The three official Tour regulators–those who position themselves behind different groups within the race to monitor the racing–were very critical of Voigt’s equipment. “They are using deep-profile carbon wheels and they are just too stiff,” said Francois Lemarchand, a one-time teammate to Greg LeMond and now one of the Tour’s three regulators. “You combine that with the stiff carbon frames and it is just too rigid. They can’t absorb any shock.”
From the Bicycling.com article about the Voigt crash.
It’s amazing how reactive people are to accidents/deaths/terror attacks/epidemics.
If there is one person killed or hurt, suddenly things are looked at in detail, new laws are passed, regulations put in place etc., but why don’t they do things before they happen?
It’s amazing how reactive people are to accidents/deaths/terror attacks/epidemics.
If there is one person killed or hurt, suddenly things are looked at in detail, new laws are passed, regulations put in place etc., but why don’t they do things before they happen?
Because there isn’t a need. Cyclists crash. It happens.
I suppose the other 100+ riders that went over the same bump had looser frames? Maybe since there have been crashes where they went over guardrails means that we should have large padded walls all along the course?
I know, since crashing is such a danger, maybe we should put them all on Computrainers with pillows on the floor in case they fall getting off…
**I suppose the other 100+ riders that went over the same bump had looser frames? Maybe since there have been crashes where they went over guardrails means that we should have large padded walls all along the course? **
That’s exactly my point.
People react with hysteria when there is 1 accident and they only do it after the accident occurs. Ditto for swine flu, bird flu, slipping in bath tubs, people carrying explosives in water bottles etc.
Is there any truth to this? I train on Ksyriums and have raced on Zipp tubies, and it seems to me that tire inflation makes way more difference than rim choice. Furthermore, when you look at how flexy a the rim of a deep-dish wheel is (i.e. you can flex it easily with fingers just pushing on it; granted that’s a different kind of force than it gets being ridden on) it doesn’t seem like a low-spoke-count carbon tubie is going to be that much stiffer than an alloy rim…
Sadly, this is exactly the sort of uneducated response that every sponsor and fan of this sport fears. The reality is that our 404 and even 808 are actually significantly more shock absorbing than a 32 spoke box section rim, not to mention the frame he is on has designed in vertical compliance making it more comfortable than the steel bikes we were on 20 years ago but that is the sort of nuance that gets lost in these sorts of situations.
In the meantime, we are all just sick here about Jens. I count myself lucky enough to have travelled with the team on numerous occassions to every race imaginable as well as attending team training camps and have to say that he is just the funniest, most easy-going guy you could hope to be around. He also has always impressed me as one of the guys who is very family oriented and always talking about his and asking about yours…just an overall great and fun guy. Our thoughts are with him and his family and we really hope he is doing alright, and can fully recover.
**Our thoughts are with him and his family and we really hope he is doing alright, and can fully recover. **
For those with the stomach to see it again, the slow-motion analysis is here: http://www.steephill.tv/...crash&id=33n926f
he seems to hit what almost looks like a large speed-hump, get airborne and doesn’t have a grasp on the bar when he comes down…just sickening…
x10000000000 on the bolded part.
It also looks like right when he is grasping for the bars, the front wheel is also crossing right over the painted line. Wonder if that contributed at all.
Been checking google every 20 mins or so hoping for a new story with an injury update, no dice so far.
After watching that, it is exactly what happened at Worlds in vancouver last year. two guys went by me doing about 50 and one hit a bump just like that and went down taking the other guy with him. It looked awful then and looks awful now. I really hope he is doing well.
The three official Tour regulators–those who position themselves behind different groups within the race to monitor the racing–were very critical of Voigt’s equipment. “They are using deep-profile carbon wheels and they are just too stiff,” said Francois Lemarchand, a one-time teammate to Greg LeMond and now one of the Tour’s three regulators. “You combine that with the stiff carbon frames and it is just too rigid. They can’t absorb any shock.”
From the Bicycling.com article about the Voigt crash.
John
If they were smart, what they would ban is descending with your hands on the hoods.
I hate to say it, but Jens’ incident is argument number one for having your hands in the drops when going high speed down a descent. The bump basically popped his left hand off of the hoods. If he’d been in the drops, his hand wouldn’t have come off like that.
I truly hope Jens is OK…that crash was just horrible to see.
Just seen a short sound bite from the Saxo bank manager who was in the car behind the crash. He waited with Jens for the ambulance, and they have heard that he is talking. So it seems like he is a lucky guy so far.
I wish him a speedy recovery. A great rider and super nice guy.
If they were smart, what they would ban is descending with your hands on the hoods.
I hate to say it, but Jens’ incident is argument number one for having your hands in the drops when going high speed down a descent. The bump basically popped his left hand off of the hoods. If he’d been in the drops, his hand wouldn’t have come off like that.
I truly hope Jens is OK…that crash was just horrible to see.
It looked to me like he was in the middle of going from hoods to drops when he hit a bump.
