Dangers of older cyclists . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

http://www.velonews.com/article/89592/bruyneel-armstrong-could-do-giro

“I think every cyclist who is a bit more of age starts to be more careful, that’s common. Everybody starts to take less risk and see more danger and try to avoid it at all costs,” Bruyneel said.

Doesn't look like Grandpa Lance agrees with that assessment. :eek: ;)

BBD

[cmg]

looks pissed

[bironi]

17 years racing without a broken bone is pretty amazing. Ask the question amongst your riding friends, racers, former racers, who has broken a collar bone, or how many times. :beer:

[rustychain]

He is no longer a protected rider. He has found out what that means. IMO it will just make him ride faster. I crashed last October with broken wrist, elbow, dislocated shoulder and I'm 53 years old. I am now putting in some of the fastest times of my life (our my computer needs to be recalibrated ;) )

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . how it feels to be the guy he stiff-armed into the snow bank at the ToCA.

BBD

[harlond]

. . . how it feels to be the guy he stiff-armed into the snow bank at the ToCA.

BBDHuh???

[Johnny Law]

yeah.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/25/cyc-armstrong-injury-032509/

Despite injury, Armstrong says Giro 'very doable'
By JIM VERTUNO, The Associated Press 12:50 a.m. March 25, 2009
Lance Armstrong of the U.S. leaves a hotel with his arm in a sling in Palencia, Spain, Monday March 23, 2009. Armstrong fractured his collarbone Monday in a crash during the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race, disrupting the seven-time Tour de France champion's comeback. Armstrong said he would fly to the United States and meet with medical experts to decide whether he needs surgery, leaving in question his participation in the Tour de France in July. (AP Photo/Isreal Lopez) - AP
More Videos AUSTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong is planning to ride in the Giro d'Italia in May even though his broken collarbone is a bit more serious than first thought.
"I think the Giro is still very doable," the seven-time Tour de France champion said Tuesday night during a conference call with reporters. "This is definitely a setback, no doubt. It's the biggest setback I've ever had in my cycling career, so it's a new experience for me."
Although initial indications were it was a clean break, the 37-year-old American cyclist said new tests in Austin showed "multiple pieces" of broken bone.
He will have surgery Wednesday, and Austin sports medicine specialist Dr. Douglas Elenz, an orthopedic surgeon, will insert a plate to stabilize the collarbone.
"I think they try to put the puzzle back together," Armstrong said.
Armstrong crashed Monday in the first stage of the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race in northern Spain. He flew home to Austin on Tuesday and went straight to visit Elenz.
After surgery, Armstrong will take a mandatory 72-hour rest period. Then the surgeon will determine if Armstrong can get on an indoor training bike to resume his workouts.
Although the recovery typically takes four to six weeks, Armstrong hopes his will be faster.
"It's a very common cycling injury," he said. "You hear of guys who race two weeks later, you hear of guys who race two months later."
The Giro runs from May 9-31. The Tour de France is July 4-26.
Armstrong said he was frustrated the injury happened just as he was getting into top shape. He was among the top 10 riders for much of the race Monday before he crashed about 12 miles from the end of the stage. Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said Armstrong hit the ground hard with his head, breaking his helmet.
"I felt like my condition was really coming to a point where I was going to be able to ride in the front of the races," he said.
But Armstrong insisted it won't change his plans for the Giro or compromise his training for his return to the Tour, where he won seven consecutive titles from 1999-2006.
"I don't think this changes anything for the Tour de France," Bruyneel said earlier Tuesday in Spain. "A broken collarbone in the month of March does not at all compromise the start of the Tour de France or your performance in the Tour de France."
Still, the injury likely will force a shift in strategy for the Giro.
"Being at the start of the Giro is no problem," Bruyneel said. "But he has to have at least a decent level to be in the race and to compete at a certain level. ... Now it's almost clear that he's not going to be able to be a contender but we just have to change our focus and try to do the Giro, if he can get to the start, with another mentality."
Armstrong, diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain in 1996, has said the primary focus of his comeback is to spread his Livestrong message.
Asked if he felt his comeback was doomed when he crashed, Armstrong admitted he was a bit stunned at first.
"Lying in the ditch in that situation, yeah, but I think that's normal. You sort of ask yourself what the hell am I doing here?" Armstrong said.
"But laying in that ditch with a shattered collarbone was a lot better than other health scares I've had."

[BumbleBeeDave]

Huh???

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=56174&highlight=Lance

http://drunkcyclist.com/2009/02/20/caption-this-54/

BBD

[Thor]

. . . how it feels to be the guy he stiff-armed into the snow bank at the ToCA.

BBD

Wow, that totally makes no sense. Who broke a collar bone in the California race? It really is apparent here, the hate and jealousy of Armstrong. If you ever fall, please don't post the story on the forum or post pics.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Wow, that totally makes no sense. Who broke a collar bone in the California race? It really is apparent here, the hate and jealousy of Armstrong. If you ever fall, please don't post the story on the forum or post pics.

. . . was taken down unexpectedly and undeservedly. All riders--including LA--could have easily passed him safely and without incident. They pass that close to spectators all the time without incident.

In this race Armstrong was similarly taken down unexpectedly and undeservedly. Assaulting spectators, apparently expecting to get away with it--and apparently successfully doing so-- carries a certain bit of arrogance, it seems to me. The only dislike here is for the arrogance shown in anyone, not just LA. Hate and jealousy has nothing to do with it. Lance is a fascinating character and has many excellent qualities which will help him to bounce back from this injury. His arrogance is not one of them.

Oh, and BTW, welcome to the forum! ;)

BBD

[Thor]

The only dislike here is for the arrogance shown in anyone, not just LA. Hate and jealousy has nothing to do with it. Lance is a fascinating character and has many excellent qualities which will help him to bounce back from this injury. His arrogance is not one of them.

BBD

You used the word arrogant above, twice. Is it not arrogant on one's behalf to mock a fellow, fallen rider whose collar bone shattered? You say you hate arrogance in general, yet you attack and insult Lance Armstrong when you can, even when he is down. That's not nice and some could perceive it as arrogance. :)

ar·ro·gant (r-gnt)
adj.
1. Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance.
2. Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others: an arrogant contempt for the weak. See Synonyms at proud.

[woolly]

. . . how it feels to be the guy he stiff-armed into the snow bank at the ToCA.

BBD

Give it a rest, Dave. Please.

[MattTuck]

"This is definitely a setback, no doubt. It's the biggest setback I've ever had in my cycling career, so it's a new experience for me."

What about the cancer? You know, the cancer that ravaged your body and almost killed you... that you are now supposedly racing to try to raise awareness of?



As for pushing a spectator, watch the 08 Alpe D'Huez stage of TDF. One of the Schlek bros. clearly pushes a fan who is close, plenty of riders push spectators who are in the way. Being a cycling fan and getting close to the athletes is a privilege, not a right. If you're there trying to distract a racer, you can't be surprised when they get annoyed.

Those guys are one nut with a knife away from serious injury at any time, I wouldn't want a guy running next to me either.

[fiamme red]

Oh, and BTW, welcome to the forum! ;)

BBDYes, welcome back, yet again! ;)

[fourflys]

it's funny, no mentions the other pro (no idea who it was) that puched the dude in the face during the TOC... The guy deserved it, a few minutes earlier he had fallen and almost taken the entire group down while acting like an idiot... But, becuase it wasn't Lance or Levi or ???, it's not a big deal. I think the spectators are idiots and, at times, derserve what they get. I'm sure there is a lot we don't see that happens during races...

[William]

Wasn’t it Pantani who shoved/punched a spectator running next to him near the top or Alp Duez? I think he was wearing an Indian chief headdress.

I’m not for all out war on spectators but it is these guys livelihoods and a reckless spectator running too close on a closed course can cause bad damage very quickly. In that respect a good shove or elbow out of the way doesn’t bother me at all. Going out of your way to stick a spectator is another matter…but it’s a fine line with people lining a tight course.

Just leave the old cyclists in peace. :D



William

[Johnny Law]

stu⋅pid⋅i⋅ty   /stuˈpɪdɪti, styu-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [stoo-pid-i-tee, styoo-] Show IPA
–noun, plural -ties for 2. 1. the state, quality, or fact of being stupid.
2. a stupid act, notion, speech, etc.

o⋅pin⋅ion   /əˈpɪnyən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-pin-yuhn] Show IPA
–noun 1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
3. the formal expression of a professional judgment: to ask for a second medical opinion.
4. Law. the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case.
5. a judgment or estimate of a person or thing with respect to character, merit, etc.: to forfeit someone's good opinion.
6. a favorable estimate; esteem: I haven't much of an opinion of him.

that da guy had needles as a pitchfork and who else do you think that that was aimed at. and how long 'till you have had enough? ...wait, don't answer that!! :)

and what of that cross racer who kicked that heckler in the gut? what? because it's cross racing and there's more beer involved it's okay? that's assault and nothing happend to the racer, even allowed for him to keep his place as they, cross go'ers, seem to have the slight bit better the overview of 'justice'.

and if this is truely the case well then serotta, i'll be sending you my measurements as i'm going cross ASAP!! :p

[fiamme red]

that da guy had needles as a pitchfork and who else do you think that that was aimed at. and how long 'till you have had enough? ...wait, don't answer that!! :)

and what of that cross racer who kicked that heckler in the gut? what? because it's cross racing and there's more beer involved it's okay? that's assault and nothing happend to the racer, even allowed for him to keep his place as they, cross go'ers, seem to have the slight bit better the overview of 'justice'.

and if this is truely the case well then serotta, i'll be sending you my measurements as i'm going cross ASAP!! :pAnd welcome yet again to the forum! How do you keep all your passwords straight? ;)

[Johnny Law]

dumb   /dʌm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [duhm] Show IPA adjective, -er, -est, verb
–adjective 1. lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted.
2. lacking the power of speech (often offensive when applied to humans): a dumb animal.
3. temporarily unable to speak: dumb with astonishment.
4. refraining from any or much speech; silent.
5. made, done, etc., without speech.
6. lacking some usual property, characteristic, etc.
7. performed in pantomime; mimed.
8. Computers. pertaining to the inability to do processing locally: A dumb terminal can input, output, and display data, but cannot process it. Compare intelligent (def. 4).
9. Nautical. a. (of a barge) without means of propulsion.
b. (of any craft) without means of propulsion, steering, or signaling.

ass1   /æs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [as] Show IPA
–noun 1. a long-eared, slow, patient, sure-footed domesticated mammal, Equus asinus, related to the horse, used chiefly as a beast of burden.
2. any wild species of the genus Equus, as the onager.
3. a stupid, foolish, or stubborn person.

pen and paper, duh! :)

[BumbleBeeDave]

Give it a rest, Dave. Please.

My axe is already ground to way too fine a point on this subject. Thanks for pointing it out.

BBD

[mikki]

it's funny, no mentions the other pro (no idea who it was) that puched the dude in the face during the TOC... The guy deserved it, a few minutes earlier he had fallen and almost taken the entire group down while acting like an idiot... But, becuase it wasn't Lance or Levi or ???, it's not a big deal. I think the spectators are idiots and, at times, derserve what they get. I'm sure there is a lot we don't see that happens during races...

I agree that the spectators are idiots; some of them anyway. They deserve to be pushed back away from the riders. The dude that Lance pushed deserved it; so do so many others. Maybe if more of the riders smacked them back they would stay a respectful distance from them rather than risk being humiliated on television. They put the cyclists in harms way often. That is what is unfair; not Lance or anyone pushing someone out of the immediate path!!

PS: Dave, I remember when you were a strong Lance fan.??

[ti_boi]

I thought this thread would be about how we all need to practice yoga twice a day to ensure flexibility and avoid injury. :beer:

[97CSI]

. . . was taken down unexpectedly and undeservedly. All riders--including LA--could have easily passed him safely and without incident. They pass that close to spectators all the time without incident.How conveniently you seem to have forgotten the circumstances of what took place. The offender was no mere 'spectator'. He was a clown who was running dangerously close to the riders and could have easily caused a serious accident. And, as you were not on any of the bikes involved you really have no idea whether what took place was merited....or not.