Pro riders get sick from not having fenders

[fiamme red]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/mar06/mar21news

Don't have a cow
How a farmer's brew affects riders health
By Susan Westemeyer

Did you ever wonder why so many riders come down with stomach problems after the various spring races in Belgium? One might suspect it's the effect of bouncing up and down so long on cobblestones, but the truth of the matter is much more... natural, one might say. It's all due to the cow manure, says T-Mobile's team doctor, Stefan Voigt.

"Last year in late March, Flanders experienced a spell of mild weather, prompting many farmers to spread manure on their fields. However, the good weather didn't hold and heavy rainfall during the 'Dreidaagse von de Panne' (three to five days before the Tour of Flanders) caused the manure to run off the fields and onto a few hundred metres of the race route," he explains on the team's website.

And how does the cow manure work its magic on the riders? "When the riders sped through these stretches, the excrement sprayed out in all directions -- onto the riders' faces and onto the mouthpieces of their water bottles. Consequently, when a rider took a swig from his bottle, he also unwittingly swallowed millions of E-coli bacteria. Within 12 hours of the E-coli contamination, the riders suffered severe upset stomachs with vomiting and diarrhea."

The solution? "Let's hope for cool and dry weather... so that the farmers 'dangerous brew' is frozen, or at least doesn't run off onto the race route."

[fiamme red]

Camelbak could use this fact in their ads, because very few people (racers or not) use fenders nowadays.

[BumbleBeeDave]

I've had that same worry when riding in the rain. Out on the bike path where all those dogs have been doing their, uh, business wither right next to it in the grass or even on the pavement.

In fact, this was my understanding of one of the important reasons mountain bikers carry hydration packs--to keep the water and mouthpiece up above whatever, er, "stuff" they may ride through . . . :eek:

BBD

[Dr. Doofus]

once heard a bro in the know refer to cow poop as "belgian toothpaste"

[OldDog]

This may explain why I hove gotten so fast after riding around Three Mile Island years ago...

[Kevan]

the podium girls fallin' left n' right?

Uh-ha! Bet nobody thought about that one, didja?

If this is really true...Duvel's the solution.

[William]

Been there, done that. :crap:



William

[theprep]

I've raced in NYC - Central Park the past 2 weekends and there has been this one section about a mile long with horse ***** all over the road from the handsome cab rides.

Real slippery when wet too. A guy on the team claims it makes him sick every year. In the fog of a race, I'll ride right through to move up a few spots. If you ain't movin up you're moving back.

[11.4]

Couldn't let this thread pass ... (pardon the pun)

Someone here may have heard this from me previously; if so, I apologize to you.

Years ago I was training before a Milwaukee Nationals on the roads around Madison. Great training area and great riders. One day a paceline was riding out east of town and we came through this curve leading up to a stop. WiscDOT (or whatever they call themselves) had apparently had crashes there, so they put rumble strips on the curve.

Well, we were bouncing over the rumble strips when this big trailer rig came past us. Full of cows, of course. It hit the rumble strips, the cows got ummm ... agitated, and a big bunch of cows let drop. Well, the truck was driving at a good clip and on a curve, with us on the outside. Physics prevails, and all the bovine emissions slid off the truck and through the air. Until it hit us, that is. Each of us got hit, a couple got hit so hard they were thrown into the roadside ditch, but everyone so that we were mostly brown. It was a long and smelly twenty miles back into town. The last five miles through urban congestion was the worst. You can only imagine.

Manure on the roads in Europe, by the way, regularly causes skin infections. This is one more reason for shaving your legs -- your follicles tend not to get infected as easily.

[Joel]

Three laps, first two in rotten weather. Must have been an earlier version of the Wisconsin truck. Three times totally sprayed with lovely Missouri horse manure. Then the sun came out and baked it all on my nice white Peugeot PX 10. Took forever to clean it off once it dried. Then got sick as a dog the next day. Never could figure out why...now all these years later I learn...

My, oh my, what a bad flashback...

Joel

[Spicoli]

I've raced in NYC - Central Park the past 2 weekends and there has been this one section about a mile long with horse ***** all over the road from the handsome cab rides.

Real slippery when wet too. A guy on the team claims it makes him sick every year. In the fog of a race, I'll ride right through to move up a few spots. If you ain't movin up you're moving back.
Prep aint kiddin, HORSE SHiiTE in the teeth gauranteed. I raced with him in the park this Sunday and got it good. It was not even wet out and I got it, funny part is you get used to it so you dont mention it when it happens anymore.
Just be glad its not the horse from "Seinfeld", you know the one that Kramer gave the can of BEANS to! pffffffft-!!! :D right in the teeth :D

[CNY rider]

Haven't come across a lot of cow **** yet this year, it's still too cold here.

Anyone else in a northern clime notice a horrible taste in your mouth when cars go by on the dry pavement and stir up a cloud of the salt/ sand residue that's still on all the roads? I think the salt is calcium chloride. The taste is horribly bitter and long lasting.

[Frankwurst]

Couldn't let this thread pass ... (pardon the pun)

Someone here may have heard this from me previously; if so, I apologize to you.

Years ago I was training before a Milwaukee Nationals on the roads around Madison. Great training area and great riders. One day a paceline was riding out east of town and we came through this curve leading up to a stop. WiscDOT (or whatever they call themselves) had apparently had crashes there, so they put rumble strips on the curve.

Well, we were bouncing over the rumble strips when this big trailer rig came past us. Full of cows, of course. It hit the rumble strips, the cows got ummm ... agitated, and a big bunch of cows let drop. Well, the truck was driving at a good clip and on a curve, with us on the outside. Physics prevails, and all the bovine emissions slid off the truck and through the air. Until it hit us, that is. Each of us got hit, a couple got hit so hard they were thrown into the roadside ditch, but everyone so that we were mostly brown. It was a long and smelly twenty miles back into town. The last five miles through urban congestion was the worst. You can only imagine.

Manure on the roads in Europe, by the way, regularly causes skin infections. This is one more reason for shaving your legs -- your follicles tend not to get infected as easily.
Inncidents like this is what drives us Wisconsinites to drink in excess. We call it Mad Cow disease. :beer:

[Erik.Lazdins]

Prep aint kiddin, HORSE SHiiTE in the teeth gauranteed. I raced with him in the park this Sunday and got it good. It was not even wet out and I got it, funny part is you get used to it so you dont mention it when it happens anymore.
Just be glad its not the horse from "Seinfeld", you know the one that Kramer gave the can of BEANS to! pffffffft-!!! :D right in the teeth :D


"Beefareeno
The premium quisino
Fit for King and Queeno"


Now we know the real reason why its important to be on the front through the cobbles in the mud.

April 9th we find out.