Yep I thought spectators bike, loads around I would have offered mine!
Froome should be out for running without a bike, no excuses!! But as always one rule for one, different one for others what a discrace!
Granted,the drug years were the worst,but it's hardly holding up the sport in a shining light! 😆
Suspect it was just an unfortunate coincidence of huge number of spectators and a big mountain arena chopped in half, rather than people acting moronically.
the fans can be a right pain to the riders but once the climb was cut short there was always going to be a squeeze as the crowd made it's way back down the mountain, also throw in it being Only "major" climb of the day so it's going to be busier than the "usual" climbs
Suspect it was just an unfortunate coincidence of huge number of spectators and a big mountain arena chopped in half, rather than people acting moronically.
Agreed - many of the spectators would have already been camped out further up the hill and after the decision yesterday simply swamped the lower part that would have otherwise been pretty quiet.
Yep. Crowd spread over 16km, were forced to squeeze into 10. It is a bank holiday in France, so extra busy. There was no time to move the barriers from the top.
How about drugs and an unfortunate incident, see 1 minute in
Froome should be out for running without a bike, no excuses!! But as always one rule for one, different one for others what a discrace!
If that was the other alternative then times would have been taken from 3km. There is not a snowballs chance in hell Froome would have been disqualified for running.
Yep. Crowd spread over 16km, were forced to squeeze into 10. It is a bank holiday in France, so extra busy. There was no time to move the barriers from the top.
Agreed
Could Froome have 'borrowed' a bike from a specy? EDIT,obvs with the right pedals for his cleats..
Fiasco,to be honest I'm surprised it's never happened before
Michael Rogers winning the 2002 Tour Down Under is probably the best example: the spectator's bike was the same model, same size and had the same pedals.
The day could have ended in disaster for Rogers after he was accidentally hit by a race marshal’s motorbike driven by Brian O’Grady (the father of Stuart O’Grady). The motorbike clipped Rogers soon after passing the summit of Mengler’s Hill for the first time with 76km to go.Discovering his rear wheel and derailleur was shattered, he then continued on a borrowed spectator’s bike. Owned by Melbourne club cyclist Adam Pyke, on holidays with his wife Fiona to watch the race, the bike was the same brand and had the same dimensions and pedals. It was an 18-month old black Colnago C40. The frame size was 56cm and the pedals were new Shimano SPD-R pedals.
Incredibly, after joining the lead group of 15 riders that formed on Mengler’s Hill, Rogers rode on that bike all the way to the finish, having only to re-adjust the seat.
“We were going up the climb, I swung over to get around the back. Then one of the motor bikes wasn’t watching where he was going,” said Rogers.
“I got caught up in his front wheel and that just ripped my bike to pieces. I just happened to be lucky there was a guy not that far up the road who pretty much had the same bike.
“I jumped on that and because of that I have probably won the tour.”
Pyke, a fitter and turner who races B-grade with the Chelsea Peninsula Cycling Club in Melbourne, said he didn’t hesitate in helping Rogers.
“We were parked one kilometer after the KOM. We saw the first group come through,” said Pyke.
“Then Michael clipped the motorbike, or it clipped him. It depends on which one (party) you talk to.
“There was no team car for him. I knew my bike was compatible with his. I have followed his career and knew what (bike) he has.”
Froome should be out for running without a bike, no excuses!! But as always one rule for one, different one for others what a discrace!
😀
I love it hear. People take such balanced views....
I hope they can find an alternative to just throwing up more barriers. The tunnel of fans on the mountains is one of the great iconic images of the sport.
Were they ever at the top? I thought they moved them every day and the decision was made last night.There was no time to move the barriers from the top.
Alex +1
There was no time to move the barriers from the top.
Actually on this point did they not anounce the shortened course last night. So they had 18 (?) hours of day light - perhaps no volunteers to work on a holiday more like 😉
People had been camped ip the top since Sunday!
Ignore Thedoctor,he only comes on these threads to troll.
What a crazy finish!Nuff said.
If that was the other alternative then times would have been taken from 3km.
3k rule only normally applies on a flat finish not a summit
1km on a summit isn't it?
am glad froome is still in yellow 🙂
it was the right decision.
No, there isn't a crash rule on summit finishes. You could ride to 1km out, crash into the barriers and claim the same time if there was.
Thanks beej.
Jacques (neutral support car driver) is one of the coolest customers known to man, ridiculously experienced - having known him personally for some years I can guarantee if anything more could have been done at the time then it would have been. If the moto driver was the bloke I think it was (and I suspect it was given his brother was on the back) then again he is one of the most experienced and switched on people in the business.
Could Froome have 'borrowed' a bike from a specy?
Already beaten to it but yes he could Jens Voight used a kids bike in the mountains years ago to avoid the time cut
Pleased with the decision, despite my fantasy team suffering - come on Adam!
Not sure why Mavic can't keep a Medium or M/L bike on each side of the neutral service car with Shimano cleats on one side of the car and Look on the other. Or why not have one pedal of each type on the bike - riders won't be on it for long! Riders on Speedplay and Time deserve what they get 😉
Think Froome panicked and doesn't know the rules in detail, otherwise it would have been a spectator's bike.
Already beaten to it but yes he could Jens Voight used a kids bike in the mountains years ago to avoid the time cut
No, that was another neutral service bike. I was at a talk that Jens gave last year, he told the whole story of that incident. He was really funny, everyone there was crying with laughter as he told it (plus many other incredible stories of his time as a pro).
The neutral bikes are rebadged Canyons but they come with toeclips and straps since obviously riders use all manner of Shimano, Look, Speedplay, Garmin Vector pedals so in theory they're designed to at least be pedal-able by any shoe although it feels really weird.
what a discrace
That would have been even worse! Imagine if they had discs?
OH TEH HORRORZ!
or 26" wheels !
Well that ended better than expected for Froome, Timewise i mean, Porte lucky to get away without clattering his face on that Amplifier thing on the back of the motorbike and then Froome's bike taking a hit from a Motorbike behind. Possibly protecting the 3 of them as they lay sprottled across the deck, there was NO way Mollenma was observing the "Respect YELLOW" unwritten rule he was up and off.
Tough guys though, one minute tapping out a steady pedal stroke, the next flat out on Tarmac.
Its a shame as i wanted to see who was having who between Froome & Porte for the line.
wanted to see who was having who between Froome & Porte for the line.
Agreed. I think Mollema might be having sour grapes now as he knows that he'd have been gapped by the two old teammates slugging it out. Porte looked very, very strong.
Rocket etc thanks on rule
That would have been even worse! Imagine if they had discs?OH TEH HORRORZ!
OMG yes, there could have been a deaf or some-fink 🙂
If everyone agrees on the Commissars decision to award the Yellow Jersey to Froome, why did the crowd boo when he was given it?
Because in the past there have been at least one incident where riders have been knocked off by Motor Veh's the commissaire's rule was to leave the standings as is,
And i'm sure not everyone Booood, just the one's who dont like Brits winning the TDF, Repeatedly.
There's a lot of French who, shall we say, don't quite believe his performance is entirely unaided. I don't think that winter training in remote parts of Africa has helped that much either.
No, that was another neutral service bike.
Pretty sure it wasnt, it was a bike from a kids race earlier in the day done up in yellow livery. The neutral service and all the others had left.
Only if it was a kids bike with a Mavic sticker, wheels, Campag gruppo, clips and straps and a (rather rare) set of Mavic SSC brakes
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just the ones who don't like [s]Brits[/s] anyone who isn't French, especially if they're perfidious Anglo-saxons, winning the TDF, Repeatedly.
FTFY.
Well you can click on the link and listen to Jens and see if you think he's made it up..your choice
Cycling is going to be on the news for all the wrong reasons..
Maybe. But it was quite entertaining. Good bit of theatre today!
In fact for the first couple of weeks, this TdF has been quite entertaining. And even the haters must be warming to Froome now? All out attacks on descents and in breaks. Jogging..! What next?
A_A - You understand how 'true dit's' work
Sometimes stories are better in the reselling than real life
Now pull up a sandbag while I tell you a true tale [swings lamp]
Well I guess you know better than Jens, how silly of me not to realise
CaptainFlashheart - Member
just the ones who don't like [s]Brits[/s] anyone who isn't French, especially if they're perfidious Anglo-saxons, winning the TDF, Repeatedly.
FTFY.
I don't think they realised that if the commissaires had done nothing, an honest to goodness non-Kenyan Brit would've been in yellow. Maybe they were booing because they knew the were f****d either way?
The neutral bikes are rebadged Canyons but they come with toeclips and straps since obviously riders use all manner of Shimano, Look, Speedplay, Garmin Vector pedals so in theory they're designed to at least be pedal-able by any shoe although it feels really weird.
So whatcwas Froome given today?
Mavic pedals for his Shimano shoes allegedly - but equally Mavic said they knew his proper bike was coming and they just wanted him pedalling not running.
AA, I don't want to get into a pissing contest with you here,
but I can promise you that I can identify a service course bike when I see one.
See if you can get the hint - C'est moi:
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