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Descending is part of racing.
Last Post 07/18/2013 10:31 PM by Michael Carbajal. 31 Replies.
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Keith Richards
Posts:781
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| 07/17/2013 10:01 AM |
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I am tired of hearing about these highly paid athletes whining about the descents.
If you get dropped because the descent is too much for you. It is what it is. You race the course.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2013...ers_295567
“I’ve seen it in training and also in the [Critérium du] Dauphiné; it’s a very dangerous descent,” overall leader Chris Froome (Sky) said in a post-stage press conference on Tuesday. “The road surface is not great. I wouldn’t say it’s level; it’s not smooth. There aren’t any barriers — if you go over the corner, then you will fall down a long way. I hope the riders are aware of that so they don’t take risks like today.”
Somebody drop this MFer on the descent Thursday. PLEASE.
“It’s still the same descent. … It’s quite nasty and a really dangerous descent,” Martin told VeloNews. “We’ve made a lot of comments already in the media, so I really hope the organization heard it.”
Martin said trying to organize all 179 Tour riders in a protest is too difficult.
“You’ll always have some riders who don’t just make a race uphill, but also make it downhill,” Martin added. “It’d be difficult to get everyone to make the same decision.”
A time trial specialist...imagine that.
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It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
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Yo Mike
Posts:338
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| 07/17/2013 10:07 AM |
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Seems to me that racing is, among other things, a series of calculated risks.
Slow down if you cannot handle it. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 07/17/2013 11:37 AM |
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hmmm.... I might take a slightly different take on this. Yeah, it's racing but how far do you take it?
We've seen riders hit road hardware and we've seen bad finishing areas that were too narrow or had tight turns in the middle of a sprint area. In P-R a few years back when the road went straight but there were posts moving traffic right-- as the pack shifted right some of the guys at the back with a restricted visibility came on the hardware with essentially zero reaction time and ended up going down hard.
What's next, dodging bears and riding through flaming hoops? I think the course should be hard, not dangerous. |
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Keith Richards
Posts:781
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| 07/17/2013 12:07 PM |
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There is a difference between road furniture and crap on the flats, which is something that either is there or it isn't, and a descent where the rider is totally in control of his safety by how fast he chooses to descend.
When I go skiing, I am in control of how fast I go down the hill to a large extent, so are they. You think it is too fast? Go slower, ride within yourself. |
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It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. |
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jpouchet
Posts:81
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| 07/17/2013 12:39 PM |
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| +1 KR |
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CERV
Posts:151
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| 07/17/2013 12:39 PM |
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Posted By Keith Jackson on 07/17/2013 12:07 PM
There is a difference between road furniture and crap on the flats, which is something that either is there or it isn't, and a descent where the rider is totally in control of his safety by how fast he chooses to descend.
When I go skiing, I am in control of how fast I go down the hill to a large extent, so are they. You think it is too fast? Go slower, ride within yourself.
+1
Descending skill, high speed cornering is a part of racing a bike. Unfortunately for some, bike racing is not ALL about fitness, which is what makes it such a great sport (otherwise it would be triathlon, or marathon  . )
It's like asking a moto GP rider or a hill climb rally car driver to slow down on the corners, If you can't descend well, you can always ride within your abilities. You just can't complain about those who have taken the time to learn how to do it better than you. I wish Nibbles was at this tour in the GC hunt. He'd be laying it down on these descents.
We could have the entire tour take place on computrainers. |
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stronz
Posts:447
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| 07/17/2013 12:49 PM |
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KR your video is scaring me -- I agree with you on your thoughts. I think there will be several cagey spaniards pushing things on the descent tomorrow. Here's my prediction -- Berto, Quintana and Rodriguez (and maybe Andy?) hit the gas around half way up the Alpe on the first ascension. They go full gas on the descent and just try to get a gap of 5 min or so if they can and then hold it for the second trip up the Alpe and give Andy the stage.......
OR -- Contador says sheesh I'm in second and this Froome guy just might be dirty -- so maybe I ride conservatively and protect my second place cause it might just turn out to be first place? |
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BikeCzar
Posts:53
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| 07/17/2013 01:13 PM |
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| Whilst I partially agree, I think it is important that one remembers that the consequences of a high speed mistake could be death. If it was simply losing a race that would be one thing but dying is quite another. Some descents have extremely dire consequences if a mistake is made. I don't want to see anyone die trying to take or defend the yellow on a dangerous descent. |
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CERV
Posts:151
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| 07/17/2013 01:31 PM |
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I agree it's a risk, and there's consequences. These pros get paid a lot of money too to take those risks. I think that risk is a long standing part of the sport of bike racing. Bike racing is, and has always been, at least one part race driver. What is the consequence of overcooking a corner in a rally car? What is the consequence of missing a corner in an FIS downhill. Both can be equally dire.
Personally i wouldn't want to see that change to move toward being a "fitness only" sport. The myriad and combination of skills, talent, guts, smarts, tactical sense, etc. is what makes bike racing stand out from other cardio/endurance sports. |
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C2K_Rider
Posts:173
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| 07/17/2013 01:49 PM |
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Cycling seems to have a lot more risks than most other pro sports. Take car racing. Even with crashes that destroy the car, the driver usually walks away from it. They've made it incredibly safe. The cycling road course in Europe are littered with very narrow roads, crazy finish turns, road furniture, fans and all. I doubt any modern car race driver would race with all those obstacles on the course.
I'm not saying to only use freeways for bike races, but I think it is reasonable to ensure a decent road for people who make a living at racing and who's careers could be cut short by unnecessary crashes on sub-par courses. At least have decent-width, well-paved roads and no road furniture. |
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jrt1045
Posts:363
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| 07/17/2013 02:12 PM |
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these whiners wouldn't make it doing the amateur Twilight crits back in the day. Railroad tracks, man hole covers, off camber turns with braking bumps and transitions up/down in turns while going from concrete to pavement. lets not forget iron deck bridges
all with the hopes that your $12 check from Gene Dixon didn't bounce |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 07/17/2013 02:19 PM |
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Posted By Bike Czar on 07/17/2013 01:13 PM
Whilst I partially agree, I think it is important that one remembers that the consequences of a high speed mistake could be death. If it was simply losing a race that would be one thing but dying is quite another. Some descents have extremely dire consequences if a mistake is made. I don't want to see anyone die trying to take or defend the yellow on a dangerous descent.
Agree that the consequence part is important to consider. There's risky descends like yesterday where if you mess up you end up in the grass, and there's risky descends where if you bail, its into a deep ravine. The consequence discussion is something that definitely needs to be had.
Whining about downhill attacks is another matter, THAT is part of racing. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 07/17/2013 02:46 PM |
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It is very simple - if you don't like the speed at which others are descending, don't follow. If you are worried that you may die on a descent, go at a speed at which you are comfortable.
But don't whine about it after....
FFS, you could die in a sprint pile-up, but I don't hear sprinters saying "These guys are really crazy....could we all be a little more careful, please?"
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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jmdirt
Posts:775
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| 07/17/2013 02:47 PM |
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| Roadie pussies...there I said it! |
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Entheo
Posts:317
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| 07/17/2013 02:49 PM |
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froome does seem obsessed with not giving back a second of his gains, so if he does try to stay on the wheel of someone like contador then he may well be penny wise and pound foolish.
posted this on another thread; decent (but not great) NY Times article on the dangers...
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/sports/cycling/what-goes-up-at-the-tour-descends-dangerously-fast.html?pagewanted=1&hp&_r=0 |
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