Pro-cycling thread

Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne rather than E3.

Thanks

35 motos

Time for photo pooling

Cheers. My medical knowledge is nil.

RIP

So stupidly senseless.

Another rider has a heart attack, at 22:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/myngheer-in-coma-and-fighting-for-his-life-after-criterium-international-heart-attack/

The photographers are circling the wagons I see

More sad news
https://www.facebook.com/RoubaixLilleMetropoleTeamCycliste/

Started to watch the G-W as I had recorded it, but knowing a young lad had died during it I just to turn it off. Andy is spot on: this has been a long time coming, and is a result of non-response to the frequent incidents of moto and cars knocking off riders. It's simply should never happen. Reduce the numbers and give drivers a far more stringent test before they're allowed to ride on a bike race. FFS

Have the number of Motos and race vehicles increased in the last few years ?
Can't remember this amount of riders getting hit in the past.

give drivers a far more stringent test before they're allowed to ride on a bike race

I don't know. Thinking back to the Shimano team car rampage in de Ronde last year and Stig Broeckx being bowled over in K-B-K, that sounds like a good idea. But sometimes an accident cannot be prevented. I heard that the 'motard' that hit poor Demoitié has been riding in bike races for over 20 years.

rather worrying article from Roleur

"Even with my patchy French, I could understand the overall message being delivered – if you’re going to drive a vehicle in the race, make sure it’s safe and has all the right documentation, and above all, stay away from the race. If you do have to go near the riders, make sure you do it when there’s nothing interesting happening. Listen to Radio Tour and always obey the Commissaires. Ideally press vehicles should go from stage start to stage finish well ahead of the race convoy.
The respectful hush was beginning to break up. The Commissaire was losing his audience. First there were whispers, then suppressed laughter, then outright challenges. What about all the other drivers on the race – were they being asked to go on a course like this? How can we get near the race to take photos, see the action? Maintaining his authority, but only just, the Commissaire brought our training course to an end forty minutes early, with the classic line: “We now have forty minutes to sign the register to say that you have attended this course.”
If I was a cynical man – and I am – I might speculate that the UCI are trying to get their insurance premium down."

https://rouleur.cc/journal/racing/weekender-driving-school

Which seems backwards given the whole point of sponsoring the team is publicity, no?

he may not have had enough left

He didn't. Watch the overhead and he basically goes backwards when the others sprint.

The moto rider in question was a vet with 20 years racing experience, apparently.

So, it sounds like a freak accident but at the same time, I agree with the statement there's too many motos on course and too many of them are ridden too fast and too close to the racers.

If they want more pictures - give the riders more onboard cameras and get rid of some of the motos.

The on board cameras don't do live video yet though do they?

If they want more pictures - give the riders more onboard cameras and
get rid of some of the motos.

I really like this idea. With modern advancements in camera Tech. Both in terms of quality of zoom and stability. So you dont need to be so Close. And size / weight. SO maybe the racers can carry a few. You would think there would be fewer motos needed, and that these neednt be so Close.

Apart from the Hoogerland incident I'm not sure the blame can be placed on the drivers. So the situation needs changing, not the People.

Didn't they have live video at the Track Worlds?

Yes, they did, but the transmission requirements for a 250m indoor velodrome are very different from those which apply to a 200km road race with groups of riders spread all over the road. You're going to need a signal repeater close to the on-bike camera. Maybe on a motorbike following the riders?

Yeah, they do that anyway with motos. The idea is to have fewer motos though.

They could have the repeater(s) on the neutral service bikes and fuck off the video/camera bikes, for example.

The other issue is putting a camera on a riders bike and using what is captured for commercial uses. I think this is one of the things Velon is interested in as another revenue stream for teams (and maybe riders?). This will also cut into other people's interests (UCI perhaps?), so there would likely to be pushback.

My view is very much it's the situation and not the drivers. Like the Roleur article said, the driver was experienced and knew what he was doing, it was the situation that was wrong. The Neal Rogers article on Cyclingtips pretty much highlights my views http://cyclingtips.com/2016/03/commentary-gent-wevelgem-fatality-a-tragedy-that-has-been-a-long-time-coming/
I don't think changing the camera bikes is the right thing to do, it's rarely them that causes the accident, it's the photographer bikes that are zipping about the race, who arguably don't need to be there . And whilst the on-board cameras are a nice novelty, they work well as an extra, particularly when racing in a group, so are very good for sprint leadouts etc. I certainly wouldn't want one as my main viewing point though. To prove my point about the motorbikes and cameras:

‎@Damian_Murphy28
#GWE actual race situation:
5 riders
15 motorbikes
Peloton 1
20 motorbikes
Peloton 2
😆
1:52 PM - 27 Mar 2016
2 2 Retweets 3 3 likes

Drones might be an answer. Although, the prospect of one failing and falling into the peleton is almost as terrifying as a car/moto plowing through them.

I was wondering the other day why they still rely on very expensive helicopters for the wide shots. I suppose distance and duration of the race will play a part.

The helicopter transmits the tv pics, via a relay off two more helicopters and a plane (usually). Televising cycling is not cheap.

You need to research a lot deeper into Velon to actually understand them, I've come to the conclusion that in the long term they'll be bad for the sport.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/velon-deny-asking-riders-to-sign-away-image-rights/

http://cyclingtips.com/2015/11/velon-rejects-media-report-claiming-it-wants-to-muscle-in-on-rider-contracts-and-image-rights/

When you down right reject the existence of something, though it's very much true (riders tweeted pictures of their's) it all looks a bit shifty.

Add to that the CEO being Sep Blatters nephew, and you've got an organisation that has more than a whiff of "only in it for themselves"