Tour de France 2011 talk

[blue_angel]

He doesn't have kind words for Voeckler either.

Why is that? It's not like the crash was Voeckler's fault! I also think it's somewhat shocking that there's been no public apology to the riders from the driver and the media company.

[MuddyTrails]

@blue_angel:

Apparently, Voeckler looked back, saw the accident and took the opportunity to launch an attack. At least that is how Flecha and the interviewer perceived it. I must say that I am not privy to the internal moral code of the peloton, so I can't very well say what social rule V. seems to have broken, other than making the best of someone else's misery, which is not very nice. I leave it to others on the forum to clue us into that. Here's Flecha's answer to the question, "what did you think when you saw Voeckler accelerate after the accident?":

"Pues lo veo normal dentro de lo que es Voeckler, porque va asÃ* en todas las escapadas, sembrando cizaña. Antes, justamente, Casar, otro del grupo, le habÃ*a echado una bronca porque atacaba bajando después de pelear por los puntos de la montaña, en vez de esperar a los que no los disputábamos. Iba con la fijación del maillot amarillo, le daba todo igual. Ya le conocemos, me habrÃ*a sorprendido lo contrario."

Translation: "I see it as normal, given who Voeckler is, since that is how he operates in all the escapes, sowing discord. Just prior, Casar, another in the group, had reprimanded him because he was attacking on the descent after fighting for the mountain points, instead of waiting for those of us who were not challenging for those. He was fixated on the yellow jersey, he didn't care. We know him, I would have been surprised had he acted otherwise."

I don't ride in groups, and I know nothing of the ethos of the peloton, or road racing, but from the commentary, it is clear that there is an expectation of not abusing other's misfortune (or perhaps, not being so crass about it?).

MuddyTrails

[blue_angel]

Interesting! I'm equally ignorant of the mores of group/peloton/race riding. But what I find particularly curious is how Flecha's comment is diametrically opposed to all of the tv commentators' observations about V's behavior post-crash. I think in the first moments, Voeckler had no way of knowing just how bad that crash was. But within moments the remaining 3 of the breakaway were riding tightly together and were conferring amongst themselves. The commentators specifically pointed to V as the leader of the breakaway holding them back in order to get more details and to see how to proceed.

I'm not really sure what Flecha would have wanted Voeckler to do under the circumstances--sacrifice the gap? Abandon his plans to capture the yellow jersey? What happened to Flecha and Hoogerland was awful and totally unfair, but the Tour is still a competition, and there can only be so much cooperation amongst competitors. Flecha's comments, to me, sound a bit like sour grapes. Although I'll be the first to concede that I may be missing some of the finer points of strategy.

[channlluv]

Didn't I see Voekler making the kill sign across his throat, signaling "No attack" to slow down the other breakaway riders shortly past the accident in order to wait for the ones who crashed?

Roxy

[blue_angel]

Didn't I see Voekler making the kill sign across his throat, signaling "No attack" to slow down the other breakaway riders shortly past the accident in order to wait for the ones who crashed?

Roxy

That's what I remember as well.

[bmccasland]

my 2 cents... FWIW... the driver should have hit the brakes, or hit the tree. But a natural reaction is to swerve, unless one is a very well trained sunt car driver. Most of us had driving lessons when we were teenagers, then everything else we've learned is from the school of hard knocks. As humans we tend to over-react - thus swerving wider than necessary.

But seems to me that the people in that car should be publically apologizing.

Maybe I'm just cranky because I woke up this morning feeling like crap and went to PT anyway. (tummy decided it hated me, knee and I are on speaking terms)

[ny biker]

my 2 cents... FWIW... the driver should have hit the brakes, or hit the tree. But a natural reaction is to swerve, unless one is a very well trained sunt car driver. Most of us had driving lessons when we were teenagers, then everything else we've learned is from the school of hard knocks. As humans we tend to over-react - thus swerving wider than necessary.

But seems to me that the people in that car should be publically apologizing.

Maybe I'm just cranky because I woke up this morning feeling like crap and went to PT anyway. (tummy decided it hated me, knee and I are on speaking terms)

The driver should not have been moving in the first place. He should have been pulled over at the side of the road. That's what race managment had instructed him to do. They told him to pull over so Voeckler's team car could pull up and give him water.

And if he had not been told to pull over, he was supposed to honk the horn to warn the riders that he was passing. He didn't do that, either.

[bluebug32]

On a completely different note, I'm getting REALLY sick of that Nissan Leaf commercial where everything runs on gas. I nearly threw my coffee mug at the TV! On the other hand, I could watch that cute, fluffy dog from Traveler's protect his dog house all day.

[withm]

Why is that? It's not like the crash was Voeckler's fault! I also think it's somewhat shocking that there's been no public apology to the riders from the driver and the media company.

Oh I'm sure they have lawyered up and been advised not to comment. Yes it's shocking, and arrogant that the incident even happened during the Tour, but really, it's not that much different from any other impatient motorist that accidently knocks down a cyclist, when if they could have slowed down or stopped until it was clear and safe to pass (God forbid it costs you 10 additional seconds to avoid an accident). I would not expect an apology, nor an admission of guilt. Surely they will have no contact with the victims, and will simply let the lawyers and insurance companies fight it out. How the driver will live with himself is another story.

The video is pretty damning evidence and I think they will be hard pressed to come up with a creative defense. Perhaps in a few days they will issue a statement.