Dodgy driving on the Tour De France!!

[yojay]

Hope this isn't a re-post but this is some footage of the French television car swerving into some riders. One rider being flung into barbed wire!

IMHO the guy swerved way too hard for the oncoming tree giving a foot of clear space between the wing mirror and trunk. Should have sacrificed the door mirror instead the the poor cyclist!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fkiu7D5xHM


p.s. my first post. WOOHOO!

[carlove]

Bloody hell.
Top lurking by the way.

[Mr Obertshaw]

Does the black car even stop? Hard to tell from that video. I do think all the motorbikes and cars in the procession are accidents waiting to happen.

[soad]

yojay said:

One rider being flung into barbed wire!

Ouch!!!

[Tinod]

soad said:

Ouch!!!

He finished the stage/run (apolgoies for my poor knowledge of TDF) with huge gashes in his leg 10/10 to him, 0/10 to the support driver.

[Raify]

Horrible.

There are some pictures on the Groan's website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2011/jul/1...

Warning, slightly NSFW as it nearly contains a shot of a man's causeway.

[Baffled Spoon]

^^

Horrible looking injury.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycli...

[StottyZr]

I saw this live. Couldn't believe it, the two riders knocked off were in the leading group. The cyclist who took out the barbed wire fence at about 30mph, with his face, was back on the bike in a couple of mins. He was holding onto a motorcyclist (still riding) while they bandaged his legs up.

[okgo]

You may look a bit of a poof in lycra, but some of those guys are nails.

[Lionsden]

StottyZr said:

I saw this live. Couldn't believe it, the two riders knocked off were in the leading group. The cyclist who took out the barbed wire fence at about 30mph, with his face, was back on the bike in a couple of mins. He was holding onto a motorcyclist (still riding) while they bandaged his legs up.

I saw that! I couldn't believe they were administering first aid from the motorbike! I could see the motorbike passenger coming a cropper too!!!

[funkyrobot]

Oh my god!

Something cycling related in General Gassing, and not a hint of hatred towards cyclists!

Unbelievable!



On a more serious note, I saw this live. Looked horrible. It has been discussed a bit in the official Tour thread here:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[johnxjsc1985]

give it time. How in Gods name did he extracte himself from the barbed wire and then gewt on his bike to finish,

[CoolC]

30+ stitches after finishing the stage!!

[yojay]

Baffled Spoon said:

^^

Horrible looking injury.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycli...

Saw this image and wanted to find it to accompany the post - but didn't quite know what to tap into google.

You can't argue with barbed wire!

[EDLT]

Raify said:

Horrible.

There are some pictures on the Groan's website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2011/jul/1...

Warning, slightly NSFW as it nearly contains a shot of a man's causeway.

WTF has happened in picture 12?!

[Raify]

EDLT said:

WTF has happened in picture 12?!

That's the freaky veiny one? I have no idea. It's pretty nasty.

[carlove]

EDLT said:

WTF has happened in picture 12?!

God knows.

[yojay]

On the subject of the driving, I still think it was an incredibly stupid and possibly self centred decision not to sacrifice the wing mirror. I can only imagine he was looking at the cyclists to not see the tree coming up, therefore completely aware of their proximity. It was a split second decision, yes, but to choose vehicle over human is nuts!

[funkyrobot]

yojay said:

On the subject of the driving, I still think it was an incredibly stupid and possibly self centred decision not to sacrifice the wing mirror. I can only imagine he was looking at the cyclists to not see the tree coming up, therefore completely aware of their proximity. It was a split second decision, yes, but to choose vehicle over human is nuts!

Apparently, and don't quote me on this, it was a woman behind the wheel.

[CoolC]

TBF to the driver, it is probably just instinct to swerve. Your driving along looking at the cyclists and look forward to see a tree THERE! gut reaction is to swerve out of the way, he/she had no time to think about it, and I'm sure he/she feels very bad about it.

No excuse, but you can see how these things will happen with cars and riders so close together on very narrow lanes.