Are there normally this many crashes in the TDF? Or is it down to the weather this year and if it is, why do they not change to more suitable tyres?

I was surprised at Contador’s crash, reaching for something in his pocket and lost control, I would expect that from me but not from a pro.

i think that is what is commonly known as a spoiler…

Only if you’re thick enough to open a thread entitled TDF crashes when you don’t want to know about the latest on the TDF….

I figured as it has the word TDF in the title, people who didn’t want to know the result would avoid it, and it is not like it happened 30 seconds ago 🙄

just edit and add the word spoilers

Really? It was yesterday.

i think that is what is commonly known as a spoiler…

Only if you are a massive bell end!

I’m not sure why internet nerds who squeal “spoiler” wind me up so much. Probably my issue. As you were.

just edit and add the word spoilers

No, don’t. Leave it there and let the nobbers moan and out themselves as such!

My mum knew Bertie had crashed and she doesn’t follow sport at all.

I was saying to the missus last night a good tactic would to be sit at the back out of trouble and let all the favourites crash out…

i think that is what is commonly known as a spoiler…

Were you planning on recording it all, then watching it in a big marathon viewing session in 2 weeks time?

What nobhead is going to try to avoid the TdF result and even come to a cycling website, let alone click on a thread entitled TdF crashes.

Wow.

But any way. I don’t think there have been more crashes than normal this year, the stats say there haven’t been more abandonments than normal.

What is unusual is the number of high profile riders who have crahsed out. To have the 2 favourites out is not normal.

I think the pace has been high and riding conditions have not been great.

Everyone makes mistakes, the most obvious one that comes to mind is Jens Voight in the 2009 tour.

to answer the OP, yes, there are always a lot of crashes in the Tour, especially the first week, just this year the dice have rolled against all the favourites, although it’s not uncommon for a favourite to crash out at some point

winning the Tour isn’t just about being the fastest it’s also about avoiding the crashes, which is why the leaders will have their whole team around them a lot of the time, protecting them

I was saying to the missus last night a good tactic would to be sit at the back out of trouble and let all the favourites crash out…

Fine until a crash stops 80% of the peloton in it’s tracks and the rider loses a shed load of time. Best bet is to near very near, but not on the front. That way you avoid getting held up if there’s a crash but can also control the speed of the race a little.

In answer to the OP, yes, there are usually this many crashes and retirements, but it’s fairly unusual to have quite so many big names (if Andy Schleck is still a big name) and very unusual to have both the pre race favourites out in crashes.

I was surprised at Contador’s crash, reaching for something in his pocket and lost control, I would expect that from me but not from a pro.

It happens some times, even to the pros. Did Jens not fracture his eye socket a few years ago after cresting the top of a mountain and hitting a pot hole while not fully concentrating?

OP said Bertie crashed, not crashed out. The spoiler complaint was more of a spoiler itself.

I was saying to the missus last night a good tactic would to be sit at the back out of trouble and let all the favourites crash out…

[Spoiler alert] Bradley tried that at the tour de suisse and he went out
“He said: “Ironically, I was the last man in the peloton, trying to stay out of trouble when it happened. They all slammed on the brakes ahead of me but there was another rider riding full gas who rode straight into the back of me.”

I was surprised at Contador’s crash, reaching for something in his pocket and lost control, I would expect that from me but not from a pro.

reaching for something in his pocket hit a bump and went down, nothing to do which skill, just chose the wrong time to be not focussed on the road. Jens Voigt from a few years ago was as he swapped from hoods to drops he hit a bump and went down, its not down to skill just luck and maybe not being 100% focused on the road ahead which you couldnt be all day every day for 3 weeks.

I’m a couple of days behind on the highlights. I managed to resist the urge to shout “spoiler alert” at the Radio 2 sports presenter at 7.30 this morning. I have learnt to accept that the wider world does not revolve around my selfish preoccupations.

(Having kids helps with that)

DT78 – Member
I was saying to the missus last night a good tactic would to be sit at the back out of trouble and let all the favourites crash out…

Logged and noted for an excuse next time I’m the slow one at the back

I’m sure there’s a few sad people on here trawling post after post just to shout ‘spoiler’!!! Regardless if they know the result or not.

Hers a tip for you, if you don’t want to know any sports results stay off the internet, turn the radio and TV off and walk around with a large brown paper bag on your head! 😉

Always lots of crashed in week 1, normally not 2 of the favourites but the crashes themselves are not uncommon. It tends to need a hilly stage or 2 to calm everyone down, put some order into the peloton and generally wear people out a bit before the crashes slow down.

its been one of the wettest opening weeks theyve had which wont have helped.

Inrng looked at it a few years ago

Crashes, falls and… fallacies

and discusses this years half way down here

One Week Into The Tour

I hate spoilers, but the OP’s thread title isnt one and you’d have to be daft to click through to the thread if you werent up to date on the tour.

I think that partly people’s expectations about crashes have been set by favourites not having crashed out so much in recent years – think about Lance (though obviously he didn’t actually win…) – 7 years straight without a significant crash (I know he lost a little time a couple of times but nothing that affected the result) and since then, I can’t off the top of my head think of another instance of crashes during the race majorly affecting the result until this year with the possible exception of Brad’s crash in 2011 (though on balance I don’t think he’d have quite won that year) and sort of Schleck’s chain incident.

Basically, as CF has said, you need to ride near the front but that means potential risk when fighting for that position. This year has just seen the dice roll against the favourites rather than the people in the peloton that you don’t really hear much about.

FWIW, spoilers are on the same day. Next day, I think you have to accept that it’s going to be discussed openly.

Contador crashed out nearly 24hrs ago, how can that be regarded as a spoiler?

A lot of people, like me, try to stay away from TdF news until the 7pm highlights programme. It is reasonable therefore not to announce stuff during the day. But I accept that by visiting a cycling website I may be exposed to cycling news.

The recent change though is that cycling is now mainstream and you now have to avoid BBC news frontpage, radio etc.

By the way, Germany won the World Cup. I hope that wasn’t a spoiler..

As Gary Imlach said, it has rained every day since they left Yorkshire 🙂

Use to be in years gone by that on the flatter stages one of the big names with a strong team would boss the peloton, decide what was going to happen (e.g. break, sprint) and that would be it for the day. Nowadays it’s all very different, there isn’t really a patron like in the old days, and everyone is always fighting for position, fighting to get into a break, etc. making for a very nervous peloton. Throw in a wet windy start in Northern France and it’s not really a surprise that it’s chaos. Also even Grand Tours now tend to be won by seconds rather than minutes, which makes scrambling for every last second important.

think about Lance (though obviously he didn’t actually win…) – 7 years straight without a significant crash (I know he lost a little time a couple of times but nothing that affected the result) and since then, I can’t off the top of my head think of another instance of crashes during the race majorly affecting the result until this year with the possible exception of Brad’s crash in 2011 (though on balance I don’t think he’d have quite won that year) and sort of Schleck’s chain incident.

You’ve forgotten Lance’s offroad excursion – that was avoiding the other pre-race contender Beloki who’d just crashed (and broke his hip).

Also even Grand Tours now tend to be won by seconds rather than minutes

I don’t think that the stats back that up. What does tend to happen is that getting on the podium is often a lot closer.

mogrim:

(I know he lost a little time a couple of times but nothing that affected the result)

Beloki’s crash was about the most recent but even that didn’t really affect the result IMO as LA was clearly stronger overall.

There are always lots of crashes, sometimes involving contenders.

Wiggins went out in 2011 with a broken collarbone (?)
Cadel did his elbow in.
Thomas rode last year with a broken Pelvis
Jens as above
Sprints go down all the time sometimes people are unlucky.
Didn’t Vino break a femur in a race going over a cliff?
The Schlecks seem to hit the road a fair amount.

The Schlecks could fall off a chair if they weren’t paying attention.

It’s just chance and luck that the favourites have gone out in crashes this year.

Still, Nibali won’t be complaining.

The Schlecks could fall off a chair if they weren’t paying attention.

If Andy hadn’t already abandoned due to mechanical problems with his chair 😀

[/quote]Everyone makes mistakes, the most obvious one that comes to mind is Jens Voight in the 2009 tour.

What ! You could have warned people you were posting spoilers….

It’s just chance and luck that the favourites have gone out in crashes this year.

Funny quote from Sagan last year when asked who is greatest adversary would be in his quest for the green jersey, his answer was “bad luck”.

I’m clearly a nobhead as I came on here yesterday when trying to avoid the result – though I didn’t click on any TdF threads. I was quite pleased to see that no spoilers were posted. Which is where quite a lot on here don’t seem to understand the concept of a spoiler – the contents of this thread is a spoiler, but then it’s quite obvious that’s likely to be the case and doesn’t really need “spoiler” in the title. The title isn’t a spoiler (“tdf crashes” really isn’t news and could refer to any of the crashes). It’s spoilers in the titles (ie “Contador crashes”) people have an issue with as that prevents them from browsing the forum. Your cooperation is appreciated as posting spoilers in titles really doesn’t do anything useful at all and just marks you out as a nobhead, not when there is a daily thread full of discussion already.

Alex Zulle tried that in the ’99 TdF…

Amazing. An intentional spoiler without notice from the angelic wwaswas.

Where’s the bucket of sh1t? Oh – he wouldn’t do it to himself, of course…. 🙄

Bike races and crashes are inevitable

But some have a talent for crashes
Chris Froome mentions this one in his book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DCe4QVO0PE

Brad Wiggins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt5h-rnsF6I

Plus dogs and spectators can make this worse

You’re thinking people were waiting to watch the cabinet reshuffle highlights and didn’t want to know the results? Or is there some other spoiler he’s posted that I’m missing?