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AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course
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From the pro coverage I was anticipating carnage for the AG's. Not just the hairpin turns on the descents, but vehicle traffic, and traffic furniture. Have not heard of any bad crashes. Did Ironman dodge a bullet, or was the course safe?
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [tomk407] [ In reply to ]
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There were a couple of crashes -- the most common one we've heard of is someone over cooking the inside of a corner and taking out the outside rider -- but nothing more or less than you've normally gotten at a typical IM event.

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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [tomk407] [ In reply to ]
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I rode right over 6 hours and saw one really bad one and another guy banged up in another one with an ambulance.

The first, it wasn’t switchbacks but a short tunnel and the rider overcooked it and crashed into the wall. That one looked rough because i remember the ambulance passing me earlier and they had time to setup up cones to warn everyone to slow for it.
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [Gtjojo189] [ In reply to ]
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Gtjojo189 wrote:
I rode right over 6 hours and saw one really bad one and another guy banged up in another one with an ambulance.
Saw
The first, it wasn’t switchbacks but a short tunnel and the rider overcooked it and crashed into the wall. That one looked rough because i remember the ambulance passing me earlier and they had time to setup up cones to warn everyone to slow for it.


Similar time and I saw that crash into the tunnel looked heavy, another big one in the chicane section from memory leading to a bridge,also saw 4 or 5 other incidents on roadside, and also many people standing on side of road with mechanical or bike or minor injury/cramp issues (can't tell which) and one heavy concussion right at the start also, some guys running bandaged up in the run as well, I'd say much less than 2019, the IM course spreads people out a lot more and IMHO the standard of riders maybe a little less agro too.

The consequences of over cooking the big descending sections were severe if u went over the edge so I think people rode fairly conservatively in those sections. If it had been raining or wet would have been maybe a bit worse conditions were perfect really. And some of the parts have been resealed I think

In the villages a lot of road furniture judder bars islands etc all marked in pink paint I thought IM did everything to make the course safe, there were cars on left lane in multiple places (answering that question of the imaginary line importance) matter less in faster descending but it was quite random incl bikes sports cars cyclists and general public driving around a few ppl walking. Knowing the course well would have been worth 15-20min I think in descending for someone of my intermediate level.

Loved the bike. Imho TT bike definitely faster for this course and no issues for me riding a disc carbon wheels rim brakes or even a 55/42 Chainring it wasn't that technical or steep but rewarded good bike handlers ie ppl better than me
Last edited by: Kipstar: Sep 11, 23 9:05
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [Kipstar] [ In reply to ]
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...& from the 7 hour department.
The riders that I rode with were a cautious lot.
Not any craziness going up or down.
In fact, I was one of the more proficient descenders in groupetto.
That says something. Not sure what.
Pavement quality varied a lot.
Thankfully it seemed to be better on the downhills.
Staff and volunteers did i think a good job on warning us.
Signage of possible death opportunities was pretty good in most places. But not in all!
On course motorists of all devices were skillful.
Front door brag time.
Bike time 7:16.
That compares to my IM CDA time, in June of 6;03.
On a fairly similar effort and fitness.
Then there was the "run:
How couldn’t you fly on the course so flat?
I found ways!

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [tomk407] [ In reply to ]
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I'm French and I'm quite used to mountain roads. In my point of view the course was safe, and honestly I would not have called this course very technical. There were very few hard brakings, very few hairpins, and the slopes and speeds were mild.

But regardless, any descent is dangerous for the rider who goes faster than his ability.
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [pwai] [ In reply to ]
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I think this is spot on. It was definitely a safe course and I’d love to ride it again. I’m from the US and just not used to riding French roads and wasn’t sure the style that they are made. From my region in the US there are grades that are steeper than we rode yesterday but the visibility is better. Here the viability wasn’t quite there but there was never that drastic of a change that didn’t have warning.

I thought Ironman did everything they could to warn of potholes and turns and the course doesn’t need to change.

It was also breathtaking. It was hard but I was smiling the last 30 miles for getting to experience that part of the world on my bike in my lifetime.
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Re: AG Perspective of WC Nice Bike Course [Gtjojo189] [ In reply to ]
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Gtjojo189 wrote:
I think this is spot on. It was definitely a safe course and I’d love to ride it again. I’m from the US and just not used to riding French roads and wasn’t sure the style that they are made. From my region in the US there are grades that are steeper than we rode yesterday but the visibility is better. Here the viability wasn’t quite there but there was never that drastic of a change that didn’t have warning.

I thought Ironman did everything they could to warn of potholes and turns and the course doesn’t need to change.

It was also breathtaking. It was hard but I was smiling the last 30 miles for getting to experience that part of the world on my bike in my lifetime.

I would agree with the above.

I would not have wanted to ride this course though if it had been wet, considering my bike skills.
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