simply appalling sprint finish at tour de poland - should criminal charges be filed?

That is pretty bad. Yellow jersey runs out of gas and knows that the rider in his slip stream is going to overtake him easily and get the win. Clearly blocks him and then he goes down after making contact with his shoulder.

Also have to call out the race organizers for not having that fencing secured.

I mean forget bans for doping - this is what the UCI should be coming down hard on. This is where Groenewegen should be done for the season - 12 month ban at a minimum. This could have killed someone - Jakobsen is in a coma as I type this.

And this sort of sh$t has happened for ever - pyscho bikeriders who will do anything (clearly - drugs, idiotic riding) - Mark Cavendish was able to sustain a career riding like an idiot and causing sh$t with basically no serious implications - even managing to get others disqualified from races (remember Sagan in the 2017 tour?)

It's the most simple equation in life - if the incentive to NOT act in a certain behavior isn't there, dumb a$$ humans will always act in that behavior if they think it benefits themselves - even at the detriment of others.

Good thing Kejelcha doesn't race bikes.

https://www.nbcsports.com/video/kejelcha-grabs-baregas-shorts-5000m-diamond-league-lausanne

Salvatore Stitchmo wrote:

And this sort of sh$t has happened for ever - pyscho bikeriders who will do anything (clearly - drugs, idiotic riding) - Mark Cavendish was able to sustain a career riding like an idiot and causing sh$t with basically no serious implications - even managing to get others disqualified from races (remember Sagan in the 2017 tour?)

Cav has been reckless at times, but that particular incident has been clouded by the fact that a million hysterical Sagan fanboys managed to completely changed the narrative of what actually happened.

Sagan altered his line, he caused the crash, he got the DQ. Just because there was endless crying and screaming afterwards, doesn't change the facts.

You are right - and here are the facts

1) I am not a Sagan fanboy so I have no bias there

2) Cavendish tries to pass on a line which is never there in the first place

3) Despite the "first glance" which is Sagans right elbow popping out apparently sending Cavendish into the rail, when they looked closer and really analyzed what happened they found a much different story, which was the entire thing was caused by Cavendish's stupidity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci6P69_T4p8

Which of course all the hysterical and emotional little screaming Cavendish fanboys hate to see but hey - those are the facts.

Anyways back to what just happened, Groenewegen should be gone for a year. Minimum.

This caused a ton of crashes and injuries, but Jakobsen got the worst, being placed in a coma and requiring 5 hours of reconstructive surgery on his face.

In the finishing sprint, Groenewegen relentlessly tracks his line right - and when that doesn't work, he finally leans in and clips Jakobsen, sending him crashing into the fence and bystanders.

Groenewegen was DQ'd and Jakobsen awarded the stage win - likely to be his last for a while.

Screen grab from OP's link...

https://imgur.com/a/dPiu7eC

They are not social distancing...

That crash was absolutely Cav’s fault. You’re not being objective.

At those high speeds, hitting a barrier is never going to end well.

It's like being hit by a car at 40mph.

trollism wrote:

Salvatore Stitchmo wrote:

And this sort of sh$t has happened for ever - pyscho bikeriders who will do anything (clearly - drugs, idiotic riding) - Mark Cavendish was able to sustain a career riding like an idiot and causing sh$t with basically no serious implications - even managing to get others disqualified from races (remember Sagan in the 2017 tour?)

Cav has been reckless at times, but that particular incident has been clouded by the fact that a million hysterical Sagan fanboys managed to completely changed the narrative of what actually happened.

Sagan altered his line, he caused the crash, he got the DQ. Just because there was endless crying and screaming afterwards, doesn't change the facts.

dont forget this one

If it's an accident or incidental contact then no action but if it's intentional - one year ban. If there is a second incident then lifetime ban. The stakes are too high at the speeds the cyclists race at.

I think the course construction is something that seriously needs to be looked at. The downhill finish is a problem for inducing so much speed but I think the barrier problem is number one. The barriers should be true retaining walls. They should keep the riders on the course and not become a hazard in their own right. Look at a NASCAR track with SAFER Barriers, fencing and cabling, carefully angled walls, etc. and those guys are in the protection of their own car. I think cycling needs to take a careful look into the physics and potentials of crashes and rethink this.

You are right. Alot more can be done to make the finishes safer. Like alot of things it isn't the race organizers who are at risk in these close finishes so they don't prioritize the safety of the riders. If they were on the bikes there would be cushioned walls lol.

Sal;

What happened was this;

Cav crashed. Commentators and everyone noticed Sagan's elbow and screamed 'lynch the psycopath becasuse of the elbow.'

People examined the footage and said; elbow has nothing to do with it.

Race officials looked at whole thing - incl the overheads. Sagan had finished lunging and knocking Cav off before the elbow, but he still did it.

Totally correct DQ.

I have no skin in this game, but dont like Sagan fanbois. Or Cav fanbois for that matter.

Pro cycling is laaaaaame!

Road cycling bis pretty lame to begin with, they plod around for 100 miles at a very easy pace and then team mates get one rider into a good position whilst blocking any other competition so their star can sprint for a win, he then takes all the glory even though it was a team effort.

They should do away with the group stages, time trials are the only thing that counts.

There were 3 awesome cycling races today, each featuring big names (and each televised). They were all entertaining and none of them were anything like what you described. Sorry for your myopia. Enjoy watching a marathon, or a track meet with 15 minutes between events.

Fcuk Groenewegen. Throw him out for 4 years, like a serious doping offense. A-hole.

Am I missing something here. If you watch the video he has no idea anybody is on his right. The rider is coming from behind him, he does not look over his shoulder or glance his head to the right (or left), and he does not have eyes in the back of his head. Yes stupid to veer across the road like that but nothing to indicate it was deliberate?