Pro-cycling thread

Ok hearing through Twitter she has at least regained consciousness. I thought she was dead, she was a rag doll. Huge, huge relief

Had to look, didn't I? Hope the reports are true that she's okay, horrid.

Jesus that looked bad. I actually shouted "shit" out loud. Glad to hear she's not seriously hurt.

I hope she is ok but that was shocking, we should wait and see.

Absolutely horrible, I hope she recovers ok

Admiration for Boardman continues, visibly angry and upset on the Beeb when talking about that descent.

Claire Balding just confirmed Van Vleuten is conscious and on the way to hospital.

Conscious and taken to hospital according to BBC just now, thank goodness.

I don't have the expertise to comment on the safety or otherwise of the course but yesterday's and today's races were both fantastic.

That crash was horrible, so glad reports now coming through she's conscious.

I really feared the absolute worse

So off the top of my head Porte, Nibali, Fuglsang, Thomas and Van Vleuten all crashed and injured on that descent, I personally never ever want to see an athlete go through what Van Vleuten had to, that is surely the most unsuitable course for a road race. Technical descents ok, but not murderous one. Boardman warned of the risk having ridden it, very poor judgement from race organisers and UCI.

I'm going to get shouted at for saying this, but I don't think the descent was that bad. The UCI should've ensured that the dangers, which are the huge gutters, should've been addressed, but I assume the local climate means that they are essential to manage rainfall. I'm happy to be proven wrong, but no-one complained about the descent after the test event last summer.

Most of the cyclists have been out there for a week, they should've ensured they memorised the worst corners before the race. Obviously Van Vleuten was racing for gold, so was taking risks, but she carried too much speed into the corner and hit the brakes hard, causing her to lose control. I genuinely hope she is okay, but the crash was her fault.

You shouldn't ride with me. @modan and @HoKe have seen my 'skills'

Geraint Thomas's crash was in precisely the same location as Van Vleuten's. He ends up against the same kerb stone.

Dutch cycling news sites republishing old pics of her sitting up in a hospital bed on her phone aren't helping FFS

That was horrible to watch. Didn't actually hit anything but the back wheel went then jack-knifed the front wheel flipping her over the bars.

Hope she comes out of it OK.

I agree, sort of. A techincal descent that is hard enough to push riders over limit is fine, but if you know they are going to crash (especially after yesterday) the least you can do is put up some protection on the worst corners. I don't blame Rio for this, the entire event is clearly totally fucking amateur, but the uci should have done something more than prancing about with their fucking iPad motor sensors

That's saying the riders had the chance to recon a descent, and prepare for it, so whatever the dangers of it, they are justified. With the stakes high you'll take risks. Descents always claim victims but race organisers should be looking to minimise then. I simply have no interest in seeing riders get hurt in that way. For sport etc.

That tarmac looks very fresh and I think played a part. Was it relaid before the test event too?

I thought it looked familiar and I think I broadly agree with @andyp
although IMHO it didn't look like there had been enough padding, fencing etc on that descent. It would have been very easy for a run of the mill crash to have taken an instantaneous morbid turn as looked possible today. Those gutters and kerbs were a real risk

Humid and greasy from leaf fall from the jungle tree crowns.

Hope she makes a full recovery, she was all out of shape on the way in to it on the inside on approach.
She looked like she landed on her head :(

I think the crash is her fault, she overcooked it but it did look like there was something on the road, the way her rear wheel slid and then suddenly gripped again. Good to here that she's ok though, I was more worried when she hadn't moved as the second/third group went past

But the decent was good, maybe slightly more could have been done about the guttering but that wouldn't have helped her crash at all, that would have happened no guttering or guttering

I missed the mens yesterday. Not exactly easy to find a link to watch the finale... Anyone found one?

It wasn't a high side; her rear wheel was still sliding when she endo'd the front wheel.

All the olympic events are on iPlayer