Jonas Vingegaard Breaks Collarbone & several ribs

[72gmc]

All due respect to G Thomas, I’m glad that Sky is no longer leading parades around the countryside.

I wonder about the answer to Horner’s question. Early speeds could be indicative of everyone trying to be up front right from the start, because getting caught behind takes you out of contention. Has the old dynamic of riders moving back and forth through the peloton changed or ended?

[GregL]

Originally Posted by Turkle

I remember Chris Horner asking, "why does everyone race so dang fast now?" It's a good question, and shows how tactics have changed. It's true that everyone seems to go full gas from the starting gate these days, regardless of rider safety.

High-profile crashes like this that disable significant amounts of the major contenders in the peloton should force a reckoning.

The geometry of the corner and the speed of the riders don't appear dangerous on their own. The problems appear to be (a) road maintenance and (b) obstacles on the outside of the corner, with no guardrails, hay bales, or padding of any sort. Per a local pro on cyclingnews:

"Later, local rider Mikel Bizkarra (Euskatel-Euskadi), who was not taking part in the race, observed on X, formerly Twitter, that “On that road, there are a lot of tree roots under the asphalt, which makes the road very bumpy. It's "easy" to go flying." "

Greg

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by robt57

The Glasgow Worlds had 41 turns on the circuit for a few TT events. TT on crit courses, pass... At least in Stirling the TT was out in the country and terminated in Stirling, turns yes. But it was slower uphill to the finish. We sat on a cobbled more than 90^ left. Dry thankfully...

FWIW, and it might not be worth much, but as a racer back in the day, I found that the easiest courses caused the sketchiest behavior, while the more technical ones were somehow safer. Flat four corner downtown crits are the worst, there's ALWAYS a crash on the last corner.

The safety of the race is determined by the riders, and the most dangerous course is not always the one that is the most difficult.

[Likes2ridefar]

My favorites were long downhill finishes where in one case a 53-11 means you probably wont win the bunch sprint.. Permanent damage because of one of those..thanks, killington mtn circuit loop! I hope they changed it since then.

[prototoast]

Remco has a broken collarbone and scapula: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Wb6aXISe7/

[benb]

Attacking on downhills has a long history.

Sky trying to get everyone to neutralize them is probably more the exception.

I can totally see crashes sneaking up on riders when they think it's easy versus when you're scared you're more cautious.

[deluz]

Originally Posted by benb

Attacking on downhills has a long history.

Sky trying to get everyone to neutralize them is probably more the exception.

I can totally see crashes sneaking up on riders when they think it's easy versus when you're scared you're more cautious.

Remember Paolo Savoldelli?

[deluz]

Originally Posted by prototoast

Remco has a broken collarbone and scapula: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5Wb6aXISe7/

It looked like he just avoided slamming into a tree trunk at high speed. Could have been much worse. Looks like Roglic maybe the lucky one this time.

[m_sasso]

Reconnaissance and the morning management talk on the bus got this way wrong, way to much speed for the road conditions.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by deluz

Remember Paolo Savoldelli?

I also remember Vincenzo Nibali and even Sky/Ineos' own Chris Froome attacking a downhill to win the 2019(?) Giro.

The fun part about bike racing is that tactics and using one's relative strengths are just as important as fitness and legs.

I hope everyone involved today is back on the bike soon. Anyone heard how Jay Vine is doing?

[shadco]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I also remember Vincenzo Nibali and even Sky/Ineos' own Chris Froome attacking a downhill to win the 2019(?) Giro.

The fun part about bike racing is that tactics and using one's relative strengths are just as important as fitness and legs.

I hope everyone involved today is back on the bike soon. Anyone heard how Jay Vine is doing?

Not good, back injuries.

cervical and two thoracic spine vertebral body fractures. Thankfully no neurological involvement

.

[flying]

Originally Posted by GregL

Here's one that's available in the US: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXK3EBEmbNw. It looks ugly. As cyclingnews reported, that turn has tree roots underlying the pavement. High speed turn with significant bumps - what could possibly go wrong?

Greg

Thanks Greg !

Here is another with many angles from Ciclismo News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBcsfdRCLW8

[callmeishmael]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

Well there goes his year or more. I only cracked 3 ribs and it was a long and painful recovery that I’ve never fully recovered from many years later due to all the soft tissue damage associated with it.

Hopefully not. Admittedly, I only damaged ribs and not a collarbone, but was back on the bike in a month. N=1 and I don't know the details etc, but I'd expect someone of his age, fitness and resources to make a relatively speedy recovery.

[deluz]

I broke a rib once, took about 3 months to fully recover.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by deluz

I broke a rib once, took about 3 months to fully recover.

That was my experience as well. The first week I basically couldn’t move or sleep and was on pain meds round the clock. After that it took a long time for the pain to go away. Breathing deeply was very painful for months. Pulling on the handlebar to grind up a climb was brutal the first month or so..

My experience 10 plus years later from similar cycling crashes in races isn’t good. I don’t regret the international travel for free but otherwise racing was a stupid, stupid, decision. The injuries and damage weren’t obvious and some didn’t appear till years later.