Drama as winner of U23 World Champs road race disqualified; Operation Puerto back in the news; Junior rider left in tears after being left at the side of the road; Wiggo's top five world champions; Peloton loses 11% of value on first day’s trading + more

CXR94Di2 wrote:

Excitement/controversy in the under 23s men

I think cycling needs a penalty review sometime soon. If they knew about what he'd done beforehand then they should be able to inform the rider, in race, they have a time penalty. It's then up to rider to get that time back somehow, a bit like when Vettel got a 5s penalty and had the rest of the race to try and find that time back.  

Good turnout despite the crap weather though.

stonojnr wrote:

Another school in East Anglia banning kids found performing wheelies 'to & from lessons' https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/sprowston-community-academy-wheelie-stunts-...

However Archant have also put this clickbait article across all their main East Anglian regional papers 'Are some cyclists just yobs in tight shorts?' The EDP has the most feedback so far https://www.edp24.co.uk/features/if-cyclists-behaved-better-more-people-...

I'll take 'things that never happened' for ten, please

Alanlesoigneur wrote:

While I felt sorry for the lad and it was quite painfull to watch, everyone in racing, from youth level up has it drummed into them that it's the riders responsibility to read the regs and know the rules for the race. 

As well as it being in the race pack, at both the drivers briefing and the rider's briefing everyone was told that service could only be done from the left. This is a safety issue. The cars in the convoy are required to follow the rules of the road in the country they are in, which in the UK means driving on the left. Service must be done from the passenger side as this protects both the mechanic (who sits in the back on the passenger side) and the riders (from drivers side doors being flung open or mechanics running accross the road).

The neutral service driver will be under strict instructions not to stop for riders looking for service on the right, and other team cars would do the same.

I know that in the heat of the moment, and being from Columbia he would be used to getting service on the right, but to be honest, he was lucky anyone stopped at all. If you watch the footage, the car that stopped, pulled over to the wrong side of the road to stop, effectively blocking any rider, outrider or car from passing the rest of the convoy as it went passed. He could easily have cut right accross in front of a rider making his way through the convoy.

Sorry it sounds harsh, but these rules are there for the safety of everyone. I am glad though that he gor it fixed and finished the race.

Educational, thanks. Highly likely this could be his first time Links Fahren, an easy mistake to make.

kil0ran wrote:

Alanlesoigneur wrote:

While I felt sorry for the lad and it was quite painfull to watch, everyone in racing, from youth level up has it drummed into them that it's the riders responsibility to read the regs and know the rules for the race. 

As well as it being in the race pack, at both the drivers briefing and the rider's briefing everyone was told that service could only be done from the left. This is a safety issue. The cars in the convoy are required to follow the rules of the road in the country they are in, which in the UK means driving on the left. Service must be done from the passenger side as this protects both the mechanic (who sits in the back on the passenger side) and the riders (from drivers side doors being flung open or mechanics running accross the road).

The neutral service driver will be under strict instructions not to stop for riders looking for service on the right, and other team cars would do the same.

I know that in the heat of the moment, and being from Columbia he would be used to getting service on the right, but to be honest, he was lucky anyone stopped at all. If you watch the footage, the car that stopped, pulled over to the wrong side of the road to stop, effectively blocking any rider, outrider or car from passing the rest of the convoy as it went passed. He could easily have cut right accross in front of a rider making his way through the convoy.

Sorry it sounds harsh, but these rules are there for the safety of everyone. I am glad though that he gor it fixed and finished the race.

Educational, thanks. Highly likely this could be his first time Links Fahren, an easy mistake to make.

Educational, but wrong. Apparently, neutral service had been held back behind a later group as there wasn't anywhere safe to pass, and his team car (which was shared other teams) was also further back dealing with another rider. The cars that passed him were from other teams, who likely weren't aware of his predicament.

Pilot Pete wrote:

“German Dario Gomez Becerra burst into tears yesterday after being left at the side of the road following a mechanical.”

err, what, that German masquerading as a Colombian?

PP

It's pronounced "Herman" but written "German"

DrG82 wrote:

Pilot Pete wrote:

“German Dario Gomez Becerra burst into tears yesterday after being left at the side of the road following a mechanical.”

err, what, that German masquerading as a Colombian?

PP

It's pronounced "Herman" but written "German"

hehehehe, my bad!

wow, Herman, German, who’d of thought it!

PP

Pilot Pete wrote:

“German Dario Gomez Becerra burst into tears yesterday after being left at the side of the road following a mechanical.”

err, what, that German masquerading as a Colombian?

PP

Umm, German is part of his name. 

It looked like he might do a Froomedog and finish the race on foot.

Bloody appalling that no one in the cars stopped to give him a wheel, given his position in the race and his age group.  What happened to fair play?

I can't begin to imagine how he'd have felt, after all that training and prep, the expense, then doing well in the race only to see it all going up in smoke.

PRSboy wrote:

Bloody appalling that no one in the cars stopped to give him a wheel, given his position in the race and his age group.  What happened to fair play?

Fair play is one of those antiquated unwritten rules that are redundant. Movistar ripped up the unwritten rulebook in the Vuelta so it's "no gifts or favours" from now on (excluding bribes).

Brian Smith tweeted last night:

Quote:

If @UCI_cycling and @Yorkshire2019 had a heart they would be presenting German Dario Gomez Becerra (Colombia) with a 'special' award after what happened today. I know what it's like to have a bad experience at this age. He is a champion in my eyes after finishing 60th today

He explained in another tweet that in 1985 junior worlds he (Brian) crashed a borrowed bike on 1st lap, never got back to the front but managed to finish.

I'm not sure the lad would welcome the extra attention.

In the junior women's race this morning several riders had either mechanical or puncture just after rolling out in the neutral zone. Are their mechanics on climate strike? One Italian rider spent quite some time chasing through the convoy (and it was a big convoy of cars) after a puncture. Probably using worn-out 10 y/o Vittoria tyres that the senior squad threw away.