In a shocking development, pro cycling enforced its own rules.

I'm def rooting for Contador but want to see him win by throwing competitors a beating, not a technicality. Guessing he wants to do the same.

There really is an element of luck in GTs, as Contador well knows from getting caught up in crash and having shoulder dislocate twice. That's racing. Unfortunately for Porte, his situation is self-inflicted. Whether people like how the rules were enforced or not, they're there for everyone to know.

Porte was most likely unaware of the rule, but the Team Sky directors really dropped the ball on this one. This is the same team that is so hardcore about understanding the rules that they intentionally took a time penalty during the 2013 Tour when Porte gave Froome an illegal feed (they calculated that the potential time losses from Froome bonking outweighed any time penalties they would incur). No wonder their director had "No comment" when reporters approached him after the stage.

Porte is not out of the running for the podium by any stretch. He could do a strong TT and has a very good team to back him in the mtns.

Marginal brains.

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i find the giro's decision upsetting. normal people would see this as an act of sportsmanship, punishing it is ridiculous. this, plus the absurd demands the giro puts on riders in an era where we are supposed to encouraging clean competition, the stupid TTT course, makes me want to "boycott" the giro, if only the economics of cycling were such that it would even matter. i really think riders need a union to advocate for their interests.

And it's a pretty good rule too.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

For those who this an act of "sportsmanship", can you please justify taking a wheel from a rider on another team, when his own teammate (from whom he is allowed to take a wheel) is right there?

As Carl has already pointed out, allowing teams to support other teams creates an uneven playing field. If Saxo is playing by the rules, Contador only has 8 teamates while Porte (in an alliance with Orica) has 17 potential allies.

This is show fundamentally obvious, I can't see where anyone would question it.

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i don't get it. so when bernie takes pulls at worlds for cav, is he breaking a rule? when tiralongo helped berto out a few years ago before he went to astana? broken rule? or when matthews took pulls yesterday? riders in breakaway taking a gel from another rider? co-operation and aggression is part of what makes cycling interesting. i don't see a problem. now, if porte offered clarke a wire transfer for the wheel, well, i would expect the UCI to .. support him and allow him to run a team.

 
No one is claiming that assistance doesn't happen, but it is subtle and not overt. There is a massive difference between your examples and what Porte did. Are you honestly trying to compare trading pulls to taking a wheel? "Cooperation" does not equate to "assistance".

I'll ask again - how do you justify Porte taking a wheel from Clarke when his own teammate is right there and capable of legally allowed wheel?

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"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

 
ok first, i've since read the rule and another big discussion of it and i understand that my arguments were off the mark concerning the actual rule as written.

and, my position is also weak because though at first glance it looks like sportsmanship, in reality the rides weren't in equal standing at all. clarke in his own words was sitting up and about to roll in. getting a wheel from OGE's service car would have been a better example, like skiers getting poles.

but, actually, his teammates were not with him, they were stuck on the other side of the road.

and, i still maintain that given the reality of cycling, and the totally arbitrary enforcement of rules, the time penalty should not have been applied. i'd feel exactly the same way if a spanish rider gave a wheel to contador. no one wants to see riders lose because of bad luck if it can be helped.

 
in fact, my conclusion is the same i reach at the end of every bike race ... its just a ridiculous sport and we should all switch to swimming or something.

You may wanna rethink your statement re: the location of Porte's teammate....



Accepting a wheel from a team car is just as bad....arguably worse.

I agree that it sucks when a rider loses time because of bad luck....but that is the nature of the sport. Same is true in ANY sport, really.....luck always plays a role in winning (even if is as subtle as being "lucky" that nothing goes wrong).

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"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

 
that's actually just a fan in a sky kit.

/pink

Worth noting, that Sky rider had turned around and ridden back towards Richie. By the time he got close, Richie was already getting the wheel and this picture was taken. Who knows if Richie saw him or not, but in the heat of the moment, looking down as someone is giving you their wheel its not hard to imagine not seeing someone up the road from you. By both of their admissions, Richie pulled off and got the tire very quickly, so I'm sure they were rushing around and lost in the moment.

I'm not trying to justify it, even though i think if one team wants to help another it should be allowed there's no difference between this and taking a wheel from a teammate to me, I'm just stating what it looks like happened in this situation to me during the race.

Was the other Sky rider there at the same time that Clarke took off his wheel? Or is he just there right as the Clarke's wheel is installed, as is shown in the picture? If Porte got a wheel from Clarke because he was the only rider near him that is different. All the picture shows is that Sky rider as near Porte at some point during the wheel change.

Even if Sky did not have other team members near Porte, that's not a defense. In that situation they are supposed to be protecting him.

I'd like to think that anyone on any team (other than Saxo and Astana, Porte's only competitors) would have given him a wheel. Likewise if Contador or Aru flatted, Clarke would have given them a wheel too. This would mean that the teams aren't unbalanced or unfair.

I don't think anyone wants the Giro to be decided because of a flat tire. When I'm racing, I want to beat my competitors on their best day. I don't want to win just because of their bad luck. I'm glad Clarke offered his wheel. I think that the 47s penalty was harsh enough, 2 more minutes is over the top. I also do understand where the rule comes from and think that it's necessary for preventing collusion, but I think in this circumstance they should have received a warning.

Astana is still riding, so I say let them all do whatever they want.

They are not allowed to ride back

It looks like my prediction wasn't complete crap, Innur "Froome Jr." Zakarin is catching fire. That was a super powerful breakaway he attacked and he rode a minute into them in 15km. Maybe he had a very restful rest day and is ready to kick ass from here on in. I think we may see a Majka-like second half resurrection here.

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A couple of things:

1)No one wants to see any race determined by a flat tire. But such is the nature of bike racing....these things happen. And I'll note that this race has yet to be "decided". Lots of road up ahead.

2) He did not receive a 47" "penalty". That was his time loss for the puncture. You cannot characterize that as "harsh enough" since that played out on the road.

3) If you understand the rule is to prevent collusion, then you cannot support what happened since it is pretty much the definition of what they are trying to prevent.

4) His teammate was right there....could have easily gotten a wheel from him. No need for mental gymnastics about how "well, they already had Clarke's wheel on the bike when he got there." Pop it out and put in the teammates.

Was 2 minutes a stiff penalty, arguably too stiff? No doubt. But they broke the rules and have paid the price.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

I doubt Clarke would have done the same for Aru or Bertie. Theyre mates and ozzies, they even admitted to the fact that was the reason he did it. I'm not trying to make a point just to question your hypothesis. This was not a random act of selflessness imo.

I see flat tires as something that is unpreventable and just bad luck. To me, it's like someone randomly assigned Porte a 47s penalty. The flat tire happened through no fault of Porte. I do not think it is unreasonable for someone on another team to offer their front wheel. They are trying to level the playing field by taking luck out of the equation. It's only collusion if Clarke would have helped out Porte and not Aru or Contador if they flatted, but I am speculating that Clarke cares about the sport and would want it to be as fair a fight as possible among the three.

I have also not seen a reliable account on where his team mates were at the time. The picture shows after Clarke had given Porte his wheel. His team mate could have been well up the road out of Porte's sight and turned around and gotten back to Porte by the time the swap occurred.

I won't deny that Porte broke the letter of the law, but I don't think he violated the spirit of it. It's a shame that Porte's Giro chances have basically gone to zero because of a flat tire.

Agree that the penalty was warranted and should be enforced.

Flats happen in races...and sometimes flats happen at bad times. Everyone knows this...and this is exactly why as a GC rider you depend on your teammates as well as your team car to look out for you. That is their job, and pro cycling is very much a team sport. When a team fails to do their duties...there should be consequences.

I think it is extremely unfortunate that Porte flatted when he did, and that it caused him to lose 47 seconds. But I am not sorry that he was penalized an additional 2 minutes because his team dropped the ball.

I agree with Power13 that this race is far from over though. We've seen it before where Sky looks "super human" and just rides away from the other GC contenders on key stages. Combine that with Porte's TT and he can at least make sure that the other GC favorites don't have a bad day if they want to stay ahead. Not saying it will happen...but I don't believe Contador and Aru have written Porte off just yet...nor do I think Porte has shifted his focus to stage wins.