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Having ridden the 175km route on Saturday, my friend and I had already planned to stay on and watch the pro’s on Sunday.
As many others, we planned to see the pro’s through more than one sector. We stayed near Roubaix on Saturday night and made plans for the morning.
We travelled south at around 10am, to drive to the Briastre cobbled sector, sector 28. Our first viewing point of the day. We parked at the exit of the sector, just passed the banner marking the transition back to tarmac.
Walking into the stage around 1km, to join a small gathering of mainly French locals ready to watch. We waited some time before the breakaway came through, followed by the main peloton approx. 7mins later. Many vehicles had been through reconning the stage, as the cobbles were still wet and muddy, quickly drying in the morning warmth and gentle breeze.
After the main peloton had been through we started to walk back out of the sector, back to the car. Geraint Thomas came past, clearly having been down (in Troisvilles sector) and shouted our encouragement to him. Further on the cars following the peloton were stopping, now stationary. With a wide run down to a left hander, we forecast an incident there.
The traffic cleared as we approached and as we came down the slight descent to the corner, the ambulances were stopped and the cars cleared. The sector is wide here, high banks and good verges to the cobbles.
Lying prone, in the muddy gutter on the left, beside the cobbles, was a rider. Being worked on by the doctors and medics, with urgency. I shall not forget a monotonous tone, or the image of the doctor intubating him. We did not stare, we genuinely glanced and never looked back. This was a fight we couldn’t help with and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We were held, with our own inability to help and wishing to move without disrespecting either the rider or medics. 3 or 4 people stood at the edge of the field above the scene, at the top of the bank. We were on the hallowed cobbles and with no ability to assist and we are not voyeurs, we passed respectively as far across the road as we could, never looking back.
We soon understood it was Michael Goolaerts and hoped all day for a positive outcome, deep down knowing what we had seen and we both reflected on our endeavours the day before.
The race is a spectacle. Stood in the barley fields, the bird song stopped by the arrival of the peloton, it returns to serenity after the race has gone through.
The hell of the north is the road to heaven, apparently. It was just hell on Sunday for a while.
RIP Michael, race well.
As many others, we planned to see the pro’s through more than one sector. We stayed near Roubaix on Saturday night and made plans for the morning.
We travelled south at around 10am, to drive to the Briastre cobbled sector, sector 28. Our first viewing point of the day. We parked at the exit of the sector, just passed the banner marking the transition back to tarmac.
Walking into the stage around 1km, to join a small gathering of mainly French locals ready to watch. We waited some time before the breakaway came through, followed by the main peloton approx. 7mins later. Many vehicles had been through reconning the stage, as the cobbles were still wet and muddy, quickly drying in the morning warmth and gentle breeze.
After the main peloton had been through we started to walk back out of the sector, back to the car. Geraint Thomas came past, clearly having been down (in Troisvilles sector) and shouted our encouragement to him. Further on the cars following the peloton were stopping, now stationary. With a wide run down to a left hander, we forecast an incident there.
The traffic cleared as we approached and as we came down the slight descent to the corner, the ambulances were stopped and the cars cleared. The sector is wide here, high banks and good verges to the cobbles.
Lying prone, in the muddy gutter on the left, beside the cobbles, was a rider. Being worked on by the doctors and medics, with urgency. I shall not forget a monotonous tone, or the image of the doctor intubating him. We did not stare, we genuinely glanced and never looked back. This was a fight we couldn’t help with and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We were held, with our own inability to help and wishing to move without disrespecting either the rider or medics. 3 or 4 people stood at the edge of the field above the scene, at the top of the bank. We were on the hallowed cobbles and with no ability to assist and we are not voyeurs, we passed respectively as far across the road as we could, never looking back.
We soon understood it was Michael Goolaerts and hoped all day for a positive outcome, deep down knowing what we had seen and we both reflected on our endeavours the day before.
The race is a spectacle. Stood in the barley fields, the bird song stopped by the arrival of the peloton, it returns to serenity after the race has gone through.
The hell of the north is the road to heaven, apparently. It was just hell on Sunday for a while.
RIP Michael, race well.
Nice words Johno.
I have been on the scene of a RTA where two people passed away some years ago, to be expected when cars decelerate against trees.
To witness someone taking there last breath in the name of sport is quite terrifying, even though we know it can happen.
It focuses the mind for future rides, I recall 30mins of a HR of 175 going up Tiede last year. At 42 I should probably get the heart checked out as there have been varying worrying stories in the cycling press about HR issues in cyclists!
I have been on the scene of a RTA where two people passed away some years ago, to be expected when cars decelerate against trees.
To witness someone taking there last breath in the name of sport is quite terrifying, even though we know it can happen.
It focuses the mind for future rides, I recall 30mins of a HR of 175 going up Tiede last year. At 42 I should probably get the heart checked out as there have been varying worrying stories in the cycling press about HR issues in cyclists!
I’m 44, Goolaerts was 23. Sobering. In training currently like many of us for greater rides in the summer my own HR has been at the levels you quote as well....scary.
I’m unlucky to have witnessed the passing of many young men, as motor cycle racing is a passion and with that comes danger. It’s a humbling experience, yet somehow at a race circuit there’s a different theatre to the experience. No less sobering, but less shocking, whilst remains disturbing.
On a muddy cobbled road, through barley fields for a bike race, crashes are conceivable, common place, but seeing a 23yr old man fighting for his life was so outside of that theatre, that scene.
I’m unlucky to have witnessed the passing of many young men, as motor cycle racing is a passion and with that comes danger. It’s a humbling experience, yet somehow at a race circuit there’s a different theatre to the experience. No less sobering, but less shocking, whilst remains disturbing.
On a muddy cobbled road, through barley fields for a bike race, crashes are conceivable, common place, but seeing a 23yr old man fighting for his life was so outside of that theatre, that scene.
lufbramatt said:
Giro gets going in an hour or so's time. Apparently Froome has already had quite a nasty off while on a course recon for the TT.
Saw that - quite bad road rash it looked like. I was congratulating Cav for lasting a day without binning it, now Froomey has gone and done a wrongun.Scabutz said:
lufbramatt said:
Giro gets going in an hour or so's time. Apparently Froome has already had quite a nasty off while on a course recon for the TT.
Saw that - quite bad road rash it looked like . I was congratulating Cav for lasting a day without binning it, now Froomey has gone and done a wrongun.
JustinF said:
^yawn, totally boring now, also tue's was Wiggins, Salbutamol doesn't require one. if you're going to troll at least get it right...
Wasn't even hinting about salbutamol. But as a po-faced expert, you must have heard about availability of TUEs for corticosteroids for road rash. Or even skip the paperwork, go straight to tramadol. Never mind.
Woody John said:
Lost all interest in the Giro on the back of Froome starting. Absolute farce given his doping fail.
It's supposed to be sorted before the tdf. 
I haven't lost interest in the giro, I just can't be doing with Team Sky anymore. I really hope Dumoullin wins the race again this year.
FlyingMeeces said:
Am I just looking in the wrong place, or are ITV effectively boycotting the Giro this year? I'm not much cop at working t'telly menu search thingy but I can't find an ITV highlights show or anyhting.
Giro highlights are on Quest at 20:00. ITV4 have been covering the TdY.FlyingMeeces said:
Am I just looking in the wrong place, or are ITV effectively boycotting the Giro this year? I'm not much cop at working t'telly menu search thingy but I can't find an ITV highlights show or anyhting.
ITV don't get giro highlights. They get tdf and vuelta. Giro is owned by a different company to that of the tdf and vuelta.ferrisbueller said:
Woody John said:
Lost all interest in the Giro on the back of Froome starting. Absolute farce given his doping fail.
Did I read they'd stumped up a load of cash in a bid to get him to enter?1.4mil Euros appearance fee for sky....... can see why the organiser is annoyed!
Long Drax said:
FlyingMeeces said:
Am I just looking in the wrong place, or are ITV effectively boycotting the Giro this year? I'm not much cop at working t'telly menu search thingy but I can't find an ITV highlights show or anyhting.
Giro highlights are on Quest at 20:00. ITV4 have been covering the TdY.
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