Tour de France 2011 talk

I haven't watched the video yet.

But the thing is, Bruyneel has said that he stopped and found Horner lying in a ditch, and could see he had crashed hard. So Horner did not get back on his bike without help from the team. That's why I'm surprised he continued the race. Bruyneel may be an aggressive manager but I do believe he puts the health of his riders ahead of everything. I remember a TdF a few years back where one of his key climbers crashed and then started to race again, but after a bit they spoke to him and determined he had signs of a concussion, at which point they took him from the race right away.

And even if the race doctor was busy with other riders, you would think that at some point he would have caught up with Horner to check him out.

So maybe Chris was coherent enough that the extent of his injuries was not so clear.

Regardless, I hope he recovers quickly, along with all the other injured riders.

update: nice blog post from Jani Brajkovic:

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradios...ith-left-hand/

Pll - Sorry, it was just a bad joke. I don't wish anyone to get hurt. I would really like Contador to have a strong finish and someone beat him in a very close finish.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradios...ith-left-hand/

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Gosh, he seem like a nice chap, and has some thoughtful points!

I hope that he heals well and that team Radioshack's luck improves - they seem to have had a rough ride so far :(

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Originally Posted by Mako

Cavtastic!!!!!!

But poor Wiggins - gutted :(

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The Missile is awesome isn't he. Reminds me in some respects of Super Mario (Cipollini). :D

Poor Bradley...he was my pick for the maillot jaune on the Champs Elysee :(

I wonder what's going to happen with Contador. To be honest I don't think he should be riding with an unresolved doping case hanging over his head. What if he wins this Tour and the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for sport upholds the doping allegations in August? I don't think Millar and a number of others who've be caught doping should be allowed to ride in the sports most prestigious race either - or the Vuelta/Giro/Paris-Roubaix et al.

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Originally Posted by Dr.Doo

The Missile is awesome isn't he. Reminds me in some respects of Super Mario (Cipollini). :D

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I understand that people can see him as being arrogant, but I can't help but like the fella! Possibly Sonic the Hedgehog too?

I certainly have reservations about Contador, really not my favourite rider!
I don't wish him any harm and actually felt bad to see him all scuffed up the other day. However, all this 'unresolved business' seems to cast a bit of a shadow over the tour, especially if he won.

ohhhh Chris!!!!! My heart is broken. It made me tear up to see how confused he was. I was sooooo rooting for him.

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Originally Posted by Mako

I understand that people can see him as being arrogant, but I can't help but like the fella! Possibly Sonic the Hedgehog too?

I certainly have reservations about Contador, really not my favourite rider!
I don't wish him any harm and actually felt bad to see him all scuffed up the other day. However, all this 'unresolved business' seems to cast a bit of a shadow over the tour, especially if he won.

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I think it's just that I believe Cav is going to become the Tours dominant sprinter like Mario was back in the day rather than any arrogance. When you're that good you're allowed to be a little big 'eaded. I adore Cav as I adored Il Re Leone. :)

I'd put money on Contador not winning this Tour. Just a feeling.

Actually, Cipo thinks Cavendish's attitude is holding him back:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/...o-learn_182458


This is an interesting article about head injuries:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pro-...-head-injuries

BTW according to the twitter, Horner is spending the night in the hospital for observation but is doing better.

I like seeing Cavendish sprint, but I often find him arrogant (a good reason not to listen to his interviews), blaming the global conspiracy against him when he loses.

The CAS should have decided on the Contador case prior to the Tour. I do not get what the hold up was, to postpone a decision until August. Should Contador win and the CAS decide against him would be just be terrible. I still feel for Oscar Pereiro, who was second to Floyd Landis in 2006 -- I doubt that there is much personal satisfaction in being awarded the win years later.

Finally, re Horner, seeing the footage is really frightening. And now I read (in Cycling News) that apparently Tom Boonen also had a head injury and "other riders complained that the Belgian was a danger to the peloton". Yet he was allowed to decide himself whether to continue... If the rider could have a concussion, he should not be the one making the call. According to the article, Team Garmin Cervelo seem to be taking steps in that direction, training all the staff to follow a protocol.

PS: Article linked above is the same linked by ny_biker. Sorry for the duplication.

Great minds think alike!! :D

Pot, kettle and black come to mind. Cipo's attitude was never the best :D However I do agree with him in that Cav has an awful lot to learn. There's a 'dig' at the end of that piece about him (Cipo) being steeped in cycling 'history' merely by being Italian and it being their culture and Cav being pretty much a country bumpkin...Attitude much!

Has to be said that Britain has a fantastic cycling history and heritage.

Am home after sneaking peeks at the TdF website at the office....

:eek: Holy Cow, how on God's green earth did Horner finish that ride? :eek: I saw the film footage when I turned on The Tour at home. How scary.

Hope he gets to feeling better soon.

Jani's blog was interesting, especially his final comment.

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Originally Posted by ny biker

So maybe Chris was coherent enough that the extent of his injuries was not so clear.

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Saul Raisin was coherent once in the hospital and it took a while for the bleeding to become serious enough that he slipped into a coma.

Natasha Richardson was coherent after her skiing accident as well.

It seems to me that because of the mystery surrounding brain injuries that if someone shows even the slightest possibility they may have a concussion, the injury needs to be taken very seriously.

I'm letting Chris's accident get to me a little too much. That video was just heartbreaking.

So sad to see Horner is this condition. Also sad that he was on my fantasy team! :(

I think given the amount of things that are being learned about head injuries cycling needs to take a better stance on them. These men are pressuring themselves to be a a danger to their health and others by riding. They really need to have a way the doctors can say "NO MORE". Football is finally starting to see the light and cycling needs to follow suit. What scares me is we now know that this many head injuries can lead to life long issues but cycling seems to treat it as par for the course.

I can't believe the number of big names abandoning from crashes. And on Contador, I don't want him to crash but I do like that he is not having everything go his way. It seems like he needs a bad grand tour to bring him down a notch. I don't like him racing when he could end up banned and being stripped of any wins.