They stop the men's race this time

[MattTuck]

https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/news/dwars-stoppage-highlights-challenge-of-simultaneous-races_492044

WAREGEM, Belgium (VN) — The men’s peloton in Dwars door Vlaanderen was just ramping up the speed with 75km to go Wednesday when everything suddenly came to a stop.

Two ambulances swept down the race course to care for two different crashes in the women’s race, forcing race organizers to briefly neutralize the men’s race just as the peloton was barreling toward the decisive Kluisberg climb, the first major hump in the 179km course.

“I don’t know what happened,” said Bahrain-Merida’s Heinrich Haussler, who later sprinted to 10th. “Things were about to kick off, and then I rolled up and saw everyone stopped. It came at a bad moment in the race.”

The race stoppage Wednesday in the important pre-Tour of Flanders race was the second incident this spring that saw the men’s and women’s events intersect at inopportune moments. During February’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, race officials neutralized solo breakaway rider Nicole Hanselmann (Bigla Pro Cycling Team) after she caught the back of the men’s race caravan.

A few things happened. The women’s race had a big pile-up right after the gun, causing organizers to delay the start by about five minutes. The men’s peloton raced hard in the opening two hours, meaning it was moving fast toward the bergs. Then there were two separate crashes coming off some of the major climbs at the back of the women’s race, right at the same point where the men’s race was flying toward the day’s first major climbs.

Ambulances were required to attend to two major injuries, including one rider who was transported to a local hospital. And it all happened right at one of the course’s choke points.

I know we discussed this after Omloop.

Cycling and marathons are unique in that they use public roads, and road closures are a big part of pulling off these events. It only makes sense that they want to spread that organizational energy spent closing the roads across as much racing as possible. So they try to get the men's and women's races done while the roads are clear, but it just doesn't seem to be working.

I'm not sure how realistic it is to keep the roads closed longer (with bigger buffers), but that seems to be the required fix if your goal is to preserve the integrity of the races.

[Black Dog]

https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/news/dwars-stoppage-highlights-challenge-of-simultaneous-races_492044





I know we discussed this after Omloop.

Cycling and marathons are unique in that they use public roads, and road closures are a big part of pulling off these events. It only makes sense that they want to spread that organizational energy spent closing the roads across as much racing as possible. So they try to get the men's and women's races done while the roads are clear, but it just doesn't seem to be working.

I'm not sure how realistic it is to keep the roads closed longer (with bigger buffers), but that seems to be the required fix if your goal is to preserve the integrity of the races.

I would hardly consider two occasions out of 100's, if not 1000's of races that have run mens and women's event's concurrently to be an indication of a systemic issue. I think you may be counting the hits and ignoring the misses, so to speak.

[echappist]

https://www.velonews.com/2019/04/news/dwars-stoppage-highlights-challenge-of-simultaneous-races_492044





I know we discussed this after Omloop.

Cycling and marathons are unique in that they use public roads, and road closures are a big part of pulling off these events. It only makes sense that they want to spread that organizational energy spent closing the roads across as much racing as possible. So they try to get the men's and women's races done while the roads are clear, but it just doesn't seem to be working.

I'm not sure how realistic it is to keep the roads closed longer (with bigger buffers), but that seems to be the required fix if your goal is to preserve the integrity of the races.

you are not asking the big question

the big question is, did those in the breakaway get screwed?

/sarcasm

i mentioned that neutralization and restart with the same time gap is common place, and some people really wouldn't want to hear it...

I would hardly consider two occasions out of 100's, if not 1000's of races that have run mens and women's event's concurrently to be an indication of a systemic issue. I think you may be counting the hits and ignoring the misses, so to speak.

this is the 8th edition of Dwars feminin. I don't think De Ronde feminin has more than 15 editions. The thing is, to increase exposure, there can't be that big of a gap between the two races. It gets broadcast as "show up early and watch two races". down side is, with the tortuous routing that often doubles back on itself, any small hiccup for one race could easily affect the other

but overall, i would agree that it's less of an issue. It's also less of an issue for, say Liege (I think that one is only 5 years old?), as there's no doubling back to speak of

[Black Dog]

you are not asking the big question

the big question is, did those in the breakaway get screwed?

/sarcasm

i mentioned that neutralization and restart with the same time gap is common place, and some people really wouldn't want to hear it...



this is the 8th edition of Dwars feminin. I don't think De Ronde feminin has more than 15 editions. The thing is, to increase exposure, there can't be that big of a gap between the two races. It gets broadcast as "show up early and watch two races". down side is, with the tortuous routing that often doubles back on itself, any small hiccup for one race could easily affect the other

but overall, i would agree that it's less of an issue. It's also less of an issue for, say Liege (I think that one is only 5 years old?), as there's no doubling back to speak of

I was referring to all races that run concurrent mens and women's fields, not just the spring races. May not have hit the 1000's but surely is in the 100's by now. Fair point, however.

[93KgBike]

I would hardly consider two occasions out of 100's, if not 1000's of races that have run mens and women's event's concurrently to be an indication of a systemic issue. I think you may be counting the hits and ignoring the misses, so to speak.Agree.

They have to roll the twenty-sided before races, right?

[chiasticon]

the big question is, did those in the breakaway get screwed?

/sarcasmI checked in right after this, so missed the kerfuffle. but I thought I saw something about Benoot being in the break, missing the re-start, then needing to be towed up to it by one of the motos. pretty hilarious.

as long as they maintain the gaps when they restart, and it's not happening every single race (or near it), I don't see the big issue. I'm sure it can be frustrating to the riders, but it's not the end of the world. they seem to at least try and pause the race during more neutral sections, at least. in the end, more exposure for cycling (of both genders) is good for all involved, and if little operational glitches like this occur trying to achieve that, so be it.

[echappist]

I checked in right after this, so missed the kerfuffle. but I thought I saw something about Benoot being in the break, missing the re-start, then needing to be towed up to it by one of the motos. pretty hilarious.

as long as they maintain the gaps when they restart, and it's not happening every single race (or near it), I don't see the big issue. I'm sure it can be frustrating to the riders, but it's not the end of the world. they seem to at least try and pause the race during more neutral sections, at least. in the end, more exposure for cycling (of both genders) is good for all involved, and if little operational glitches like this occur trying to achieve that, so be it.

close, it's Postlberger who got screwed and had to take an extended tow to the re-established breakaway group

your second paragraph sums up my sentiments pretty much spot-on. But in the original thread re: the Omloop kerfuffle, there were a few saying that the Swiss rider had a chance to win, and that the neutralization + restart (even with maintenance of original gap) screwed her over. My sarcasm was directed at these people.

[MattTuck]

as long as they maintain the gaps when they restart, and it's not happening every single race (or near it), I don't see the big issue. I'm sure it can be frustrating to the riders, but it's not the end of the world. they seem to at least try and pause the race during more neutral sections, at least. in the end, more exposure for cycling (of both genders) is good for all involved, and if little operational glitches like this occur trying to achieve that, so be it.

The path to commercial breaks is paved with good intentions :)

I would hardly consider two occasions out of 100's, if not 1000's of races that have run mens and women's event's concurrently to be an indication of a systemic issue. I think you may be counting the hits and ignoring the misses, so to speak.


I don't know enough about the Flanders Classics organization (I think both impacted races were produced by the same group) to know if 1) something changed this year in how they spaced the races or 2) just randomness that appears to be a signal, but is actually noise or 3) the buffers have always been too small and we're just hearing about it more now for other reasons.