Tour de France 2011 talk

[Possegal]

Ouch^2. 33 stitches. But before getting those, he finished the race, collected his polka dot jersey and wept on the podium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJarentZE2g

When he wept on the podium, he might have become my new favorite rider.

I feel like I don't even want to sit down on my bum just looking at all the injury to his.

[ny biker]

I am just really pissed. If you can't ride the biggest bike race in the world without getting hit by a car, what hope do the rest of us have.


I was thrilled to see Horner enjoying the Micky D's. Nowhere near as good as In 'n Out Burger, I supposed, but tasty nonetheless.

[KnottedYet]

When he wept on the podium, he might have become my new favorite rider.

Mine, too!

[ny biker]

Now that I've finally finished watching the stage, I'm catching up on the cycling guys I follow on twitter. This is made me smile -- from Jani Brajkovic, who broke his collarbone the other day:

2h30 on a trainer. all went fine until landlord got a nervous breakdown. Ups, i guess I was a bit loud. New trainer?

As did this, from Taylor Phinney (who crashed in the Tour of Austria today) to his dad, Davis:

Happy Birthday Dad! I love you very much!!! Sorry I crashed on my head today :^\

Also, Fabian is cooking for his team tomorrow as part of a charity thing...

[blue_angel]

I am just really pissed. If you can't ride the biggest bike race in the world without getting hit by a car, what hope do the rest of us have.

Excellent point!

[Realgone]

There was an interesting comment to the Guardian story, where someone (associated with the Tour, but I don't remember who) said there have been more crashes lately, and thinks it's due to the riders being less careful now that they all wear helmets.

Reminded me of a statistic I read on automobile-related fatalities in the US. It's been holding steady around 40,000+ per year for decades, regardless of all the amazingly effective new safety additions to modern cars. People drive more aggressively the safer they feel, and only modify behaviour as the fatality rate begins to exceed the "acceptable" level.

(meanwhile I think the bike-related fatality rate in the US is something like 700+ per year... but everyone thinks biking is far more dangerous)

Your 40,000 and 700 are not comaprible. Percentage is what you need to conclude that auto accidents are more prelivent or "less safe". There are 254.4 million car owners in America, bicycle owners are a fraction of that and the amount of those that ride regularly would be a fraction of the owners of bicycles.

[KnottedYet]

Your 40,000 and 700 are not comaprible. Percentage is what you need to conclude that auto accidents are more prelivent or "less safe". There are 254.4 million car owners in America, bicycle owners are a fraction of that and the amount of those that ride regularly would be a fraction of the owners of bicycles.

I wasn't making any comparisons of safe and "less safe" between bikes and cars!!!!! My goodness!!!!

I was talking about the sociological phenomenon of the steady annual level of automobile-related fatalities regardless of advancing safety features of modern automobiles.

As an aside, I tossed in the bike statistic which often surprises people because they assume many more cyclists die annually than car passengers, from a purely quantitative standpoint. (i.e., they expect the numbers to be 40,000+ cyclists and 700+ car passengers)

Heavens to Betsy! Ease up!

[bluebug32]

Oy. All these crashes are bad for my fantasy tour team

[malkin]

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!

[ShubieGA]

it was definitely a wild stage today. So sad for Vinokourov, what a terrible injury. Loved that Voekler won, and am definitely a new fan of Hoogerland and Flecha for even finishing! Owww.

[Dogmama]

I read that Vino's surgery was successful.

Small chuckle about the commentary (don't recall which one said this) - something like "There was a small gap in the trees and off they went!"

Yup - every time I see a gap in trees, I have this urge to just ride right through them. Which is why I live in the desert. With friggin cactus & scrub brush.

[pll]

I read that Vino's surgery was successful.

Small chuckle about the commentary (don't recall which one said this) - something like "There was a small gap in the trees and off they went!"

Yup - every time I see a gap in trees, I have this urge to just ride right through them. Which is why I live in the desert. With friggin cactus & scrub brush.

That was funny. It was Phil Ligget. On a more serious note, Vande Velde and Contador seemed to agree (separate interviews) that the curve was the issue. Contador said it was not well marked and the road was narrow. Vande Velde said that curve seemed to have no end. This must have been when they saw the alluring gap in the trees...

Regarding the car incident, Luis León Sánchez, the stage winner, said the riders had been grazed by several cars before during the race. A little trivia I read yesterday: Pedro León, a winger in Real Madrid, is LL Sánchez's young brother. "León" was the first name of an older brother they both honor by pointing at the sky.

And Hoogerland was riding this morning: http://twitpic.com/5oipd1
I hope he does well tomorrow.

[rubysoho]

the riders had been grazed by several cars before during the race.

Why is this not unacceptable??? The cars made me nervous even before a rider was hit.

[pll]

Why is this not unacceptable??? The cars made me nervous even before a rider was hit.

I think it is unacceptable, just in case. The first time a rider was grazed by a car or motorcycle, something should have been done. It was very fortunate that Flecha and Hoogerland riders are alive. And the ASO sanction of "excluding the car" (as if the car was to blame... who is the driver, why was that car there?) is ridiculous. On days that the race goes through such narrow roads, there should be no VIP cars whatsoever, and a skeleton, minimal, media crew.

[blue_angel]

I think it is unacceptable, just in case. The first time a rider was grazed by a car or motorcycle, something should have been done. It was very fortunate that Flecha and Hoogerland riders are alive. And the ASO sanction of "excluding the car" (as if the car was to blame... who is the driver, why was that car there?) is ridiculous. On days that the race goes through such narrow roads, there should be no VIP cars whatsoever, and a skeleton, minimal, media crew.

Why don't they use more helmet cams?