of the number of racers involved, the severity of the injuries, the fact that support vehicles and medical staff were caught behind the first crash. Further, because of the point (stage 2) in the overall race, the accidents had the potential to drastically change the competitive balance of the race. Prudhomme was in a position where he had to make a quick decision. If he waited until the climb, it would have been too late to neutralize. Sure there were some riders not involved int he crash who were upset, but I think he made the right decision to preserve the integrity of the overall race while the carnage was assessed.
07-07-15, 03:18 PM
#28
Full Member
07-07-15, 03:20 PM
#29
Senior Member
That Nascar races get stopped every time there is a crash. Happens like ten times per race. Could you find a worse example to try to make your point?
07-07-15, 03:23 PM
#30
Full Member
they DON'T stop the race. the laps still count and the race continues. maybe you need to educate yourself on what a yellow flag signifies.
07-07-15, 03:26 PM
#31
Senior Member
The race 'continues' but you have to go slow and are not allowed to overtake anyone. Not really racing is it? The ones who crashed are allowed to go back and rejoin the pack too, if their car is capable. Plenty of car races have been fully stopped for minutes or even hours too.
07-07-15, 03:39 PM
#33
Full Member
The race 'continues' but you have to go slow and are not allowed to overtake anyone. Not really racing is it? The ones who crashed are allowed to go back and rejoin the pack too, if their car is capable. Plenty of car races have been fully stopped for minutes or even hours too.
07-07-15, 03:41 PM
#34
Senior Member
I agree, but you are the one who decided to bring Nascar into the discussion and as I said before, I can't think of a worse example to try to support your rather weak point.
07-07-15, 03:43 PM
#35
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The yellow jersey and 20+ riders were involved in the first crash, then a second crash not caught on camera. I don't know how many of the contenders were caught in the second crash, but you had a situation where a large percentage of the peleton was stuck on the road without mechanical or medical support. If the race hadn't been neutralized, it's possible a portion of the overall contenders could have lost minutes (4? 5? 10 minutes?) on stage 2. In today's era, that might have effectively ended their chances for an overall win. Many people feel last year's race was not as compelling once Froome and Contador had to withdraw after their crashes, and I think Prudhomme wanted to avoid a situation where multiple favorites were out of contention as a result of these mass crashes.
07-07-15, 03:47 PM
#36
Full Member
07-07-15, 03:48 PM
#37
Full Member
The yellow jersey and 20+ riders were involved in the first crash, then a second crash not caught on camera. I don't know how many of the contenders were caught in the second crash, but you had a situation where a large percentage of the peleton was stuck on the road without mechanical or medical support. If the race hadn't been neutralized, it's possible a portion of the overall contenders could have lost minutes (4? 5? 10 minutes?) on stage 2. In today's era, that might have effectively ended their chances for an overall win. Many people feel last year's race was not as compelling once Froome and Contador had to withdraw after their crashes, and I think Prudhomme wanted to avoid a situation where multiple favorites were out of contention as a result of these mass crashes.
07-07-15, 11:20 PM
#40
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As for pampering, you must consider yourself a pretty tough guy. Try this. Get yourself thrown down the highway at 40 mph, leave several square inches of skin on the pavement, dislocate your shoulder or fracture a couple of vertebrae, get a concussion, then get on a bike and ride 30 miles at 30 mph.
07-08-15, 09:18 AM
#42
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They will stop baseball for rain
07-08-15, 08:47 PM
#44
Full Member
Totally different sports. In football etc, the game takes place in one place, players get injured in ones or twos, there's no chance of medical services being overwhelmed. If 40 football players ever got injured in one play, I expect you'd see the game delayed for a while.
As for pampering, you must consider yourself a pretty tough guy. Try this. Get yourself thrown down the highway at 40 mph, leave several square inches of skin on the pavement, dislocate your shoulder or fracture a couple of vertebrae, get a concussion, then get on a bike and ride 30 miles at 30 mph.
As for pampering, you must consider yourself a pretty tough guy. Try this. Get yourself thrown down the highway at 40 mph, leave several square inches of skin on the pavement, dislocate your shoulder or fracture a couple of vertebrae, get a concussion, then get on a bike and ride 30 miles at 30 mph.
these athletes are pampered because they are allowed to bend or break rules all because sponsors NEED them in the race. no racer, no gigantic logo on tv.
the racer gets a flat, he is allowed to draft on his team car for...mmm... an undetermined time or until a judge says he must pass. he is clearly breaking the rules but since he is a high profile rider, he gets pampered with a pass on the rules.
07-08-15, 09:58 PM
#45
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oh, i don't know..ask Peyton Manning how is neck feels. most NFL players play hurt as do NBA, NHL and most of the contact sports.
these athletes are pampered because they are allowed to bend or break rules all because sponsors NEED them in the race. no racer, no gigantic logo on tv.
the racer gets a flat, he is allowed to draft on his team car for...mmm... an undetermined time or until a judge says he must pass. he is clearly breaking the rules but since he is a high profile rider, he gets pampered with a pass on the rules.
these athletes are pampered because they are allowed to bend or break rules all because sponsors NEED them in the race. no racer, no gigantic logo on tv.
the racer gets a flat, he is allowed to draft on his team car for...mmm... an undetermined time or until a judge says he must pass. he is clearly breaking the rules but since he is a high profile rider, he gets pampered with a pass on the rules.
The inconsistency in cycling is probably worse than the major US sports because of how fragmented the sport is. It isn't a single league with centralized officiating, it is dozens of races scattered across many countries. The commissaires for the Tour de France are different from the commissaires for the Giro, the race director is different, etc. The central organization (the UCI) is rather weak.
Another factor is that a bike race is a rolling event with over a hundred riders and dozens of team cars spread over miles of road. Much of the action takes place outside of the view of the race officials, even in the TV era. So I think a slightly relaxed approach to things has developed.
And tell me the last time Peyton Manning played for three hours with a dislocated shoulder, bloody open wounds, fractured vertebrae. During a game, the guy spends as much time sitting down as he does standing up.
07-09-15, 04:45 AM
#46
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Really? I hadn't noticed. I stay very busy watching and rewatching my video library of fascinating racing during NASCAR caution laps. I love it when they're just about to get to a left turn. My favorite's from 2005. 22 yellow flags in one race. Non-stop action, let me tell you! And that's not all. My extra special collection I call Red Flag Racing. Pro cycling cannot hope to keep up with the furious competition that goes on during Red Flag laps. Not if cycling stops just to catch up for injuries. Medical schmedical. Get on with the racing!
07-09-15, 06:07 AM
#47
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Best part of golf is when it stops due to lightning in the course area.
07-09-15, 02:09 PM
#50
TFO
Do TdF riders have GPS tracking such that theoretically they could put all riders in exact positions relative to others at the time of the crash (or shortly before or after)? Doing so would alleviate the "unfairness" of neutralizing.