This just in at Cyclingnews, photos by Sirotti:
Amazing how the Panaria (orange) and Tenax (green) riders managed to avoid it…
Ride safe & wear a helmet!
Those field sprint crashes are scary - and that was just a small field in the sequence. I hope the guys are OK. I remember when Abdujaparov took out almost the entire field when he went down on the final rush to the line in the last stage of the Tour de France along the Champs a few years ago. Crazy stuff. No wonder the big players avoid them whenever they can.
Indeed, it’s a miricle that the two riders up the middle avoided it all. I think at that stage, luck has more than a bit to do with it.
Fleck
Having been a Cat 1 field sprinter for the last 10 yrs., let me just say, i am glad today was a 3 hr. ride and tomorrow a 1 hr. run. crashing over 100 times in my bike racing career has left me feeling old and tired.
seamus
p.s. i was crashed out in my first uscf race this year and was about to get pissed, but the goof who took me out went away on a flat board
I don’t think they’re lucky all the time - if you notice how many crashes take only a diminute portion of the field, then I believe certain skill is also involved.
In the first photo, the right rider’s front wheel appears to be distinctly not-round, and an unglued tubular is my guess for the detachment seen there. Anyone care to speculate?
It looks like the 2nd place Panaria rider has a shit eating grin… or is that a grimace? Either one would be understandable…
Add this to the list of reasons to be a triathlete instead of a bike racer.