Cyclist vs Car. Ouch!

[DJFridge]

Poor guy...

-9COkuOHQJI

http://youtu.be/-9COkuOHQJI

[Dave20046]

fookin cyclists

[Luckypants]

Bloody terrible driving, could easily have killed both of them.

[The Guru]

fookin cyclists

:smt042


All of the support drivers drive like baw bags. It was only a matter of time.

[Stingo]

Jesus - it's like a bloody car rally...they just seem to block the road up without a thought for anyone else...about time somebody sorted it out i.e. just ban them...end of.

[timwilky]

Serves them right for riding two abreast. Should ride behind each other to enable cars to pass.

Two for the price of one, well done.

[MisterTommyH]

And this is the guy who got catapulted into the fence - looks a bit drained.
c-fFZYPwsOM


Came in 16 minutes down then went off to hospital to get stitched up.

An here's one from the day before where a press motorbike knocked a cyclist off.

r3AFrjXD2_8

[maviczap]

Almost suffered a similar fate this morning, met a tractor coiming round a blind bend in a single track road, me coming downhill managed to squeeze past. :(

Then met a kno-b-head builder driving his pick up, towing a trailer, whilst he was on the phone. Same single track road. He didn't slow down:smt063

Car drivers who needs them. :toss:

[Mr Speirs]

Jeez, this Tour de France thing is mad. There has been some woman killed after been run over by a french police bike (seems the woman was at fault), and two of the riders were shot with an air rifle!!

Then this!! I always thought it was a bit dangerous seen as how the cars are in their own little race and jockeying for position...can't believe it's allowed!!

[MisterTommyH]

To be fair to the drivers, most of the ones in the teams are there to look after the rider, and there are usually ex pro cyclists behind the wheel.

The two crashes this year have been caused by a media bike and a tv car.

[Mr Speirs]

Do ex cyclists make good safe drivers?
It just seems a total mess at some points, between the support cars, media cars, police bikes, media bikes and publicity cars.

[MisterTommyH]

Lol fair point. On the face of it yes. Haven't seen any team cars hitting bikes or pedestrians yet. Might change over the next few days.

[maviczap]

Do ex cyclists make good safe drivers?
It just seems a total mess at some points, between the support cars, media cars, police bikes, media bikes and publicity cars.

Yes, because they understand what the riders are likely to do and can do, which is why they're the director sportives in the cars

Unlike the media guys :toss:

I haven't seen a TDF like this before, but these things do happen.

Although even the proffessionals get it wrong, here's the Race Directors car nearly running over poor old Jesper Skibby in the 1987 Tour of Flanders on the narrow Kopperberg

j03obuRAHiM

Luckily only the bike was trashed, not Skibby's legs

[Mr Speirs]

Yes, because they understand what the riders are likely to do and can do, which is why they're the director sportives in the cars

They might have a better idea of how a rider or group of riders might do...however they have to keep an eye on all riders whether they are in front, behind or to the sides, and then keep an eye on on all the other vehicles around them, all other cars and bike. And on top of that they have to maneuver themselves close enough to their cyclists to hand them beverages etc.

I will admit there doesn't seem to be any incidents involving the race support vehicles but it is still harrowing to watch when a group of riders are surrounded on all sides with vehicles.

[Ed]

Poor cyclists, nothing they could have done.

[Red Herring]

It was actually a bit of a dilemma for the car driver as well. I'm not saying they're not to blame but it was either hit the cyclist or the tree.... They couldn't just stand on the brakes because that would have resulted in a pile up behind, I guess what they should have done is plan ahead a bit better, clock the tree close to the side of the road and time when they were alongside the cyclist better. Bottom line is when you put that many vehicles and cyclists all moving around close together them someone is going to get it wrong every now and then. Did feel for the guy in the fence though...ouch!

[Balky001]

You can tell the drivers are also cyclists....:D

[Luckypants]

It was actually a bit of a dilemma for the car driver as well.

No it was not:D, he should never have tried that overtake at all.

<snip>, I guess what they should have done is plan ahead a bit better, clock the tree close to the side of the road and time when they were alongside the cyclist better. This is true and is exactly what the English language commentary on Eurosport were saying.

French police are speaking to those concerned but given the driver of the France Television car ignored a direct instruction from race control not to overtake the five-man breakaway, it may be that a charge of negligence could be issued.

See here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2013512/TOUR-DE-FRANCE-2011-Sky-seek-legal-action-Juan-Antonio-Flechas-crash.html

so folks you see the cars are controlled by the race director and commissaires, but when someone does not do as they are told, then things go wrong.

As for poor Johnny Hoogerland, well this had to smart..

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/11/article-2013512-0CF455CA00000578-662_634x431.jpg

[maviczap]

As for poor Johnny Hoogerland, well this had to smart..

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/11/article-2013512-0CF455CA00000578-662_634x431.jpg

He was in tears at the end of the stage as he said he could have died.

[maxinc]

Wow

[maviczap]

He was in tears at the end of the stage as he said he could have died.

That picture needs to be shown to professional footie players when they're rolling around the floor play acting.

I'm amazed he got up and rode on to the finish

[Milky Bar Kid]

Oucheeeeeeeeee! What an effort to continue on after that!

[Luckypants]

That picture needs to be shown to professional footie players when they're rolling around the floor play acting.

I'm amazed he got up and rode on to the finish

Chapeau to Hoogerland and Flecha, both are starting today's 158km stage. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

What's more by doing this they are contemplating riding into the Pyrenees the day after tomorrow and then some big days in the mountains. I doubt Johnny Hoogerland will be able to defend his king of the mountains jersey now, all down to some dumb-ass driver who ignored the order to NOT overtake. :(

[Paul the 6th]

and I got wound up after a bmw 1 on mickelgate pulled out of a parking space on the left, but then continued on full right hand lock to try and perform a u-turn in a street which is about 18ft wide - while I was tramming along at about 25mph...

The guy looked at me like I was doing something wrong when I swerved around him...

but as for the barbwire bum man - hats off to that dude, mucho respect for making it in! I'd have just sat at the side of the road crying and wanting to be left alone for about 3 hours!

[maviczap]

Chapeau to Hoogerland and Flecha, both are starting today's 158km stage. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

Badass cyclists :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

[MisterTommyH]

Apparently the driver was a sub-contractor of France 2, and had somehow been allowed onto the race without the proper training.

Worth noting that there were bigger crashes on the same day - one guy with a broken leg and one still in intensive care with a broken shoulder, 3 broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

These guys got off lightly.

[maviczap]

As for poor Johnny Hoogerland, well this had to smart..

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/11/article-2013512-0CF455CA00000578-662_634x431.jpg


33 stitches in total I think and he still finished today :notworthy: :notworthy::notworthy:

Pro footballers take note