Christopher Froome the Biathlete?
 

Today moronic spectators crowded the road up Mont Ventoux. The camera bike stopped due to the crowd, causing Richie Porte to crash into it. Froome, just behind, went down as well. With a broken bike he couldn't ride, Froome was forced to take off on foot. Apparently he covered about 100 yards before a neutral bike (wrong size) was given to him. What an insane chain of events! With the "Froome welterweight" thread that was started earlier, this year's Tour seems to be having lots of issues with spectators. Have there been years where it was so bad in recent history? How about any times where riders got off and ran?

Chris Froome abandons bike and runs Tour de France after crash - ITV News

OK, I am going to take the contrary view from most everyone else, I think Adam Yates should be in yellow and Froome should be disqualified.

Spectators, whether good or idiots, have been lining the roads of this race for 113 years. This is not new. Porte, Froome and the other fellow had bad luck. If Porte had rolled his tire, went down, taking with him Froome and the other fellow, I see no difference. It is a part of the race. Someone kidney-punched Merckx, he "should" have won the race. I don't see him whining about it (see how I brought it back on topic :thumb:).

And before someone goes off about fan interference unheard of in any other sport, I have 2 words, Steve Bartman. For you non-Cub fans, he interfered with an easy fly out. If that ball was caught, the Cubs would have gone to the World Series for the first time since 1945. Now, they probably would have lost the series, but the curse of the billy goat still lives on. :(

The problem with that is Yates' time already includes an adjustment that was given to him when a fan dropped the 1K -to-go banner on him in stage 7.

Great example. Jeffrey Maier is the fan who will forever live in my nightmares.

http://cdn1.bloguin.com/wp-content/u...frey-maier.jpg

At least cycling doesn't tell you the names of these interfering fans.

I don't think he should be disqualified (but it was dumb not to shoulder his bike before heading out on foot). But I think the biggest mistake he made was not stepping up and taking his lumps. Which in my opinion was really a world class opportunity to win some fans and actually be considered a champion by anyone beyond a paid commentator.


I was just sort of warming up to Froome after yesterday's stage, but like a lot of fans I really could have cared less about him and the GC this year. But here, he could have shifted to "underdog" status, acted like a true champion and "fought his way back". It would have made a great image and people would have loved it. And the reality is it would have been nothing. He could have easily been a minute behind at the end of today from other events and nobody would be worried about him winning overall in the end.


He only lost 53 seconds, he was not injured, he still has the strongest and intact team, and nobody else is going to hurt him in the TT or upcoming mountain stages. It was a no brainer.


Instead he got boo'd on the podium taking "the adjusted" yellow today. He does not get it why fans do not like him. Well here you go................

Moved thread from racing forum to professional cycling forum.

Dear OP: please look at the difference between a biathlon & a duathlon. :)

Ricky Bobby was disqualified. The guy who had his fork repaired by a blacksmith was disqualified. What's the point of rules?

Maybe if Froome had been riding steel his frame wouldn't have broken?

Before he got yellow back from the judges I was thinking he should be able to get it back in tomorrow's TT anyway.

Understandable error. For many years what is now recognized as a duathlon was actually called a biathlon. I suppose they came up with a new name for it to clearly differentiate it from the winter biathlon.

I think he needs to kick arse tomorrow just to make sure no one questions his right to the throne.

First it's duathlete not biathlete.
I haven't been watching the tour the last few years, however I've been keeping up with it this year. I don't have a favorite in this tour but I generally root for the underdog.
But contrary to what the sports casters are saying I believe the time should have not been adjusted. Accidents happen, such is the Tour. As far as him running without the bike ,he should have picked up his bike and ran with it but no penalty should be accessed just because he didnt. imo.

To break them of course..............

I agree with you - it's just bad luck & timing. Porte had bad luck earlier.
DQ Froome for running & advancing w/o his bicycle.

The breaking of rules is fine by me. I don't like the arbitrary enforcement of rules.

For what?
The punch? They fined him, but rules say fine AND elimination.

Me neither. What rule was broken?

Where is that written? I've been looking. Can't find it.

Running up the course without a bicycle.

I had always thought it was a DQ - just spent the afternoon looking through UCI fines and penalties and it is not there.
Pushing is, drafting cars is, violent conduct is, riding in car is .... But nothing I can find about advancing without bike.

I certainly don't know all the rules although I have read them a couple times, but I'm not sure now that is one. Which is why I would not DQ anyone for a rule that was not written.

Well, it's all academic now.

I kind of like violent conduct towards too-close spectators.

I think the kind of people who want to interfere with me making a living should be dealt with violently.
I applaud his punch and hope the spectator has a broken jaw.

I think the kind of people who throw urine on cyclists and throw tacks on the road should be dealt with violently.
They should be made to drink urine and have tacks pushed through their fingertips.

Swift, sudden, severe violence.

That's just me, though. YMMV

As far as biathlon vs. duathlon, I really don't care.
I founded a biathlon where we run, ride, and then eat/drink Mexican.
We call it a biathlon. Sue us.

I believe the rule is that you need to cross the finish line on a bike, or at least have one in your hand.

Usac rule is 1N10
I'm just a usac official, don't have a full UCI rule book, though. Could be different.

Maybe they should have docked his time for however many seconds he was running without a bike. In the end though, I guess they made the right decision today.